The Great Pawn Hunter
Chess Tutorial
Summer burst upon the mountains, down the meadows, and into the great city. Crowds could be heard cheering in the baseball park as the boys of summer took the field. Now, the Restless Knight, the Great Pawn Hunter, and Shrubs were in the Bleacher section of the stadium enjoying the baseball game. It was the seventh inning stretch and the chess players thought they could squeeze in a 5 minute game of blitz. The Restless Knight pulled her pocket chess set out from her shirt pocket for her friends to play the following game of chess. The Great Pawn Hunter played white and Shrubs played black:
Now, after the chess game was over, the chess players were waiting for their favorite hitter, the Slugger, who was waiting on deck to come up to the plate. There were two outs and two men on base. The pitch count was full, three balls and two strikes. The pitcher delivered his final pitch, low and outside, for ball four. My friends, the pitcher walked him. The Great Pawn Hunter mentioned to his friends "It's just another walk in the park." Shrubs replied "The Slugger is up next and the bases are loaded." The Restless Knight added "He's been struggling the whole game. I hope he hits one out of here."
Well, there was a good reason for his struggling my friends for he struggled his whole life and right about now he was doing a little bit of soul searching. The Slugger stepped into the batter's box. Boo's came from all over the stadium. He was in the biggest slump of his career. He thought to himself of long ago in his boyhood days. The Slugger remembered the time he gave his glove to a friend and went up to bat. The friend was not the most attentive and the glove disappeared without a trace. Well, the Slugger looked over towards the dugout uneasily. He could see his glove where he left it. He muttered to himself "Where's the love?"
The pitcher drilled a fast ball. The Slugger took a mad swing. The pitch was in there for a called strike one. The opposing fans in the stands could be heard shouting "No Batter, No Batter, No Batter!" The Slugger got ready for another pitch. He thought back to his young adult years. He remembered how he was pulled into an alley and beaten up. Those were tough times. The pitcher went into his set stance ready to deliver another pitch. The Slugger muttered to himself again "Where's the love?" He swung even more violently but the pitch was a cutter inside and he missed completely. The Umpire called "Strike Two!" He was down to his last strike.
Now, friends, when someone is down and blue there should be someone there to pick them up. However, the uplifting remarks from the Bleachers couldn't be heard from the batter's box. The pitcher went into his set stance again. The Slugger thought back to a day before when he walked passed a few chess players playing the game next to a beautiful white building. The Slugger stopped and gazed at the white building and at its steeple rising high into the sky. An old man came by collecting bottles. The Slugger noticed the bond between the chess players and the old man. He thought to himself "There...there's the love." He firmly placed his feet. The pitcher delivered...and the Slugger swung!
The ball was hit long and deep. The announcer shouted into his microphone "It's a high fly ball to deep right center. Way back, Way back, its Gone over the Bleachers, a Home Run!!!" Now, the chess players saw the ball fly right over their heads and out of the park and the Great Pawn Hunter said to himself, as the Slugger rounded the last base, "Welcome home Slugger, Welcome home."
and the Great Pawn Hunter leaves you with this piece of wisdom:
In a world of fear and terror
of which I am cast.
I pray Jesus break my fall love
and raise me on the last.
Now days past, a priest told me
"This struggle you're going through
Well, son don't give up
It's what God wants of you."
I confess dear friends
my soul is down and blue.
But, my Bible tells me persevere
He'll save you in the end.
Well, Is it true? Is it true?
Please be true.
Now, I don't know if
what I say or what I do
falls on fertile soil.
But, the other day, I made a meal
unleavened bread and olive oil.
I left it before my crucifix
for God so meek and mild
and a voice within me bellowed out
"It's acceptable"
My friends, my whole being smiled.
For once I did good
and it reached God in his throne
and for once I felt in my whole life
that I was not alone
and I realized God of Heaven
is with me when I'm blue.
He's within each one of us
and what we feel he feels too.
So, I ask you don't give up
an offering we can send
Our sorrows, trials, fears and smiles
A share of love for God above
Along life's road:
inches, minutes, miles
in Whom our hearts
can mend.
The Great Pawn Hunter
Copyright © Manus Patrick Fealy 1994-2003
Game
(1) Brossard,A (2218) - Hernandez,G (2547) [A65]
FRA-chT2 FRA (6), 01.2002
I truly want you to become a better player.
Please let me know what you really think about this web page.
I hope it entertained you.
Click on this line to send mail to Manus Patrick Fealy
