Sharpening Your Sword

"By iron, iron itself is sharpened. So one man sharpens the face of another." - Proverbs 27:17

Perhaps the same can be said for chess. We learn from our past experiences, and by experimenting freely and judging the result we can improve our game as well, with new thoughts, new techniques, new...you name it.

It is as if our priceless sword is being molded and forged, and then folded upon itself again and again to create a tough piece of metal, thin enough to rip through armour, light enough to wield easily and smoothly, and tough enough to withstand the strikes of other weapons.

One can almost imagine the importance of a blacksmith in the medieval times, who was responsible for creating objects of warfare, such as chain mail, armour, swords, etc (and then the British Longbow came along and owned everybody... >.< you can read about that yourself). The blacksmith spent long hours at his shop, perhaps with a young apprentice. His determination carries him throughout the dark night as he sends out consistant metallic sounds, piercing the quiet village. Days and nights fly by, and perhaps he is still honing that one sword for the baron, who will lead the people into war with said iconic blade...

In chess, each person has their weapons...some of these weapons much more apprent than others. For Rubinstein, it was probably endgames. For Fischer, it was his ability in calculation. For Petrosian, prophlaxis. For Tal...need I say more?

In my opinion, it is important to find your own weapon(s). You can hone them until they are sharper than ever, and maybe that one blade of yours can take the enemy's attention away from your weaknesses. In the following game of mine, my opponent honed my endgame, one of my favorite parts of chess.

Time was 3 days a move on chess.com. Enjoy. (I play white)