What spiritual wisdom can we learn in this message from an old chessmaster?

Question

“They say I’ve written the books with the title and they say, chess is my life. Ya, I’ve read, Finally the only one I can do is chess, is to lose a game. Then it is quite essential, I think, what for I live. If people cannot learn from my chess, if I myself having learned a lot, not able to play no more game, what shall I do?”

“Ya, I had in my life difficult days. Just a couple of days ago I remembered, being nineteen years old, first time I played in a strong tournament. And I made the third game. I made a draw and then I lost seven games in a row. The year 1950, being nineteen years old. It was a difficult experience, when he says, “Somebody is wounded.” Ya, when somebody is the first one, first time he is wounded, it is very painful. It is such difficulty for the whole body when somebody is wounded for the first time. When somebody is wounded for the second, for the tenth time, does it become better? suddenly?”

“I don’t believe he who has many times suffered failures, or little difficulties, after the tenth time, he will recover faster, he will become philosopher. There was the first time, the tenth time, a philosopher. But physically it was always difficulties, and will remain.”

Victor Kortchnoi

Grandmaster Champion Chess Player

Author of chess instruction books

http://www.chessclub.com/

Answer 1

Wow, that is one h**l of a question. Nice job, man.