Chess

What a game.
Complicated, intricate, demanding and consuming
Sometimes it has been a challenge
An escape
a distraction
mostly a passion.

There is beauty in this game.
The coordination of pieces
Their individual movement and power
The sometimes surgical precision of a Checkmate
or the fierceness of a long drawn out battle
to the very last piece

And the people I've played across the board
The opponents
few were actual enemies

The game being the door to many friendships
drawn to each other by the basic love
of a complicated game.

That invokes comraderie, companionship and respect
for you learn just as much from your opponent
as you do the game.

Chess grabs you by the throat
forces you to live by that
most basic of principles
"Thou shalt think"

As you play you are always seeking
that perfect move
that beautiful combination
that better position
To win in spite of the devious tricks
of your opponent
Tactics, exchanges, mating attacks,
retreats, flanking movements, pins, swindles,
trades, sweeping victories, resounding defeats

infinite possibilities for both of you
The moment you move the first piece
Every game like a horse race
The dark horse can always win

Always a measurement of skill and knowledge
But knowledge is never enough
A true lesson of life
How to utilize knowledge and skill

And there is a wicked pleasure in this game
to disrupt your opponent's position
to steal his pieces
to thwart his attacks
to snatch victory from his side and
make it your own
A delicious thrill
to outcon the conman
to outsteal the thief
to trump the gambler
to beat the crook at his own trade

for Chess has its own world
where sportsmanship and basic rules of play
provide a wide open field of possibilities
where you both can appreciate
the beauty of a well played swindle or trick
A surprise move
a hidden threat
the con and the bluff

And in Chess
There is no room for complacency
No resting on your laurels
Arrogance will always be humbled
Conceit reprimanded and foolishness educated.

printed with permission from Elizabeth L. Scott Casper