The Game

My dad taught me how to play chess when I was 7 years old. It took me months of playing every day to beat him once. Then many more months after that to repeat my victory. Alpha and I taught our eldest to play when he was 4. He can win now when he's paying attention.

I still remember the first time Alpha and I played chess. I won. And He was surprised to say the least because He's good. Very good. Then I lost, several times lol. I'm not a gracious loser and He's a less than gracious winner (I mean, my pride is already wounded, there's really no need to rub it in is there?). We eventually got to the point where we simply would not play each other. It was so bad that we couldn't even be in a room with people learning how to play--we would each pick a player to mentor and it would deteriorate to the two of us squabbling over the board while the players themselves tried to disappear into the furniture regretting their questionable choice in having asked for assistance in the first place (hey, nobody wants to lose right, they could have been more appreciative and less squirmy you know).

Nowadays Alpha and I play the occasional game of chess. I'm more gracious about losing because I appreciate being Dominated by someone who can not only match me mentally, but win as well. He's a slightly more gracious winner (only slightly, I did say some posts back that the man is arrogant). I'm, well, I am about the same when winning as I was before--I figure I earned all my gloating by fighting for it tooth and nail. Though, perhaps I do rub it in a bit less than I used to. When He's on the losing end...Well, He's a bit less rabid about it. But only because He can guarantee me an ass whipping of another sort afterward lol.

Anyways, experiences aside, it's a wonderful game. It's not about luck, it's about strategy and skill. It's about the ability to plan ahead without getting so caught up in your plan that you lose sight of what's happening on the board because the game is always changing. Pieces move, some leave the board, one moment of inattention will cost you the game, and there's no taking moves back. It's about being passionate enough to invest your mind fully in the game, yet still achieving some level of detachment as you watch your castles fall and your knights get their heads chopped off (see, it really does reflect real life! Told you so). Because without the passion, it is not possible to develop your skills. And without the detachment, it is not possible to apply those skills (ahem, see any similarities between chess and D/s here?). Not that detachment is my strong point or anything...
You often learn more by losing than you do by winning. And if you consider yourself to be a good player, despite the sting of losing, you give more respect each time your opponent wins. Kind of like being submissive--the wrong move will cost you dearly, but the losses are acceptable because your Dominant is worthy of the wins. And, well, you do tend to learn more when you lose lol.