Leverage

I was a child when Ma first introduced me to chess- with 32 pieces and 64 symmetrical squares, it was not only a majestic black and white board but also a stratagem of infinite possibilities of winning.

But what truly intrigued me is the probable hypothesis of each and every piece on the board: from pawns to bishops, from rooks to the queen, each moving in respect to their positions to protect their king. This gives an impetus on the idea of how precisely the intricating analysis should work. The amalgamation of seeing ahead of the adversary’s wit and breaking their barriers, leading them straight to walk into the lion’s den.

It’s astounding to witness how the sacrifice of one leads to the advantage of the latter. How one conscientiously advance to beat the odds, to foster the possible moves, challenging the sudden predictability and making the ultimate choice of playing either on the defense or the offense.

The duality in nature of this game is the reflective assessment of our concurrent choices, of how in life we are willing to accept the adversity of every consequence just to win. But to lose is like a slap in the face.

Sometimes, a strategy can become a contradiction: Just like a pawn is promoted to the queen and turning the statistics of the game or when the strategy breaks the opponent’s deception at the very crucial point and leave them stranded with restricted movements. In the same manner the lost gambit gives stability in choices by helping the contender to eradicate the factors that leads to the debacle of his efforts, just in order to gamble on the only striking possibility of hitting the target.

“Holding resentment in your heart won’t get you anywhere, but having patience, a good strategy and right timing definitely will.”

The encapsulation of false choices in one’s mind by holding resentment and making the ultimate blunder by acting on impulse leads to the encounter with a trigger point.

And that is the risk that test one’s limits; the last tactical move that seals one’s fate.