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An old poem of mine

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Submitted by GrimReaper7752 on Wed, 07/02/2008 at 9:30pm.

  I had previously posted this in a poetry contest and in my COT club. Any comments would be appreciated good or bad.                          

 

 

                               SQUARE DANCE

To the middle I march my men

taking utmost care in placing them 

thoughtful planning to avoid any weakness

Apply the maxim "Good offense is the best defense"

Always keeping a careful eye

on the thoughts put out by the other guy

destructive plans are in the midst

and receiving a strange comfort in this

attack, defend, attack again

always aiming for just the right blend

becoming aware of a plotted ambush

variations so complex brains turning to mush

the sweat pours and my fist tightens

suddenly it dawns on me and my day brightens

I look up at my opponent with a sly grin

I can sac my queen for the win

sorry to inform you but Caissa has chosen me today 

and after seeing my move he chose not to play

Instead he tipped his King and got up, shook my hand

and said "Young sir, this dance with you sure was grand"


» posted in GrimReaper7752's Blog
| 162 reads | 2 comments
 

Comments:

by GrimReaper7752 - 20 months ago
Darkest depths of Hell United States
Member Since: Nov 2007
Member Points: 213
Good stuff, thanks! I didn't know where the idea of Caissa originated. I had just read her name in some books. The poem was written when I was 17 and had just started playing and studying chess.
by qtsii - 20 months ago
Machiavelli United States
Member Since: Mar 2008
Member Points: 4628

 

Great poem. I am going to show my stupidity - I did not know what Caissa was but now I do - thanks for teaching me something else!

 

Caïssa is a mythical Thracian dryad portrayed as the goddess of chess.

History

Caïssa originated in a poem called Caïssa, written in 1763 in latin hexameters by orientalist Sir William Jones. The poem is based on Scacchia ludus ('The Game of Chess') written in 1510 by Marco Girolamo Vida – an Italian poet and later Bishop of Alba – where the nymph is called Scacchis. Jones also published an English language version of the poem.

In the poem, Caïssa initially repels the advances of the god of war, Mars. Spurned, Mars seeks the aid of the god of sport – Euphron, brother of Venus/Aphrodite – who creates the game of chess as a gift for Mars to win Caissa's favor.

Modern use

Caïssa is referred to in chess commentary. Garry Kasparov uses this reference now and again, especially in his epic five-volume work My Great Predecessors. It is used as a substitute for being lucky – "Caïssa was with me" – especially in unclear situations, for example in sacrifices. Caïssa as a concept has also been explored by some who seek the evidence of the sacred feminine in chess.

The first (Russian) computer program that won the World Computer Chess Championship (in 1974) was also named Kaissa.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caissa


 
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