Discovered Check

I really love to play chess. It is one of several hobbies/obsessions I have. The desire to plan, defend, handle the pieces, figure, develop, collect---all this has flared and simmered since I was introduced to the game as a child. I remember my first experiences. I had a learner's set that had a large base at the bottom of each piece with a simple diagram showing the way that particular piece could legally move on the board.

As I've learned more about the game I've discovered there is much much more to chess than meets the eye. I think the game is where I first discovered the tangible difference between tactics and strategy. I used to sort of think of the two terms as one in the same. With little research into chess one discovers there are a set of very general principles that govern strategy, and a set of very specific principles to govern tactics. I find this corresponds to Zen in a distinct way.

Zen seems to be a set of general principles to govern strategy, and zazen the tactic. I really appreciate how sitting gives me a concrete way to practice. In my experience, when feeling out Christianity, Taoism, Hinduism, it was always simply a matter of belief. Practice seemed to be more or less a set of decorations rather than a way to work at something. Zazen feels like work to me. Good work.

If ever you would like to play me a game, look me up! You can find me on Gameknot.com or chess-mail.com as airborne82p.