We know from playing Chess that a “check” is not a checkmate. It is just a bump in life. Take care of it, and the game continues. What other checks do we get in life, and what do we do about them? (It is for you to answer.)

We know from playing Chess that sometimes it just doesn’t rain, it pours. Your King may come under the most vicious of attacks, and when you address those attacks, the calm comes. What attacks have come into your life, and how have you handled them?

We know from Chess that it is not over until it’s over. If you think it’s over, that you are set or damned for life, you may be disappointed. If you give up too soon, you may be disheartened further by the realization that there was a creative way to resolve your game (position). If you celebrate too soon, the victory may be ripped from your hands. When in your life have you come to a point of giving up, what did you do? Do you celebrate too soon?

We know from playing Chess that there are up and downs, and we take them in our stride. We enjoy the journey. (There is no destination? May be each game is a journey and a destination.) Do you enjoy the journey of life?

We know from Chess that we have to focus on this game. Give this game all you have. In life, do you give each day all the attention it needs. Do you just focus on just this day and do the best you can on this particular day?

We know from Chess, that each move deserves all the attention; we cannot choose and pick when to pay attention. How about the tasks of this day? Do you give each one special attention, completing it to the best of your ability? As if the life of the day depended on it?

We know from Chess that we cannot just live for today, that we make preparations for the future: you develop your pieces well, you coordinate your pieces, you try to predict the future and act accordingly. In life, how strong is your foundation? Are you living this day as if it’s your last, trading the futures happiness for today’s?

We know from Chess that for most of us, to be good, we have to perspire a lot. In life, do we perspire to get where we want?

We know from Chess that we don’t create gems from nothing, that we build brilliancies move by move. What are our expectations of life? How are we building our dreams?

We know from Chess that we play to win, and we give our best and hope for a miracle win when we face a much higher rated player. In life, do we get up each morning with a winning attitude? Do we still hope for the miracle win when we face the seemingly insurmountable?

I am not saying Chess is life, or “life is like the game of chess”, but we can get a lot of Wisdom by meditating on the game of Chess.

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This is a post that I wrote at my blog at chess.com – I am reproducing it here verbatim.

Well, today is Sunday and I went to Church after a couple of weeks of not going. The Readings had one major theme: You know everything that you need to be successful or to be a Godly person. However, you need to put what you know in action. Here are two of the readings:

1) Luke 10: 25 – 37

2) Deutoronomy 30: 10 – 14

Well, I must confess that I think about Chess in places that I shouldn’t! So I was thinking about how these two Readings are applicable to Life and Chess. In Chess, people are always looking for tips on how to improve, how to win quickly, how to play the opening better, how to think like a grandmaster, etc. However, if you asked a novice or somebody who has been playing the game for a couple of weeks what they can tell somebody about the game, or how they would go about teaching somebody Chess, you would be amazed by the knowledge that they have on how to play the game effectively!

What’s the conclusion from all this? We all (90% of us) know the same things that grandmasters know on how to play the game, how to improve, etc. We just have to put it in practice, move in move out!

So, there is a tip on how to improve at Chess: “Do this (this=what you already know) and you shall live” (live=get what you seek).

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