Monday, December 3, 2012

A Strategist


                                                              Object to be Destroyed by Man Ray
Image1: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

Image2: A Digital Chess Clock
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

The constant ticking
Eyeing them at every move
In the process determines
No one exceeds his given time
The likes of the grueling showdown of
The Fischer and Spassky of old (here)
A classic never surpassed

The disciplined mind of a Grandmaster
Never cowed nor succumbed to pressures
Psychological or political
It gripped the attention of the world
Made Reyjavik known
A duo who battled with their wits
At the height of the Cold War
More for the country than personal glory

Unlike Fischer, Spassky was given to
backing of the powers that be
But the onslaught, mental strength and strategies
of a determined eccentric Fischer proved himself
a genius right through till the end

Written for Tess' Magpie Tales #146

17 comments:

  1. i started playing chess back in middle school...as a matter of fact i still have my wooden board and have taught my son how to play on it...

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  2. That's great Brian! It sharpened their thinking. I taught the basics to my 2 grandchildren. I bought them the books with the previous games. They practiced with them. They played among themselves too. Their maths improved tremendously. And they're not easy to beat now. They have the smirk on their faces when I play with them. That affected my concentration. They'll beat me in no time, I'm sure!

    Hank

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  3. I started playing a while back too, haven't done it for a while though at my zoo. But it does sure make on think and help plan, that of which I can a fan.

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  4. Fascinating. I've googled his name... quite focused at a young age- what an unusual story. I will have to haul out my chess set and teach the kids this Christmas :)

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  5. Love the chess take...I play...but not as often as I would like...

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  6. I love chess ... r u on Facebook? Perhaps we can play a multiplayer game there :-)

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    1. Thanks GS! But it's 'a nice to have'. Time is a factor that puts constraints on our presence. It would not be fair to the group. Please count me out!

      Hank

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  7. "No one exceeds his given time"...for sure! How erudite this is.

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  8. I remember my brother was keen on this game and followed those games very closely ~ It takes a lot of mental strength and strategies to win ~

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  9. nicely done....thanks for sharing this

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  10. Ahh...the whole world was intrigued by their war game too...what a great interpretation of the pic Hank!

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  11. I remember this event...Well captured!

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  12. You caught the spirit of that famous chess game...

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  13. I remember this very well. Well done to capture a special moment in history with its overtones :)

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  14. Wow! Fascinating, you have done an awesome job.

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  15. Great take on what was an unbelievably enthralling, ridiculous, inconclusive event.

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