Yesterday, I saw breaking news: Herbert Wigwe, the Chief executive officer of Access Holdings Plc, a bank in Nigeria, was involved in a helicopter crash in the United States on Friday.
Photo from X
He was on the helicopter with his wife and son when it crashed.
No one survived.
A true tragedy.
It got me really thinking β What is life's purpose? Why are we here?
Is there really something on the other side? An afterlife?
Why does some person's life just end so abruptly, while some get to live the taste of time? Some struggle with terminal illnesses even from birth or a very young age.
Does God really exist? Why does he allow such things to happen? Why does life feel so unfair?
What is my purpose on planet Earth?
So many questions spiraled through my mind. After hours of contemplating and a little bit of research came clarity.
Man's purpose in life is to love and obey God, live righteously, and glorify Him in all aspects of life, while also loving and serving others.
We are here to serve, not only God but others.
We should be grateful for our existence at all times. We should practice Mindful Living. Learn to not get carried away with the things that are out of our control but instead focus on the things that actually are.
Because β Nothing is Promised!
Today might be your last.
So live each day with strong will love and conviction. Understand life is Yin and Yang. We all get to experience every aspect of life, the good and the bad. That's how we experience life in its fullness.
Approach each interaction with kindness and authenticity, knowing that every connection is a chance to make a difference. You express your love openly and without reservation, cherishing the people who enrich your life.
Pursue your dreams with determination and courage, refusing to let fear hold you back. You take risks, knowing that the greatest rewards often come from stepping outside your comfort zone.
And at the end of the day, you rest easy knowing that you've lived with purpose and intention. You've made the most of every moment, leaving no room for regrets.
So, as you go about your day today, remember this: life is short, but it's also incredibly precious. Don't wait for tomorrow to start living β seize the day, and make it count.
1 Corinthians 10:31: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
Hive Chess
Yep! As you could already tell from the title, I one this week's edition of Hive Chess - Hivechess S17 R8 Arena by @stayoutoftherz
Was it luck though or was it out of pure strength?
Well, as I stated in my previous episode β we have the ability to improve our chances of experiencing good luck. This is a great example.
It was down to the wire. With just about 5 minutes to the end of the Arena, I was in 3rd place, trailing behind the tournament leaders by one point.
I was pared for the last time and I went berzerk!
Here is the game:
Game 1
ZGM_Samostically vs stayoutoftherz | view full game here
- e4 c6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2
Not a very popular line, and not the best way for whites to play for an advantage against the Caro Kann.
But my aim was to go into a KIA setup position, I had bezerked and I needed to play an opening where I could pre-move a good amount of the opening moves to save time.
Black opted for the early exchange on e4 and soon we reached a pretty equal position.
As I always think about when I play the KIA or the KIA setups, my idea was to go for a kingside attack.
I maneuvered my Knight through c4-e3 and now to Nf5 with the aim of getting as many pieces as possible to the kingside so I could try to launch an attack
I was trying to make sure I didn't have an inferior position on the queenside then black played Nc5. I that moment I thought I had found a tactic to be up a pawn.
I played Nxh6. The idea was after gxh6 I could take twice on f6 and be up a pawn.
But Nxh6 was a blunder, I had missed the variation- Nxd3 Rxd3 and Kxh6. White has no attack, hence no compensation. I would have been simply down a piece.
Luckily, my opponent missed it as well.
The game continued 18. Nxh6 gxh6 19. Qxf6 Qxf6 20. Bxf6 Nxd3 21. Rxd3
I was simply up a pawn with a good position.
Kg6 23. Bh4 f6 24. f3 h5 25. Bf2 Kf7
All I had planned in this position was to consolidate, exchange pieces, and try to win with my extra pawn.
Then came Kf7, black blundered his Bishop
After about 6 more moves, it was mate in 2
See if you can spot it.
And with that victory and just a few seconds to the end of the Arena. I got to the tournament lobby and saw I was first place.
The 2 leaders had lost their last round and from being one point behind I became the tournament Victor with 2 points ahead.
Interesting how luck works right?
Game 2
Another game I found interesting was
eniolw vs tortyllan | See full game here
The game began with a double fianchetto setup from white, and black developing in the style of the modern/Indian defence.
9...e6, I think this was the major mistake of the game as it greatly impacted the outcome of the game of the game.
9...Bf5, freeing up the Bishop was the right way to go, you'll see why soon.
Rad8. White has a space advantage, all pieces are fully developed, and the rooks are connected. On the other hand black is cramped.
Both of Black's bishops have no scope, worse is the light-squared bishop. In general, Black's pieces all lack activity. 18. h4 Nd7 19. Nf3 Nf6 20. Ne5 Nd7 21. Nf3 Nf6
Black shuffles his Knight with hopes of exchanging it off the board as he seeks to free up his position.
But white knows better than to let him off the hook.
The game progressed with white slowly but surely improving his position
27. Nd7
This is the 11th time the Knight has moved in this game and the 5th time it has retreated to d7. Black has no plan.
After increasing the space advantage on the queenside, white finally allowed an exchange on e5 opening up the position.
A good amount of trades happened and when the dust settled White's plan was crystal clear β White's King has a clear path on the g1-a7 diagonal
Black's Knight on f8 is poorly placed, the Bishop on d7 is like a pawn.
After the king walks, it was over white infiltrates and wins
There you have it! Hope you enjoyed today's blog and game analysis. To check out the official Hive Chess Article click here
And to view more games from the tournament, click here
I am @samostically,I love to talk and write about chess because i benefited alot from playing chess. I love to review books and movies too!.I believe life is all about staying happy and maintaining peace.
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Well done! But surprisingly, we had played 3 times against each other and the score was 1,5:1,5!
Hi @stayoutoftherz, playing you over the years. Its obvious you're now stronger and faster!
You still play the same lines (Caro Khan especially) , but you're more direct now and you capitalize on little mistakes too.
1.5-1.5 says it all! Thanks for your support too and have a great week!
Ps: Thinking of doing a series of post showing how to play each hivechess player. Something that makes it easier to play certain players.
OMG, please not, then I would have to change my extremly limited repertoire!
But the idea is great!
Congratulations!
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