[Yaakov ben Avraham]

I would be curious to see what people think at this site. I am running the poll at the other site as well, but the crowd here is a bit different, so do let me know, and also comment, in addition to taking your vote, if you would be so kind.

EDIT:

I selected the idea that Chess was an endeavour based on scientific concepts and probabilities, and that it also had a deeper, mystical meaning. What I mean by the latter is that Chess, to me, speaks to the very deepest elements of us, and how we handle life. I suppose it is closely related to some of the other choices here, but more intense. It speaks to the kind of person that you are. As much as I despise Bobby Fischer for having been a self-hating Jew, he and I agreed on one thing. The purpose of Chess is to play to destroy the other person's mind. By the time the game has ended, the other person needs to be a protoplasm at your feet, begging for mercy.

Cold, hard logic must inform your play. There can be no room for an appeal to emotion. Sheer, harsh brutality is it. The universe becomes reduced to the 64 squares and 32 pieces of the Chess board. NOTHING ELSE EXISTS. That is all.

Thoughts, anyone?

[garygreen]

I prefer Backgammon.  Chess doesn't have enough variance.

[EnigmaZV]

I prefer Go.

[Pongo]

What exactly do you find mystical about chess?

[Crudblud]

Just a game, a great game, but a game nonetheless. I'm not very good at it, I understand tactics and pawn structure, but I get rekt pretty easily when I try to put it into practice, probably because I have no understanding of chess strategy, and my endgame is super weak.

[beardo]

I like chess

[Ghost Spaghetti]

It is different things to different people. Most people see it as a game, then there are those who use it as a mathematical toy. I've never heard of anyone using it as much beyond those two, though.

[Tom]

The word “Checkmate” used to signify the games end by successfully trapping the King, is believed to stem from the Persian word “Shah” (king) and the Arabic word “mat” (he is dead)

see, http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/esotericism_chess.html


It's a game like all other games played in this reality, sport games, econ.financial games, etc.

You have to 'kill' (outsmart, dishonour, take away respect, deny a prize (money), make a loser, make feel miserable) your fellow being in order to get what you want (honour, respect, the biggest piece of the pie (money), some temporary bliss - 'winning feelings').
You have to use (exploit) pawns and 'officers' (other people) to win the war (to get what you want).