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Why do we Try, to hold onto the Chaff?

A had a picture of me talking to a friend about a couple of recent blog posts. The titles of the posts in question are…

When’s the Right time to Forgive?

How do we Forgive, when we Don’t want to do?

In the picture, I was saying to my friend, that I’d been writing posts that I’d rather of not written, as the experience that went with them, was unpleasant.

My friend went onto to ask the obvious question of, “What happened then?”

My thoughts then went to…

Why do you want to talk about the rubbish that I’ve had to deal with, when I’ve got gold, that’s been refined from the experience?
Why would you rather catch the chaff, and let the good kernel, fall to the ground?
I have some great principles to share with you, but you would rather talk about the details of the bad experience?
WHY???

I think that the reason the picture came to me, so quickly, is because, I would probably be making the same mistake, myself, in a similar situation. 😦

Why do we so quickly fall into this trap?
Why do we want to jump straight into all the gory details, instead of wanting to pick up the gold, that is waiting to be taken?
(Me included, to that one. 😦 )

We may all laugh, or smile and nod a bit at this thought, and put it down to something like, “It’s just our human nature.”
But, do we have to remain in that way of thinking?
Could we try to become aware of such thinking, and to then try for a better way instead?
Kingdom Thinking, anybody?
Could we try to search out the good stuff, and then let the stuff, that is of little, or no value, just fall away?

Romans 12:1-2
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

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Do we drop the kernel, to hold onto the chaff?

This is one of those thoughts, that just came to me. (Quite some time ago now.)
It might be a bit of fun to have a look at it. So, shall we do just that then?

The thought is about threshing wheat, but doing it, the wrong way round.

The right way to thresh wheat, is to throw it up into the air, out in the open, to then let the wind take the chaff (the not so good stuff) away.
The kernel (the good stuff), should fall to the ground, to then be collected and kept.
(This is only my basic understanding of threshing, I’m not an expert.)

If we have, even a basic understanding of threshing, then would we ever actively consider, doing it the wrong way round?

How silly would we be, if we were to throw the wheat up into the air, to then chase the chaff around, trying to gather as much as we could?
To then leave the kernel on the ground for others to come along and take away. Or for us to trample on and destroy, as we try to chase the chaff around???

Is there anyone, who would want to actively be the silly one, who chases after the stuff, that should be left to fall away?

But are there times, when we have done just this?
Are there times, when we go chasing after, … Rubbish, when there is Better stuff, just waiting, to be picked up?

Rather than me carrying on with this post, and then filling your mind with my thoughts, I’m going to finish here, and just ask that you might dwell on the final thought, with Our Lord God, for as long as He leads you to.

What are the things that I’m chasing, that aren’t so good for me, that I should just let fall away?
What are the Good things, that I should be picking up, that I’m currently missing?

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How do we Forgive, when we Don’t want to?

Last week I wrote about the benefits of forgiving, and suggested that the best time to forgive, is straight away.
But, how can we do this, when it’s the absolute last thing, that we want to do?

The first thing that I think of, is that it’s for our benefit, when we do forgive.
If something is for our own good, then surely, that can help with our motivation to do it, even if we don’t like it. The thought goes along the lines of, taking an unpleasant medicine, that will have a lasting, better effect.

The next one I’ll point to is, the Bible tells us to forgive. (Should this really be the first reason???)
Many are the places in the bible, where we are told, to forgive.
Search them out, and you will soon find them.

I feel that I’m digressing into the “why”, instead of the “how”, but knowing the “why”, can help with the motivation, for the “how”.

If we are facing something, and we we kind of know that we should be “forgiving”, but just don’t want to, then how can we overcome this?

Ask for Help, from Our Lord God?
A starting place could be to try saying something like the prayer below.

Lord God, I’m facing a situation at the moment.
Please Help me.
I’ve heard about forgiving, but it’s so hard to do.
If forgiving is what You want me to do, then please, help me to do it.

Then be willing to hear what Our Lord God speaks to you, and try to follow His prompting.
Hopefully, He will lead you to a prayer, like something below.

Because You ask me to, I choose to forgive those who are causing me pain.
I forgive, to open the door, to let the heat out, and to invite you into the situation.
Please help me that much more, as I go forward with this, with You.

Please understand, this may be just the beginning, and may need to be repeated, several times.

Once we ask Him in, we then have a need to hear His thoughts, and to follow His prompting.

Recently, in a situation that I was going through, I found myself going through many dress rehearsals of what I wanted to say or do, in the situation. 😦

Trying to work out what’s going on, and how to best act is one thing, but when it turns into an endless dress rehearsal. Well, that’s another thing, that wasn’t helpful to me.

In order to put a stop to it, I had to make the choice to sing praise songs in my head, and out loud, in order to put a stop to it.
I just knew, that I needed to do it, and thankfully, I was able to make the choice, to do it. (I’m now thinking that this was me, in part, putting into practice the lesson from, I’ll Raise a Hallelujah is a Battle Cry.)

