18 Quotes by Roumen Bezergianov

The pieces are connected to each other and the King and they are in this dynamic rhythm amongst themselves and with the opponent’s pieces, wherein lies their purpose. Each move is an attempt to change that balance and to establish a new, more favorable balance and that is why in chess (and in life) we are most vulnerable when we are most aggressive—the aggressive move essentially causes us to lose balance.

The obvious question is how to move without losing our balance? How to maintain harmony in a dynamic, ever-changing world? Part of the answer lies in remembering that this One Thing has a purpose. Viktor Frankl conceptualized the harmony of mental health as a certain tension between what we are and what we want to become.

When you are fulfilling the meaning of your life, your steps are assertive, but when you are after power or pleasure, you become aggressive.

You make a move and the world responds, acknowledging that you are connected, that you are a part of this big give-and-take, that you are responsible and what you do matters.

What matters most is your intention and it defines the action first and foremost. Teaching kids to be intentional in their choices is an invaluable skill.

In chess, without the king, the other pieces would all be "dead", so their existance is supported by the king, but they need to serve the king with their capacity for action in order to have a good game.

The King in chess is indeed a symbol of unity and wholeness and the other pieces are not separate entities but rather parts of “the One Thing”, as Campbell put it.

Being is such a mystery that when one puts a lot of thought into it, the sense of wonder only increases. Albert Einstein has said: “The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility.” Mystery reveals itself…and the paradox that it is not less mysterious for the revealing.

The elusive concept of being, covered with mystery and often ignored in a world of action and achievement, seems to come a bit closer in chess to remind us of its primacy as symbolized by the King.