Chess and us
For me, morning means almost noon, but the togetherness still means the same!
I play recreational chess. I'm not that good at it. On the walk to work, I was thinking how our existence is like a game of chess. The board and pieces and players are formed in a rapidly expanding universe. God plays black, and is an extreme version of Deep Blue.
Can you imagine? He is calculating all possible moves instantaneously, and even using fancy heuristics!
This thought stream brought on connecting ideas about openings, transitions to middle and endgames. He would know the single move that marks the transition to a loss. With that move our extinction is assured. He will know, but plays to indulge us in our final hours. Perhaps he will quip a remark like, "Take heart, you played a good game. You should know that there are billions of games being played and chess will not end with this game."
What is a win for us then? The answer has already been answered as always on Star Trek. Remember Data in the Next Generation. He changed the definition of win. You can't win against such a formidable foe as extreme Deep Blue, so let's not lose! To win is not to lose, and we extend the game for a long as possible. Perhaps a cousin, or son or daughter will play for us once we get too old and tired, and want to retire.
We are just starting to record our moves. Perhaps some other player, long after us will see deeper after reviewing our game. Perhaps they will play the game better and extend the match farther still. Finally, when "we" can extend play forever, it will probably be time to start a whole new game, with a new board, and pieces and players.
Perhaps we should be designing games to teach gamers this concept of play?
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