The Chess Game: The Pieces & The Theme - Part I

00:00 With this broadcast, we begin Immers Hashem, a new series, The Topic, The Game of Chess. This was a sicha which the Rebbe gave in Tov Shin Ches 1948, in which he elaborated in a deep and insightful manner on the game of chess. In the 1980s, the sicha was edited and published in the Sefer Yemei Breshis in the year 1993. As was customary in those years, since the end of 1941, that on Shabbos Mevarchim, a kiddish would be held after Musaf for the minyan of participants, and the Rebbe would sit at the head of the table for a fabregen which lasted for some time. On this particular Shabbos, after the Shacharis davening ended, the Rebbe returned to his room. At that time, a kiddish was taking place in the shul, and the people made kiddish and had some mazemus. After a few minutes, the Rebbe, dressed in talus in gartel, entered and sat at the head of the table for a fabregen. The attendees said l'chayim, and the Rebbe instructed that an ignim be sung, and afterward the sicha began. At this Shabbos fabregen, Rab Shmuel Shia Rashevsky was present, one of the regular congregants since 1770 in those years, and a well-known and famous champion in chess. And the custom at the fabregens in those years was that when someone was present who was involved in a specific field or in a certain trade, the Rebbe would explain a teaching and lesson in avedus Hashem or a connection to the weekly Torah portion that could

02:02 be learned from that occupation or trade. Rab Shmuel recounts that once he was outside the country where a major chess game championship was taking place, the game was already in progress, and he was not succeeding in the match. During the break in the middle of the game, he sent a telegram to the previous Rebbe requesting a blessing for success. The previous Rebbe benched him, and indeed he won the game. He also noted that many times before traveling to participate in a game, he would approach the Rebbe and ask for his advice and brocha. In the sicha of Shabbos Shemini, Tov Shin Yud Beis 1952, the Rebbe recounted, Once the previous Rebbe sat and played chess with the Chassid Rab Elchanan Dave Marazov, and in the middle, the Rebbe Rashab approached them and pointed out several innovations in the method of the play and explained the significance of those elements in the game in this avedus Hashem. In continuation of that, in reference to that, the Rebbe said to Rab Shmuel Rashevsky, By the Rebbe Rashab, it was from above to below. From how matters are in spirituality, he also knew how to play in the physical manner. By you, it should at least be from below to above. You should make vessels for godliness. An additional sicha where the Rebbe mentioned chess was on Shabbos Parsha Vayeshev Tov Shin Nun, late 1989. We will now begin citing the sicha mentioned above from Tov Shin Ches 1948, translated here into English. It is known the teaching

04:13 of the Bashem Tif, that from everything which a person sees or hears, one can and therefore must derive a lesson in serving Hashem. So too regarding the game of chess, and it is found that several great Jewish leaders played this game on the night of Nikel. The Rebbe continues, one can and must derive a lesson and instruction from it in avedus Hashem. As it is known the story that once the Rebbe Rashab saw the previous Rebbe and the Chassid Rab Menachem Manish Monlezon sitting and playing chess, and he said, but it is forbidden to confer strategies, referring to giving advice and deliberating together. The Rebbe Rashab remained standing near them silently during the whole game. Afterwards, when they finished playing, the Rebbe Rashab said, this move and that move, referring to specific moves, is a path in the service of Hashem. It is thus understood that in addition to the individual lessons that can be learned from every move in this game, of which there are many kinds, one can derive a lesson from the general structure and rules of the game as a whole. The game of chess resembles a war between two kingdoms, each with a king, a queen, and its soldiers, and the objective of the war is that one kingdom should conquer and defeat the opposite side. To achieve this goal, there are various types of tools, pieces, which resemble soldiers that are maneuvered by each player to defeat their opponent by capturing their pieces. Each piece has a unique and

06:09 specific way in which it can move according to the rules of the game. More specifically, in ascending order, in the front row are eight pieces called pawns. In Yiddish, Fußsoldaten, foot soldiers. Behind them, in the second row, are the commanders, officers, divided into three types. Higher than them is the queen. Above all is the king, the highest ranking piece, who is surrounded by his officers and soldiers, who protect him and act on his behalf to expand his kingdom and defeat the opponent. We will, imirtzah Hashem, continue in the next installment.