Chess Perspective

                                        Understanding Chess

For many occassions in chess history,chess players were interviewed by people who knows little of the game.Frequently,they were asked questions that are a bit off, which usually a chess master's response is not so convincing.Though,these questions are not as mind boggling as chess itself,any response will just raise more questions.Questions like:How many moves ahead can you see or think of?Why chess players can not budget their clock well,that they have to reach time trouble?Some GM's were asked: Have you mastered the game at 100 percent?This article is not intended to point out these mistakes,but to add humor on some chess masters response.Since chess players are thinkers,let's analyze some of the answers.Chess is fun after all.

One of the most common question which grandmasters answered ,confused fellow chess players is when they responded to this question:What is your favorite Chess Piece?One grandmaster answered:"My favorite chess piece is the Knight,because it's the only piece that can jump from other pieces and make checks even there's a piece  blocking it's path."True,but sounds odd,why?Well,let us see:

First,Knights are very hard to maneuver.Second,you can't mate an opponent's king by having two knights + king on an endgame.Compare with having two bishops + king, bishop + knight + king or a rook + king.

Grandmaster Tigran Petrosian was asked with the same question.His answer:" At age 7 ,I found passion on two rooks.At 12, I fell in love with the queen.Now, democracy rules my army."Sounds like a perfect answer..but let's assume that all chess pieces are living human beings:

Can Democracy replace the Monarchial nature of the game??

Though this question raise more questions,one grandmaster was able to answer this with perfect sense. Grandmaster Mikhail Botvinnik said:"I do not have any specific attraction on any chess piece.I believe my likeness on a piece depends on the position on the board,and what will that piece can contribute to earn a win.He adds: From pawn to king."

Finally,I was satisfied.