I steadily reach out and pick up the polished marble piece. The beginning tactic is always the same, push for center development so you can ensure a strong center, a strong defense, a tactical base that canÃÂt be shaken.
Pawn to E4.
My move is simple, the professionals call it a KingÃÂs opening. The purpose is even more natural to me, itÃÂs what I was instructed to do since I was a kid, my Dad always said that E5 was the best opening move. It was a move that was the norm in the life of a chess game, it was a standard that allowed for perfect development, a standard beginning that would lead to success.
Pawn to E5I notice the move is an uneventful response, it simply reeks of the conformity that is evident in the game. I close my eyes for a brief second, thinking about the outcomes of the response, the unavoidable consequences of my actions.
English: Diagram prefacing Through the Looking-Gla...
English: A large chess game inside Enoch Pratt Fre...
English: Starting position of a chess game. House ...I decide that what I did was completely logical, it followed what had been trained into me. Yet, I find myself longing for a change - a variation from the harmony - I find myself looking for the solo.
Pawn to D4.
ItÃÂs a change, the teachers would call it a gambit. I like the change in the setting of the game, it feels as if IÃÂve lost control as the pieces move around me without motivation, a whirling dervish in a ballroom waltz. I picture the gameÃÂs development, wondering where the next move of my match will take me. I try to keep the game under my control, but still giving it breathing room to allow the game to continue without being tied down.
E5 Captures D4I smile to myself, the plans are working out perfectly. I steady my hand,