The Last Gambit

by Om Swami

‘Never let anyone intimidate you. Ever,’ he said. ‘You have as much right to your dreams as anyone else. You have as much claim over victory as the greatest out there. Never let anyone take that away from you, Vasu. Don’t you ever let anyone intimidate you!

‘A consistent and persistent man of average intelligence is more likely to succeed than an erratic and lazy genius. A hundred well-played draws, or a hundred lost but well-fought games are better than one victory by fluke. Success by design is infinitely better than a win by chance.’

He practised what he spoke about and he spoke about what he practised.

An amateur expects to reach a different destination by walking the same path. He hopes for miracles or serendipities. A grandmaster, on the other hand, relies on his own effort and intelligence. He does not commit the same error twice.’

‘Don’t judge him for what he says, see him for what he does.’