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Some Little Reminders From One of the World’s Oldest Games
The popular Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit has ignited a resurgence in chess worldwide and has brought many new players to the game. One evening while watching the show (I think we binged the entire thing in just a few days), I casually mentioned to my wife that I had always wanted to learn to play. This conversation was just before Christmas 2020, so I was accordingly gifted a chess set just a few weeks later. Luckily for me, this gift corresponded with another set of COVID lockdowns in my area, so I had plenty of time to learn. As I immersed myself in the game, I realized that it had a lot to teach me. But not really. Instead, what it did was show me things about life that I already knew but that I needed to remember.
1. Materialism is Bad
In chess, being materialistic refers to one of two things. The first case occurs when the player takes the opponent's piece at every opportunity. This style of play can be harmful, and the saying “no such thing as a free lunch” comes to mind. Sometimes opponents will offer up a free piece to speed up their own development. On other occasions, you may be able to take an available piece, but only if you weaken your own position.
The other case is when a player tries too hard to hold on to their own pieces…
