My Autobiography – The check-mate!

When I was young, I used to play a lot of indoor and outdoor games. Like other kids, I won some of them, lost many. But there was one game in which I was very very difficult to beat – Chess.

They rightly called it the ‘Mind-game’. There are two ways of winning in Chess – One is the check-mate and the other is a Draw (Where both of you are winners).

But I used a third method – The strategy of timing out the opponent! You cannot use this method at official competitions because there is a stop-clock, but for the chess we play in our house, there are no stop-clocks 😉 !

For example, in one game which I played with my uncle (a distant relative) I used the following strategy: I get white coins and I have to make the first move. For fifteen minutes, I keep thinking what to do, and move the pawn in front of the King a couple of boxes forward. (This, by the way, is one of the most common moves to start the game).

“What the hell? Why did you think for fifteen minutes to make this move?”

“I was not sure to move it forward by one box or two boxes – that’s why!”

He gets a small glimpse of what is about to come. But still (in his ignorance), he would think for two minutes and move the coin in front of his King a couple of boxes forward as well.

Now the ball (move) in in my court. I would get back to deep thinking. After fifteen minutes, he would shout, ‘Play………”. Then I respond back, ‘Wait, I am thinking of the opening strategy’.

Unable to do much, he gets back to his cocoon. After another fifteen minutes, you look at his face – Its generally red hot by that time. So, to cool him down a little bit – you make the next move – The pawn before the bishop goes forward by one box, to defend the earlier soldier whom you moved forward by two boxes!

This is another of those commonest moves that happens in (almost) all the games.

“You thought for so much time for making this move? I can’t believe it!”

“I was thinking if I should follow an offensive strategy by bringing in the horse, or a defensive strategy by defending the pawn”

“Nonsense”. He anyways makes his next move – some other pawn is moved forward. Now I was required to make mine – Its such a crucial move, as an ‘important’ power (horse) was going to get exposed to the battle field. So, I go back to thinking for half an hour more. After making sure that the opponents face is red hot again, I make my next move.

“There are only two horses and a total of four possible moves. To decide on one of them, you took half an hour?” – He screams on the top of his voice.

“The time was taken not for this move alone – it was required to think about a comprehensive strategy for the moves I am going to make after this, with the Horse”

He shakes his head in disbelief and makes his move – he too brings the horse forward. At that time, some one switches on the TV. And fortunately, I was sitting facing the TV and he was sitting opposite to the TV. So, for the next half an hour, while he contemplates what all possible ‘attacks’ I would carry out with the Horse, I keep watching the TV program.

After about half an hour, he suddenly realizes it! He shouts, “Someone – switch off the TV, and you better concentrate on the game”.

At this point, while he is red hot and about to burst like an overheated pressure cooker, I make my signature move – Get back the horse to its initial position.

By this time we get a couple of audience members also watching the game (who will be useful as witnesses later), and all the three of them are speechless! The uncle becomes violent, swings his hands on the chess board and pushes some of the coins out.

“I will never play with you again. You !@#$%^&&*(*()())(*&&^^%$$##@!”

I just coolly walk out of that place and announce to everyone that I won against Uncle in Chess – Yaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!! Technically, if the opponent deliberately spoils the game, you win right? 😀 😀 😀

Timing out, is sometimes more powerful than Check-mate, as you have seen 🙂

Destination Infinity

This series ‘My Autobiography‘ is a part of my marketing efforts to sell my Auto-biography which I am going to write after 31 years (When I am 60 years old). It will come out in the name of Destination Infinity – So, please buy it when it comes out 🙂

22 thoughts on “My Autobiography – The check-mate!

  1. Ashwathy

    Hahaha! 😀 I should try this, I say! 😉

    1. Rajesh K

      Yeah, especially on people who think they are too good of a chess player 🙂

      Destination Infinity

  2. sm

    lol
    good idea to check the patience
    win the game

    1. Rajesh K

      Check the patience? The idea is to push the opponent in to the brink of impatience 🙂

      Destination Infinity

  3. Sandhya

    But you won’t get people to play with you again, right?!

    1. Rajesh K

      Yeah double advantage – Not only they lose that game, but they are afraid to play any other game as well 🙂 If I were good at playing chess, why would I use such techniques ?? 😛

      Destination Infinity

  4. BIkram

    Perfect way to win.. as such they say chess is a game of patience and we need to plan and use all our guile to win the game 🙂

    Bikram’s

    1. Rajesh K

      Yeah, I was as usual thinking out of the box, I guess 😉

      Destination Infinity

  5. chhavi kapoor

    DI…… That’s an evil thing to do 😉 😉 😉 Very evil….. But it must have been a lot of fun 😀 😀 😀

    1. Rajesh K

      I did that because people in my family derived some kind of sadistic pleasure in introducing me as a chess wizard! After doing this for a couple of times, those introductions stopped 🙂 🙂 So, now you know the motivation behind those attacks!

      Destination Infinity

  6. A

    Rajesh,

    You cheater…..haha…A very good trick

    Everything is fair in love and chess :)))) I will buy your autobiography if I am still alive

    1. Rajesh K

      Every thing is fair in love and chess ?:) You will be alive and kickin – So do buy it when it comes out!

      Destination Infinity

  7. Nita

    It’s a good thing you are recording all these incidents. As one grows older some things dim in one’s mind. I have experienced it myself. Some incidents of my childhood which were extremely vivid memories are not that vivid! It is the memories during my teens which have now become that vivid. I guess as I grow older (lets say 60) I think the memories of my thirties will be most vivid!

    1. Rajesh K

      Yeah, thats one of the main reasons why I am writing these things. Maybe after many years I might read them all myself and get amused 🙂

      Destination Infinity

  8. Avada Kedavra

    Lol.. that’s a good trick 😉 I will use this on people sometime. I can play chess but cannot say I am good at it. I like playing with computer though 😛 I can set levels right? 🙂

    1. Rajesh K

      I too tried playing chess with computer, but it has some kinda timer and a lot of patience 😛

      Destination Infinity

  9. Chatter Box

    That was very smart 😀
    Am not very good at chess, but yeah, your trick can be used in a lot of situations 😉

    1. Rajesh K

      I am also not good at chess – that’s why I used the trick in the first place! My family was unnecessarily projecting me as some kind of a young chess champ!!

      Destination Infinity

  10. Reema

    lol 😀 what a cheat! p.s. why do u call them chess coins and not pieces?

    1. Rajesh K

      They are chess pieces is it? I don’t bother with specific terms when there are more generic terms to use 🙂

      Destination Infinity

  11. Nancy

    Hahahahaaaaa………this was too good, I’m actually wiping tears off my face 😀

    If I’m really stuck I’m def going to employ ur techniques 😛

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