Five minutes with Bob · Posted by Bob · October 10, 2026

Why Kings Played Chess

Today is Chess Day, and I have always found something fascinating about this game. Two players sit across from each other. Each begins with the same set of pieces. Yet, as the game unfolds, their fortunes can be remarkably different. Why? The winner isn't necessarily the player with the most resources. Both players start with the same number of pieces. The difference often lies in how well they understand what they have, how they use it, and whether they can anticipate what might happen next. The kings of the past probably understood that life is also like that and used chess to hone their skills in leading their tribes. We spend a surprising amount of time wishing we had something more. More money, more time, more opportunities, perhaps even a different set of circumstances. Meanwhile, the resources already available to us can go unnoticed. And this becomes particularly interesting when we look at our families. Think about the people closest to you. One person may be wonderfully patient. Another may be good at bringing people together. Someone might have a gift for solving practical problems, while another knows exactly how to make a difficult day feel lighter. These are all resources, too. Yet, how often do we consciously recognize these strengths? And how often do we make room for them to flourish? In chess, a piece is valuable not merely because it exists on the board, but because of what it can do in a particular position. A knight, a bishop and a rook have different capabilities. Their effectiveness depends on how they work within the larger game. Families have their own version of this. A family thrives when its members' individual strengths complement one another. The person who is good at planning may help create stability. The person who understands emotions may help resolve a disagreement. Someone else's creativity may open up possibilities the rest of the family hadn't considered. No single person can be good at everything. Perhaps one of the most overlooked strengths of a family is the ability to recognize what each member brings to the table and find ways for those strengths to work together. And then there is the other lesson chess offers us: thinking ahead. A chess player considers not just the move in front of them, but what that move might make possible several turns later. Every decision changes the position of the board. Family life works in much the same way. The time we make for a child today may influence the conversations they feel comfortable having with us years from now. The way we handle a disagreement with our partner may shape how easily we approach the next one. The traditions we create with our parents may become the memories our own children cherish. Our everyday decisions rarely exist in isolation. They become part of a larger story. Of course, life isn't a chess match. The people we love aren't pieces to be moved around, and relationships cannot be won by outsmarting someone else. Perhaps that is where the comparison becomes most meaningful. Chess reminds us to look beyond the immediate move. Relationships remind us that the purpose of looking ahead is not simply to win, but to build a life in which the people we love can flourish alongside us. We may not be able to choose every circumstance life places before us. But we can become more aware of the strengths we already have, the people who possess them, and the possibilities that emerge when we recognize those strengths. Does your family make the most of the special attributes each member might have? Until tomorrow, Bob