Seasons on the Board

Over time, I have come to understand that there is a season for everything. There are periods when it seems everything is going well. You have a nice job, a lovely wife, a beautiful car, and at that point, everything is super fine. And there is a period where it seems like all hell has broken loose. It is like you do not know what is actually going on.

_{Image by Mystic Art Design from Pixabay}

In chess, something like this is described as when you are having a winning season in tournaments. Beating players stronger than you and even the ones who are not. Coming out of the top players that qualify for prize winnings. And then there is the period where you do not have an explanation of what is going on. Why am I having such a losing streak? That is the sort of question that crosses your mind when you experience such a tough time.

It even cuts across all other sports as well. All top athletes cannot always be in top form and continue with their outstanding performance. At some point, they will face difficulties, and at some point, there will be a winning season. For a footballer who is a striker, he might find it hard to score a goal, and then there will be a season where he will be the star of the league.

I remember a time in the past, when I came across a reading about Didier Drogba telling Mohammed Salah to be consistent in his training, and surely his time will come. I do not know how true that statement about coming from Drogba is, but what I can say is that, truly, Mohammed Salah's time has come, and this time it was a grand form at Liverpool. Today, Mohammed Salah is considered to be one of the legends to ever play for the club Liverpool.

_{Image by andreas N from Pixabay}

For sure, as a chess player, I have also had my share of losses when the season of the board was a bad one for me, or more like a period of famine. I did not perform well in games, and I did not win anything. What is more important during this time is the struggle is built most for the reflection of where one is going or where they want to be in the future. Do not forget that light will shine, especially when it is around the corner from your hard work. You cannot deny effort, especially when it can be seen clearly.

From my experience, it's all about the perseverance to continue when you hit a stumbling block. How do you choose to continue when the season on the board is unpleasant? Will you continue with your training or whatever it is you were doing, or will you give up when you do not see the result immediately?

Funny enough, chess is one game that shows the theory of rewarding effort. You cannot outsmart the other person's effort. It is impossible to outplay a person who has dedicated more time to learning and training to better understand the game. You cannot simply wake up in the morning and beat a grandmaster who has been playing chess. Just like the grandmaster cannot tell me he has not had his or her fair share of losses while playing the game of chess. Nothing comes easy if you ask me, and this happens a lot as well in chess.

At the end, there is also a time and season for everything. When the winnings are over, go back to the drawing board and work hard to see what is going wrong. The winning season will return if you prepare for it.

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_{I am @samostically, a chess player and writer. I love to share the experience I have gained from different battles over the 64 squares and the knowledgeable insights from books I have read. But most importantly, I am a Midnight Owl and I founded the community Midnight Letters.}

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