Chess and Politics

Many amateur chess players, myself included tend to over utilize the queen.

As I have grown older and matured I have come to realize that over use of the queen in chess game has the following consequences:

First, most novice players tend operate under the fallacy that queen is omnipotent and capable of winning the game without assistance, this error often leads to disaster.

Second, the use of queen alone and unassisted over extends her, draining her power and lessening her effectiveness.

Third, the dimuntion of the power of the queen in conjunction with the dimminishment of her influence and control over the board often results in a zugszwang situation that results in the loss of the queen and other less powerful pieces ultimately hastening checkmate.

The same holds true in politics many would do well to remember Theodore Roosevelt's maxim of speak softly and carry big stick. I believe it significant that Teddy Roodevelt placed speaking before using the stick, a metaphor for the war making powers.

In doing so Roosevelt reaffirmed the belief of the Founders that the war powers, should only be invoked andexercised as a last resort when persuasion, negotiation, and all other avenues have failed to achieve the foreign policy goals of the United States, and only then after due deliberation with great care, caution, and due diligence being given to the objectives and outcomes.