Chess Is Flawed

The heavenly incense slowly oozes out from the crimson flame in a pattern akin to an elegant dance,
filling the cozy living room with its homey and warm scent. The low coffee table sits in between the
worn-out brown couches, the pair facing each other. Everyday after school, I see my grandpa sitting with
his life long friend, their gaze deeply immersed on a board filled with weird figures. They were black and
white. The board was also black and white; its pattern reminding me of the square tiles in our bathroom
floor. "It is called Chess", he told me. For starters, I could never understand the entertainment of staring at
a weird board for half of the day.
Growing up, I was the goody-two-shoe nerd who aced all his exams, won math competitions, and acted
like a thunder stroked him when he gets one wrong on exams. A silent introvert cocooned in my comfort
zone. I was afraid of changes. I preferred to do the group assignment and let others present it. I preferred
studying the concepts I did not understand instead of raising my hand to ask the question. My only hobby
was, yes, reading books.
It was a sunny Saturday in the spring of my 8th grade when my grandfather suggested I join his "greatest
hobby anyone could have in this world". His friend, a brother from another mother, passed away from a
sudden heart attack. Refusal was bubbling at the tip of my tongue. I do not like moving objects on a
patterned board for crying out loud! However, the only thing that came out of my mouth was "Okay,
Jedu" accompanied by smile. If I could lessen his loneliness and grief with my company, learning and
playing chess is nothing.
Or I thought. First of all, chess is flawed. A horse can never make a sharp L turn immediately without a
bone breaking momentum. It's against physics! And how can a pope move diagonally so fast? Don't they
wear long robes which could trip them to floor? Okay, I am overthinking and picking flaws in chess
because I could not beat my grandpa even after a year of playing together. I was in a not-stop track of
complaining until my grandfather asked me a single question, "Why are you so angry?"
It was a question that provoked my thought process. Why am I so angry? May be I hated Chess because I
could not figure out its strategies from a simple analysis. I was not as easy as Physics and Mathematics. I
hated another thing equally as I hated Chess. Speaking in front of people. Why? Maybe I subconsciously
believed I am not good at it, hence avoiding it like a plague before even trying. It all came down to one
thing. I am afraid of failure.
I started building my communication skill by simplest things. I made it a task to speak to my seat
companion in the best ride to school every morning. I read my favourite pages of books for my pillows at
night while pacing back and forth and imagining them as scary dudes wearing suits. I never knew the
benefits of A+ grades until I tried taking advantage of them. I was highly demanded in the school tutoring
program which helps peers with lower grades. It even went to me tutoring Calculus 2 to more than 200
campus students. Participating in different research in collaboration with Physicists and countless hours
of volunteering at Black Lion hospital were all part of my journey to overcome my fear of change and
facing my fears. Facing fears head on by acknowledging them and working each day to improve is the
one of the morals I live by and a value I wish to bring to the campus.
P.S. I still did not win against my grandfather.