The White Queen

I worked for a short time at the airport. One of my favorite people to work with was this cute, short, bubbly little thing. She was always full of energy, lots of fun to work with, kept me laughing most nights.

She was also sneaky and liked to see what she could get away with. Not in a bad way mind you, it was always fun. I played along with mostly everything, there was no reason not to, and it kept things interesting.

She was though, strictly speaking, a competitor.

So I started to refer to her as the White Queen. Again, just fun, but it made the whole Chess is Life thing that much more interesting.

I ran into the White Queen this past Monday at a local bar that I enjoy visitig. The bar is like a high school reunion every week I go and I enjoy the company. The Royal Key Bar is an awesome place.

I was hanging out with the incredible band Day Minus Seven. There were about 8 of us or so ("all things are eight" -Pythagorian Maxim). Which leads me to believe that the White Queen had entered Black territory.

I mean, knowing as many people as I knew at the Royal Key I am cerain it was Black Territory. The White Queen was in a dangerous position. I have to wonder if she was there with anyone other than her hubby. A player on her side may have been transfigured that night. Either way, I had a marvelous time, and I am pretty sure I was changed a bit. I know a couple black pawns cerainly entered the game that night. I can always use the reinforcements, after all, "Pawns are the heart of chess."

Black King <-> White Knight

Ok, a very serious post. Something has been bugging me lately.

Back in December I had a really hot date. She was drop-dead gorgeous and dressed to kill. We had a really great time, I will spare you all the details, but she had a little too much to drink and when I brought her to her house I found that she was locked out.

So I did what every red blooded American male would do...

I made sure she managed to get inside and safely to sleep.

I am the Black King in this chess game that is life, but in my heart I am still the white knight, I would find it very hard to live with myself if I took advantage of a woman like that. I did what I know was the right thing to do.

Yet upon confiding in some friends and telling them this story they called me an idiot and said that she must have planned all this. What I find interesting is that the friends who said this were females themselves.

Is it really so commonplace now that women expect and even insist on being taken advantage of and, essentially, raped? Is my respect for a woman really that out of this world? I could chose to believe that they were just mocking me and poking fun, but even in jest they are revealing a social norm and expectation, a man is expected to take advantage of a woman in a precarious position.

Well, I don't regret my decision that night. If I am weird in showing respect for the fairer gender, call me crazy. But inside of me beats the heart of a White Knight.

Frankly, I am bothered that society finds my actions unusual and would condone such unbecoming behaviour.

Chess is Life

This quote comes from Bobby Fischer. "Chess is life."

I've been rereading The Eight by Katherine Neville and it is a wonderful, deep book. It keeps me thinking with every page. But tonight I am thinking about chess and my life.

If my life were a chess match, who would occupy this board with me? And what piece would they represent?

Some of the pieces have already been removed from the board, some of the pieces have no one to represent them, and some of the pawns are just waiting to enter enemy territory and be transfigured. But here are some of the pieces. For the sake of the book, I am playing black.

Black King: Only way this allusion works is for that to be me. It fits with my pen name, Xiao Wang, the Diminutive King.

Black Queen: Has been removed from the board. Perhaps a pawn will clear the board. "Be ye transfigured!"

Kingside Bishop: This is Vlad. No doubt on that one, but Vlad will be surprised.

Kingside Knight: This is John. Somehow I think he will be pleased with this distinction.

Kingside Rook: Alex, this can only be you.

Queenside Bishop: I think this is my sister, Elisa.

Queenside Knight: This is Breckany, this was always Breckany, and I was silly not to see it sooner.

Queenside Rook: This must be Katie. She and my sister Elisa may be switched in the wrong positions.

Pawns: I won't name you, some of you know who you are. "Pawns are the heart of chess." It's not a dismissive statement to name you a pawn, I can't make it without you.