Martin Luther King Jr. : The Man Whose Life Resembles Chess Itself
Hello Internet!
So a few weeks ago, I was thinking about my English exam. There was a question on metaphors and I was racking my brain just thinking about it. Then one thought led to another, and at the end, somehow it reached how Martin Luther King Jr.s' life was so much like chess. As I dug deeper into the matter in my mind, the more interesting it became and the more sense it made.
Thus, I started writing down the points whenever I got some in black and white*. And a few days later, when it reached a sensible amount, I decided to make it a blog in chess.com. And here we are. Hope you enjoy it.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Okay, so first, a little about the great man:-
Martin Luther King was an American activist and a great man who dedicated his whole life for his people. He was an active leader and a great spokesperson, and with his contributions did only the African-American get their civil rights. He worked hard for promoting awareness of mistreatment of black people. He is very well known for his speech, 'I have a dream'.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by their character.
Martin Luther King Jr.
So, now, let's see how this man's life resembles chess, shall we?
How Martin Luther King's life resembles chess
As you ALL know, the average chessboard is made up of an equal number of (32 each) black and white squares. If black resembles the black people, and white resembles the white, this perfectly fits into his principle of the world equally belonging to everybody, irrespective of color or caste.
1. The Pawn:-
The pawn resembles the common man. Though we can't do much by ourselves, as a unit, we are STRONG. If we work hard, we can overcome the difficulties, we can make it big, make a huge impact by ourselves, like how a pawn could promote to a better piece.
For Martin Luther King's cause, the common black people were the pawns.
2. The Knight:-
The knight resembles the people who use tricks or do bad things for their needs. Their intentions may be right, but their ways aren't. They can do quite enough by themselves, sometimes a lot. They are smart and cunning, but sometimes impulsive. They can dodge or suppress tougher enemies with their cunning, but can't always beat them. If not dealt with carefully though, or underestimated, they are extremely dangerous and can cause unimaginable havoc and chaos.
In the great man's life, the the terrorists and the murderers who work for the good of the black people are the knights. An example is Nat Turner's slave rebellion in 1831 where Nat Turner and his men killed more than 55 white people.
3. The Bishop:-
The bishop resembles the good people with quite enough influence to become big. They, in good numbers, could be an INVALUABLE asset.
In Martin Luther King Jr.'s life, the famous personalities like politicians, actors, athletes, etc. were the bishops. Muhammad Ali, the boxing legend greatly supported King.
4. The Rook:-
The rook resembles the really famous and good-hearted people like revolutionists, philosophers, thinkers and activists. They do as much as they can for the cause and some even sacrifice their lives for it. They are similar to our so-called 'bishops', but unlike them, they not only speak but take action too. They empower and inspire others too. In a nutshell, they resemble the cause itself. They are respected and well-known by most.
If Martin Luther King's life was chess, he would be the rook. Other examples include Carter G. Woodson, Julian Bond, and Mary White Ovington.
5. The King And The Queen:-
The king and the queen are the most important, as they resemble the WILL and DESIRE of the people.
The queen, symbolizing the will, is the key to success. Without it, they wouldn't have the strength to endure the hardships and work towards the ultimate goal.
The king symbolizes desire. Without it, nothing else matters. Even if you lose everything else, the desire to win will keep your clock ticking*. When you lose the desire, you lose the war.
We first take out the pieces from the box or the pouch, wherever we keep them. Even this resembles how all of us, irrespective of color, are children of Mother Earth, thus we are all siblings. What more, in the Indian pledge for the citizens, we say 'All Indians are my brothers and sisters'. Just like that, the whole world is our home.
Everyone thinks white has an advantage as it starts first, but actually both sides have near equal chances. This resembles how, before the revolutionary man's time, people used to believe that the white-skinned were superior. Both colors have equal chances and opportunities.
The first move in a battle is always taken by the common man, as in most cases, or the evil good guys ( knights), in some cases like the Second World War.
All the influencing people start as the commoners. Also, castling can be defined, in our terms, as the bonding of the revolutionary people who work hard for the cause, with the desire. Thus promoting and protecting the desire. And thus, the game goes on.
As you all might have seen, and I have proved, Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and chess have many exciting similarities.
We can learn a lot, in life and in chess, if we take his dedication and unwavering support to the black people as inspiration. He teaches us that failure isn't losing, but not being able to get back up after doing so. So, just like him, work for the good of others (Oh my God, this is turning into a philosophy lesson😂).
Be the change you want to see in this world.
Mahatma Gandhi
Hope you liked this blog. Can't wait to give more for y'all. Put your opinions, suggestions and ideas for future blogs down below in the comments.
See you next time!
*pun intended
