Some posts reaffirm what you already believe. Some introduce new things to believe in. This post does neither. This post questions what you believe.

In the course of the next few paragraphs, I want to pose 2 questions, questions I don’t have an answer to, but I hope to get an answer to by telling you about it.

For me, mathematics and psychology are two concepts that describe the beauty of the game of chess. That is why we calculate the total possible moves available to a piece, and also analyze the position of that piece from the opponent’s point of view.

In mathematics, we say: “There are 20 possible first moves in the game of chess.”

But in psychology, we say: “All 20 moves belong to the white pieces, because white plays first.”

The black pieces are on the same board as the white pieces. They have the same number of possible moves. Yet, out of all these available moves, the only thing the black pieces can do is not move and wait for white to play first.

So my first question is: In the game of chess, why does white play first?

I was in SS1 the first time I had physical access to a chessboard. That day, my classmate Daniel brought a chessboard to school and I was hooked. Since I could not play, I watched with intense obsession how the game was played. After about ten games, I had learned all moves of each piece and I decided to play. Daniel chose white. I chose black. When the game started, I played first. He paused, returned my piece, looked at me, and in a calm but firm tone said: “White plays first.”

Those three words changed how I see equality in the world. My curiosity did not allow me to accept that rule without questioning it, so I started researching why white plays first. After months of searching, the only answer I found was: “By convention.” and honestly, that answer is nonsense.

That same “conventional” mindset has been exploited by people who believe that equality is only a distant dream and can never truly be achieved, so when inequality happens and we ask “Why” the only answer we get is “That is how we do it”.

Historically, white has been associated with peace and wealth, while black has been linked with struggle and exclusion. These associations are false. Yet, when you look at chess, one could argue that the game unintentionally mirrors a world where whiteness; wealth often starts ahead every time even when it should not.

Imagine how something as innocent as a board game can echo deep-rooted societal biases.

So, along with my first question, I have one more:In this life’s game of chess, how can black truly play together with white?

How can we change a world where people, whether white or black, are treated unequally, restricted, or disadvantaged simply because they are poor, black, or just women?

Because if life is a chess game, one king will eventually be checkmated. But how unfair would it be if the loss happened because one side was allowed to play first?

God is helping us.