My Outlook on Chess and Life in General

In my opinion, what makes people interesting is their unique outlook on life. Each one of us has a unique perspective whether we believe it or not. Our viewpoints are shaped by many factors to include: religion, culture, past experiences, etc. You might could say each one of us has "downloaded" a different operating system. Some of us, like me, are still running on Windows 98! I think its time for a drunken bout so I can reformat the cells in my hard drive!

Chessplayers are often asked how they see the game of chess. Probably the most common question asked is, "Is chess an art or struggle?" For me, chess is both an art and a struggle, but if I had to pick one category then I would go with art. I appreciate the creative aspect of the game and I would prefer the more asethic move if given a choice.

Smyslov, one of my favourite players, always seemed to play the most harmonious move in the position. Who cannot admire the creative play of Bronstein, Tal and Nezhmetdinov or the strategic concepts of Karpov, Capablanca and Kramink?

One of our best local club players, Glenn Bidari, looks at chess as a struggle. He "makes no bones" about it. I've only played a few games against him, with not so surprisingly poor results. You can feel the intense pressure he creates over the board. It feels as though the battle is occuring on a spiritual level.

As a weaker player, when playing against Glenn I often feel like a small animal standing alone in a field, knowing the eyes of a predator are upon me. Another feeling I would compare it to is ghost hunting. When a paranormal investigator steps into a demon-infested house then he/she becomes the prey. Been there done that, not as a paranormal investigator, but as an unlucky victim of circumstances. It can "screw you up" in ways you cannot imagine and these events often leave scars for a lifetime. I suppose the same can be said for losses in chess. Sometimes these chess "demons" come back to haunt you. The worst time is when they visit you during a game. Its happened to me. I look up and see that damn black raven in the window. I know it's "going to hell in a handbasket" after this bird appears. Excuse me, "TD, can you get that damn raven out of the window so I can concentrate?" TD replies, "Keep playing, there is no bird." The raven is silent and just stares, only it's me repeating to myself over and over, "Nevermore, Nevermore, Nevermore," only to fall victim to my demons once again.

You might think I'm crazy, but I attribute half of my losses to demon-possessed pens and pencils. It seems whenever my position gets bad then my damn pen quits working. Some of my most horrific battles over the board have been between me and the pen. I can't say I ever won a battle. I've tried everything from putting a fire underneath his butt to tearing holes in my scoresheet in an attempt to get those pens working again. I even forget there is an opponent sitting across from me. It's the pen and me locked in mortal combat. So when this happens I should just go ahead "fold up tent" and go home. After the loss I always give credit where credit is due. I go ahead and sign the scoresheet "Bic" or "National Pen" for my opponent. There's nothing more humilitating than this and this is the first time I've "publicly" mentioned it. There's pens in that box that are higher rated than me....legends among pens. I've often wondered if there is a heaven and hell. Now I have no doubts there is a hell. The devil's pitchfork is really just a myth. When I meet Lucifer at the gate of Hell, he'll be holding a pen. Is it just me or is this happening to everybody? Maybe we should set up a group therapy session to talk about these kinds of things. What do you think would be appropriate attire for such an occasion? Strait-jackets anyone!

I realize this is a little off topic. But have you noticed that artists, scientists, poets, mathematicians and musicians seem to be drawn to the game of chess? I noticed this when I played in Germany and I could not figure it out. Just the other night I heard a scientist mention that art, music, math and poetry are all pattern based. Now it makes sense to me. Chess is also a game of patterns!

So, I guess my answer is that chess is becoming more and more of an art for me and less of a struggle over the board. Life is a series of stages. I look at life as a series of seven-year cycles. It's true our viewpoints and priorities change quite often in our life...at least that's been true for me. So, maybe I've reached the stage in life where chess is art. Once I thought of it as a struggle and maybe chess will return to being a struggle for me when I'm a grouchy old man in the nursing home playing skittles and tossing a pan of urine at my opponent.

Last night a player almost "flipped out" when he realized I mispelled his name in the tournament program. I was thinking, "Geez, man get over it. I can change this easy. It's not like your name has been permanently changed. Sorry, my eyes are bad." But now I know what gets under his skin I'll use a little "creative" artwork with his name on my scoresheet if we meet over the board. Another case of "art" in chess! If you cannot create over the board, why not on the scoresheet!

I'm interested in your outlook on chess, so feel free to respond.