Check It

I played chess for the first time in about six years last night. Patrick Lahan thoroughly dismantled me sixish years ago. Last night Francesco made like Patrick Lahan. There is no question that I'm clueless when it comes to chess. I played a lot as a kid and was the champion of Eight Street Elementary School on at least two occasions. It's not like riding a bike. Correction, it's like Rhett riding a bike.

I'm not one for excuses but I hardly think it was a fair match. Francesco grew up in England. Chess has pieces named, bishop, knight, king, and queen. It's kind of like the argument that the SAT is racist because it talks about airports and Europe and other things with which minorities are unfamiliar. Prior to last night I would have dismissed this argument as ridiculous and racist in itself but I am reversing course. For the first time in my life, I was a victim of my upbringing. I can not relate to games involving knights, kings, and queens. In fact, my ancestors braved the freezing cold Atlantic and fought a bloody war to be liberated from chess.

What surprised me is how badly I wanted to win. I have been practicing yoga for nearly a year now. Yoga teaches that you should detach yourself from the outcome which is a really useful way to live your life. If you are focused on the process, rather than the outcome, each aspect of the process will receive its just due and the end result will naturally flow from that effort. All of that theory and training went out the window last night. I was tense and wanted nothing more than to defeat Francesco. This was my downfall. Francesco would have defeated me anyway because of his aforementioned Englishness but I know the game would have been more competitive if I hadn't been so competitive. I realized that I don't miss the feeling of having to win. I don't like the way it makes be think and feel. Yoga, first thing tomorrow.