Piles of Books on Chess Strategies

I looked down at the battlefield, checkered with rich maple and mahogany. In a deep half-hour contemplation, I looked down at the fallen soldiers in this ongoing battle. Knights scattered across the field ready to be sacrificed to protect the kings. Pawns and bishops discarded into the sidelines from the heat of the battle. I was trapped, looking for an escape only to be surrounded and cornered. I realized then that there was no move for me to make and no breakthrough. I called for a draw and my opponent conceded.

Chess has always been a huge inspiration for me. I was introduced to the game by my father on a rainy summer day. I never thought I would see myself playing what I thought to be such a dull game as I was always the one to go outside and play kickball with my friends. As he assembled the chess pieces and offered to play, I agreed only for the sake of being polite. However, my interest in the game engulfed me as soon as I played the first match. I watched in awe as my father overran my weak defenses and won in a matter of 15 moves. Being naturally competitive, I decided to go for a rematch. Losing that one, I played again, and again. 

Sometimes, I would start to think I would win this one only to see that he saw my strategies from miles away. Of course, with each game, I became slightly better. I learned to think 5 moves ahead and anticipate his tactics. With the matches becoming more interesting and less one-sided, I decided to advance my game immensely. I watched various videos and read piles of books on chess strategies. I created a chess club in my school to play against classmates and on the weekends, I started playing on online chess servers against a wider array of opponents. I learned many techniques that I never even thought of and my game improved substantially. 

Every day, after school, I would throw my backpack on the floor and run up to my dad's work desk to play some chess. He graciously accepted and in the days that followed, we must have played over 50 matches. Through this learning, one day, I beat him. I remember the feeling of seeing a checkmate just 3 moves away. I saw the frustration on his face and with his king completely cornered, I placed my bishop to finish the game. 

I felt an overwhelming amount of pride and joy but that feeling was only magnified when I saw the same expression on my father's face. Introspectively, chess has played a huge influence in my life because it has taught me how to handle losses and deal with failure while persevering in times of defeat. After that victory, I realized that I didn't play only to beat my father but because I truly enjoyed the game. I learned to enjoy the process of making mistakes and turning them into lessons. But most importantly, chess has taught me that persistence and hard work pays off in the end. While, in life, you cannot always expect a victory, if you give it your best, you can turn that undertaking into a success. 

This past year, I had participated in a medical internship offered by a program at my school. Although it was overwhelming, I quickly learned to fit in. While it was not a game like chess, my strategy was the same: work hard, remain focused, deal with unavoidable curveballs and be tenacious. My father and I still play chess to this day, and we play to win. Of course, the matches are more balanced now and my father pays close attention to my every move, even learning a few things from me.