I guess that the really important bit, is to hear what Our Lord God is prompting us to do, and to then, actually do it.

John 10:27-28
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

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When’s the Right Time to, Forgive?

The short answer to this week’s post is, immediately, as soon as any offence is taken!
(Which can be a difficult thing to do.)

We all know that we are called to forgive, it’s in The Lords prayer.

Forgive us our sins,
    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

There are many places in the Bible where we are told that we need to forgive. Experience (more recent than I’d like it to be), now also confirms to me, that it is to our benefit, when we do forgive.

I’m viewing unforgiveness, as a fire or heat, that is locked into a room with us.
It then feeds itself so that it can then become all consuming, and start to dictate where our actions go. (Namely, bad actions, as they are fueled by the heat of annoyance.)

For those of us who have asked for Jesus to be with us on our journey, he is wanting to lead and guide us in the best way to go. But, if we have unforgiveness in us, it’s like we are in the locked room, with the fire and heat, but Jesus is outside the room.
Jesus may well be trying to speak to us, but are we able to hear His directions, over the heat of the annoyance? (Probably not. 😦 )

Forgiving, is the action that opens the door, to the locked room, which makes space for the heat to leave, but more importantly, opens the same door, to invite Jesus into the situation, so that He can then push the heat out. We are then able to hear His words to us, that much more clearly, so that we can then start to make better decisions, with the situation that we are facing.

We may want for all of the heat to go straight away, and sometimes it might. But other times, it may take a bit of time.
Sometimes, the heat may go, but the aroma lingers for a bit longer.
Progress in the right direction, is still progress, even if it happens at a slower pace than we would like it to happen.

So, if forgiveness is something that is a help to us, then how soon do we want to have this help?
After the situation is dealt with?
Or when we need it most?
As the situation is happening?
Or even better still, right at the beginning of the situation?

I know, this can be a very difficult thing to do, when the heat of annoyance is locked in the room with you. But like a lot of things that aren’t easy, it may be difficult to do, but the benefits can be Huge!

Jesus directing your actions, or the fire.
Which one, do you want?

Jesus, has even given us a practical demonstration of this, in the most extreme version. As they crucified Him, His words were…

Luke 23:34
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

As they were inflicting the assault on Jesus, He was forgiving them, in His Father’s sight.

I’m not suggesting that we all go to the ones who are causing us the troubles and telling them, that we forgive them, as that could just be us pouring more fuel, onto the fire.
But the forgiveness that I’m talking about, is the quiet forgiveness that we do, in our hearts, in Our Lord God’s presence.
That’s the forgiveness that opens the door, to let the fire out, and invites Jesus into the situation.

Just one question to finish on.
How soon do we want to invite Him into the situation?

_______________________________________________

Forgiveness is Key

Forgiveness and Reconciliation are Two very Different Things

The Release that Forgiveness Brings.

Accept, Repent and Forgive, There is Power Here!

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Can we Try, To Not Get Carried Away?

When good things happen, then it can be all to easy to get carried away.

Did Elijah get carried away, when he jeered the prophets of Baal?

I’m sure that someone spoke this thought to me at some time, in some way, and then suddenly, it’s just reconnecting.

When Elijah, had his great success against the prophets of Baal, when he had his time of, winning but becoming worn out, in 1 Kings 18:16-46, did he become worn out, because he got carried away?

Before, I’d often thought that it was funny when Elijah taunted the prophets of Baal.

1 Kings 18:27
27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.”

It presents a fun picture to me. The true prophet of God, making fun of the false prophets of Baal. But, was it God’s will, for this to happen?
For Elijah to taunt, the prophets of Baal?
Was it the way of love, to taunt those, who were going down a wrong path?

Now please, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not trying to judge Elijah, as I don’t know if I would have done any better, and I know that there are times, when I’ve got carried away myself.

What I’m trying to work round to, is, can we try to recognise when we are starting to get carried away, and then, to stop it?
To not waste energy on, a bit of fun, but instead, to keep that energy, for when we really need it?

How much energy did Elijah spend, making fun of the prophets of Baal?
We read just one sentence, but how much time does that one sentence cover? 5 minutes, an hour or a longer time?

If Elijah had rested during that time, instead of spending the energy he had on making fun of the prophets of Baal, then would he have had enough energy, to deal with Jezebel’s threat, which she sent to him, through a messenger?

1 Kings 19:1-3
19 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,

When all is said and done, can we keep in step with our Lord God, and do what He would like for us to do?
Can we keep in step to the Beat of Our Lord God’s Drum?
If it speeds up, will we then speed up?
If it slows down, will we then slow down?
Will we do all that we can, so that we won’t get Carried Away, but instead get Carried Along, as we keep in step with Him?
Our Lord God Almighty.

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Excited, about the Gift, you’ve Been Given?

Photo by Adonyi Gu00e1bor on Pexels.com

I was given an absolute gift of a chess game, a while back.
(I do hope that you can stay with me for this post, even though I’m going on about a certain chess game… again. 🙂 )
It was the game with a 6 Queen Checkmate.

