I have a mandate from the heaven's
A new apostolic dispensation
Ancient mantles have been handed unto me
Revival is coming
To a city close to you
Heal the sick, raise the dead
Apostolos
Raise disciples everywhere
Apostolos
By the holy ghost and power
For as long as I remember, I’ve always felt severe birthday blues, and it’s taken me so long to figure out what I’ve been doing wrong.
It turns out I’ve been focusing too much on the future, instead of the past. So here’s my attempt at celebrating my growth…
Since the first Neanderthals started to play with rocks, we have become so accustomed to the archetype that the best among competing men has to be an “alpha male.” How else can one rule over a tribe where competition is acerbic and challenges abound? Among chessists, Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, and Magnus Carlsen, three of the greatest chess players of all time, certainly seem to be the perfect candidates for that description. They emanated extreme confidence and an innate ability to dominate their challengers in every department, psychologically as well as technically. One paradox about Ding Liren is that, while he has undoubtedly proven the technical ability to be one of the greatest players of this generation, he does not exhibit any domineering feats. In fact, with his gentle demeanor, he is the opposite. He is soft-spoken and camera-shy, not loquacious and assertive. He is so modest and understated that you may be forgiven for misunderstanding his humility as weakness. He loves sports, but his body is as frail as a bulrush, and watching him play football side by side with a bullish Carlsen makes you worry about his bone structure. He is so respectful of all his colleagues that even a mildly edgy joke, let alone trash-talking, is completely alien to him. He is surprisingly candid, which makes you wonder how he made it in a game where disguising your intentions is gold. If Kasparov was "part Mike Tyson, and part Mozart," as a journalist described him at his peak, Ding can give one the impression that he is part Mozart, and part Dorothy Gale. Yet, despite his hesitant start in Astana where pressure did get to him, he has a core of steel. It's something that the Chinese recognize easily: despite appearances, it's a substantive core that allows one to tap into surprising reserves of tenacity, resilience, and creativity. This was aptly exemplified in game six of the world championship. A day after being completely outplayed by Nepomniachtchi while still affected by a shaky debut, Ding exhibited true grit to find his balance and score a memorable win that will go down as one of the most beautiful combinations in the 130-year-long history of the world championship. It was not some hot theoretical bombshell, concocted by a team of hired hands or a supercomputer, that defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi. It was the sheer fortitude of a man who found himself down and picked himself up without whining or self-pity, essayed an unassuming London System, and tapped deep down within himself. The result was a fine display of superior positional finesse and excellent tactical timing: the fearless 21.h4!, the resolute 35.Nxc4 and 36.Ne3, and the subtle 41.d5! that prepared the final combination: 42.Qc7! Kh7 43.Ng6 Rg8 44.Qf7! (threatening a queen sacrifice with a forced mate). In a world abounding in mindless braggadocio and dopamine-driven look-at-me-now social media narcissism, this special Ding moment is a reminder that it is the inner core that matters, not perceptions, appearances, and imaginary constructs about strength. Enjoy Fabiano Caruana's eloquent dissection of this game: https://t.co/rsfVGJJweC (FIDE/Stev Bonhage).
Chess a game of knowledge and skill; it requires a set of mental & emotional qualities to excel. A chess player needs to have the ability to concentrate, remember, imagine, & possess a strong will to succeed. These qualities can significantly impact ones performance in chess.