Santiago Alvarado

Vanderslik
English 100 - 15
9/18/2014
Checkmate Hero
Glistening before me, as if struck by some heavenly rainbow, sat a chessboard, or more
accurately, a battlefield. The incandescent luster of the plastic pieces shined before me as I
looked my opponent dead in the eye. My rival was a friend named Ian, or perhaps in this
instance, a former friend, as we had now become sworn enemies, preparing our troops for an all
out war of attrition. We both maintained solid eye contact that had enough intensity to bring The
Eye of Sauron*1 to its metaphorical knees and with one last glance, we headed off into combat.
Now, I knew Ian was intelligent, but nothing could have ever prepared me for the tactical
prowess that he possessed on the chessboard. Quite ironically, I felt as though I were superior to
him, my pride and confidence practically poured out of my body as if I were Niagara Falls or the
Nile River Delta. I was sure that I would win, there was no way I wouldnt, except I did. What
happened afterwards, however, might not even be allowed to be described as a loss or a failure,
but instead as an instance of spontaneous enlightenment. Because for whatever reason,
sometimes life yearns to teach a lesson, lend some wisdom, and by opening our minds in times
of trouble, we can listen and learn from the distinct cry of knowledge.
Since Ian had challenged me, by rule of thumb, I was allotted to play as white. The match
had started, and even as we both shuffled our pieces across the board, I could tell that there was
something different in how Ian arranged his material. I kept telling myself Just dont do what he

The Eye of Sauron refers to a mystical device in J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of The Rings book series,
that of which is always looking towards the location of the One Ring.

wants you to do, do the opposite, as that had always been my strategy ever since my sister first
taught me to play. But it seemed as though Ian would always catch me off guard, and whenever a
weakness I possessed was exposed, he was there to take advantage of it. If initially I didnt
comply with his plans, he would force me to comply, I was virtually powerless. Alas, I remained
vigilant, losing had become an unacceptable disparity. I had aligned my pieces for the perfect
checkmate; Just one more turn and Ian would be finished...
Checkmate
What? I asked, clearly astonished.
Checkmate, Ian repeated. You lose.
And there I saw it, my king had been trapped, a devastating back rank mate from Ians
rook. It had snuck in after a clever deflection tactic that I had failed to calculate. My eyes
desperately scanned the board, trying to find a way for my king to avoid his forlorn fate. After
giving up, I sank in defeat, contemplating how exactly I lost. It had to have been a fluke, what
else could explain my sudden defeat? Im a great chess player, and I vowed to prove it right there
and then.
Lets play again, I said eagerly. I wont lose as easily this time.
Sure, but dont expect me to give you a pity win, Ian replied, laughing off my statement
as a petty threat.
We played some more. He proceeded to slaughter me again and again with such vigor
and finesse, commanding the pieces as if they were something more than just hunks of plastic.
Each piece seemed like it was going to where it was meant to be, as if it was finding its long lost
niche. I sat there in awe as he systematically liquidated my army, but as the matches continued,
my anger and despair turned into something more, they began to transform into feelings of

respect and admiration. Never before had I seen someone with so much skill, so much board
poetry before, it was one of the most amazing things Ive witnessed in my life. I had become
thoroughly impressed and forever curious. But at the same time, chess had become a foreign
game to me, as if it were a new math concept, or a fresh newspaper. How could a game I thought
I knew so well all of a sudden become a stranger?
After our series of games, Ian came out on top, winning every game, and leaving me in
the dust. I remained in my seat for a good thirty seconds, contemplating all of the moves I
shouldve made, although the end result would have probably been the same.
How are you so good, Ian? I asked, my curiosity emenating from every word.
Well, I just watched a couple videos and played a little bit online, not much, he replied
innocently. Im not even that good, to be honest, I still need to work on my endgame and
positional strategies.
Was it really that easy? Just a couple videos and then Id be as good as Ian? I had to at
least try, there was nothing to lose, and chess had suddenly become the most interesting thing
since sliced bread. It was then that I vowed to best Ian at his own game, not for revenge, no, but
to indulge in the fantastical game of chess, to learn the subtleties and nuances of the Game of
Kings. And thus started a journey of a lifetime.
Thats the thing about life, really. Most of the time, we sit around waiting for it to
happen, and it never really does in quite the way we anticipate. The best moments of our life
happen by pure chance, an accidental blessing, and thats really what happened that day. I didnt
wake up thinking that I was going to get swept by a classmate on the chessboard. Heck, I didnt
even wake up planning to play chess either. But fate led me to Ian, and it led me to the
chessboard.

Perhaps thats what is one of the most interesting qualities of life, the inspiration and
respect that can arise from moments of stress and anger. Its like the old saying goes, when life
gives you lemons, make lemonade, and its that lemonade yields a whole new world of
possibilities for personal growth. We as people just need to play life like a game of chess
sometimes, just sit back, analyze, and make the best move. So dont be afraid to lose, because if
youre like me, you just might like it.