A struggle in monochrome!
(chess — an enjoyable [and brutal!] hobby).
by @d-pend
Words about pieces on black-n'-white squares...
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Hello HIVE! Some of you may have noticed my (relative) absence from posting recently. Well, it turns out... there's only one of me, and sometimes, when I begin doing other work (recently videos) I find it difficult to juggle all the balls and drop a few. In any case, my focus is not giving up on things I am passionate about, and I still love blogging and connecting with everyone here — so the frequency of posting may take a dip, but I will continue to share. <3
Now, from time to time I discover new outlets for creativity or mental development, and towards the end of last year I discovered an affinity for chess — a game which is a metaphor, perhaps, for the mortal struggle of existence — where diametrically opposed forces struggle for dominance over each other. A dualistic illusion as it may be, there is no denying that chess represents something apt about our human condition, as its continued popularity over the centuries shows.
Sometimes I believe that one must have a slight attraction to the masochistic in order to be drawn to chess — as it is such an exhilarating game when one is winning, yet utterly soul-crushing, totally punishing when one destroys one's entire position with a single, seemingly innocuous inaccuracy. If the opponent is evenly matched, they will commonly be poised to strike when one shows the smallest weakness! Or, maybe, they will blunder in return, and thus continues the struggle.
Over a few months, I have educated myself on the basic principles and tactics of the game during my free time, and can finally visualize what is going on in common positions to an extent. I have upgraded my performance from an utter novice in the 400 Elo rating range upwards to a "strong beginner" in the 900-1000 range.
One thing that is lovely (and torturous, alternately) about the game of chess — it is incorrect, generally speaking, to invoke "luck" as a cause of events — as a powerful enough computer can determine the objective strength or weakness of any position. Similar to mathematics, correct answers are attainable. There is no excuse when one loses but that one blundered, since any perfectly played game ends in a draw. Of course — we humans are less than perfectly exact!
After a long 9-month break from doing YouTube, I have returned to share a smattering of things I enjoy — and now, chess is among them. From time to time, I will do some live blitz chess streams like this one, where I chill with some jazz music and share my thought process in playing as I do so (as amateur as my line of thinking may be!) If there is interest, I am also open to having some games with viewers, so that the experience is more interactive. So, if you'd like to play me sometime, send me a friend request on chess.com. My username is the name as my HIVE handle — @d-pend.
Until next time — may you make all the best moves,
Daniel
compiled for HIVE on Jan. 28, 2022.
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images created by kaleidoscoping
public domain images of chess pieces
and overlaying them with effects in Final Cut Pro X
