Chess and Life Lessons
Submitted by
on Fri, 05/15/2009 at 12:41pm.
I just wanted to share these thoughts with you:
In chess, there are strong pieces and weaker pieces. However, you can almost WIN using any piece.
Pawns seem to be the weakest pieces. They have very limited capabilities. They can only advance one square at a time, always go forward. They can't go back. They can't turn around. However, something very special about pawns, they are very strong when they work together. When you have 2, 3 or more pawns lined up diagonally they seem to form an almost unbreakable wall. Even the king always hides behind 2 or 3 pawns after he castled. One amazing thing about pawns as well, a pawn who has been working hard all along, can actually become a QUEEN!! Isn't that amazing? It actually symbolizes how hard work is rewarded in life. Even if come from the poorest family, or had the least in life, you can become the most powerful piece on the board through hard work!
Knights and Bishops: These pieces are definitely stronger than pawns. However, they too have their limitations. Bishop can only move on white squares or black squares. Knights can only move 2 squares one way and 1 square across at a time. Yet, each one got something special about them. Bishops can move from one end of the board to the other, knights can't. Knights can threaten lots of pieces including the Queen without needing any protection on its own. They can even threaten 3 pieces at one time (sometimes you can put it so that it is threatening the King, the Queen and the Castle at the same time). Both are also stronger when they work together. 2 knights or two bishops consist a very strong fire wall. Knights can protect each other, but Bishops can't. So both knights and bishops do have lots of strengths and some weaknesses. Yet, if you know how to benefit from their strengths and work over their weaknesses, you can win the game!
Castles are amazing pieces. They are the strongest pieces only after the Queen. The most amazing thing about Castles is when they are in line or when you put them on the last two lines to check mate the King. Most strong players try to keep on the castles until the end because they are a very strong defense and also very strong offense.
The Queen is definitely the strongest piece on the Board. It can move any where it wants. It can kill any other piece. Most checkmates are done using a Queen. However, with that comes a price to pay. Your opponent always target the your Queen. So, the Queen is not always at ease. It is not let alone. It can't just sit in peace killing other pieces without being attacked by all the other pieces trying to knock it down. It is the price of being a Leader, being the Elite, being the front runner. All eyes are pointing at you with admiration but also, unfortunately, sometimes with envy!
If you are a "Queen" in life, just try to be extra careful, play safe, but also don't stand still and keep on moving forward.
Finally, the King! The most precious piece for sure but also the laziest piece as well! If it the game was not all about protecting the King, the King would actually have less value than a pawn (since a pawn can become a Queen, a King can't!)
However, here is something special about the King: He is the symbol of Unity of the team. He represents the Goal there is purpose of the game. Without the King, all pieces would move in a chaotic way not knowing why they are moving this way or that way. We also make sacrifices in the game sometimes to protect the King (Like compromising a small advantage for a bigger one).
The King of your opponent is like your goal in life, you are trying to get there through so much difficulties and losses, and failures, but at the end, hopefully you will get there, and you will win the GAME.
There are so many things we can learn from Chess: Working in a team, sacrificing a small advantage for a bigger and more important goal, knowing your strength and use them to the fullest, and understanding your weaknesses and not let them stop you, hard work lead to rewards in life, you may be very limited in what you can do but still got the most important role within your community or society, with being a leader comes a price to pay, and lots more!
I hope you liked these thoughts and you try to think of some analogy in your life.