I do view the game as being a gift. (I’ll try to go into the details of why I think this, at the end of this post, for any who might like to know such details??)

When I received the gift, I got just a little bit excited.
I shared the results of that game, with a few people.
My wife, reached the point of, “Not this again!”
Maybe a few others reached that point too??
(Maybe your thinking that, as you’re reading this??? 🙂 )

I’m not going to go into all the details of how I shared about the game, but share I did!
“A 6 Queen Checkmate, covering the entire board! Just look at IT!!!” … May have been said, one or two times???

It’s safe to say, that I did get excited, and I did happily share the details of the game, with many people. (And will probably carry on doing so.)

Then a thought comes to me, along the lines of,
“You’ve been excited to share about a gift of a game you played (was given). But, do you have an excitement to share about a much Greater Gift that you have received?
The Gift of Salvation?
The Gift of Life, with Our Lord God Almighty?”

If you need to stop reading, and just dwell on that thought, then please, feel free to do so.

We have been given the Greatest Gift of All, Jesus Christ Crucified on the Cross, to pay the price, for All that we have done wrong.
If we accept the Greatest Gift, then we can enjoy the benefits of having a relationship with Our Lord God Almighty.

For those who have accepted this gift, then how excited are we to share, about this gift?

Rather than me going on and on, babbling about my thoughts on this matter, I’m just going to end this post here, and ask that you ponder the above paragraph, with Our Lord God.

_____________________________

Well, that is the end of this week’s post.
But for those who want the extra time, I’ll try to explain why I think the game, that I played, was a gift. If you’re not that interested in chess, then this next bit, might not be for you. 🙂

The first reason that I consider it to be a gift, is because I played it, and I know, just how much I was freaking out, about not getting a stalemate.
This has been the result when I’d tried to get a multi Queen Checkmate in the past.
Because of my freaked out mind, my actions weren’t, the well planned out actions of someone who knew what they were doing. Instead, they were very much so the, let’s just try it and see, what happens next, approach.

In order to have the all board, dominating position (where every square on the board was covered by one of the Queen’s or king) then six Queens, were needed.
What good fortune it was, to have just the right number of pieces on the board to achieve this!
Further more, what good fortune it was that white, didn’t take a pawn or two, when it could have done so, very easily. I would have taken them, if I was playing with the white pieces.
(No, I can’t answer for why white, played the way it did. You’d need to ask the computer or programmers for the answer to that one. 🙂 )
The bishop just committing suicide made sense to me. It couldn’t do anything, and if white was playing for a stalemate, then loosing it’s bishop, should aid that goal.
All in all, wasn’t it a happy coincidence, that in order for me to have the six Queen Total board covering finishing position, that what I needed, I had.
Namely, six Queen’s, and nothing more, and nothing less. A gift of, just what was needed.

Having the needed 6 Queens is one thing, but they also ended up being lined up, all in the correct position, to one side of the board, rather than in the middle.
I’ve just run through what would happen if the Queens were in a central position, and it does work, but the final finishing position is slightly different.
Instead of the Queens being lined up along the central diagonal, as they were in my game, they would be shifted over to the side by one square.
Instead of starting on H8, the Queen line up, would have been on G8. The H8 starting position, just looks that little bit better, to me.
All the Queens, lined up along the central diagonal.
What good fortune it was, that the Queens just wound up, on the locations, that led to the better finishing position.
To me, it just adds to the thought, that the game was given as a gift to me. 🙂

Although I was wanting to have an epic finishing position, I had no idea of how to achieve it?
I knew that once I had promoted all the pawns to Queens, I was safe to move my King, as this would be giving a check. But I didn’t know at the time, that my King needed to go to B1, from C2, in order for the tempo to remain in my favour.
From my point of view, it’s just such good fortune, that things ended up, just as they did.

For the final march of the Queens, the main thought that was running through my mind was, just get a check!
There wasn’t a plan for how to end up with an epic finish, just simply the desperate thought of, make sure that a check is achieved!
As I was moving the first Queen, I was expecting to achieve a Checkmate, but it wasn’t to be, as it was moving the one safe square, up by one square, which the white King, could then move onto.
I would like to say that I knew what I was doing, but that would be a lie. As I moved the second Queen, I’d just stumbled into the solution, that was achieved. It’s only after the game, by analysing what happened, that I now know, what was going on.

All in all, this was a solution for a Chess Position, that I just stumbled into.
I would love to say that I worked it out beforehand, but my chess playing, just isn’t there, at this point in time. I’m still, very much so, a beginner.
It’s for all these reasons, that I look on the game in question, as being a gift.

Which is why I would like for this chess position/solution, to be known as, All Glory to God, Chess Solution,
which was given to, and then written up, by Wannabe Christian Doorman.

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Winning, But, Worn Out

I’m sure that I’ve heard Steven Furtick say something like this phrase during one of his sermons at Elevation Church.
As I was reading 1 Kings chapter 19, the thought “Winning, but, Worn Out”, just kind of came back to me.

It’s the time when Elijah flees to Horeb, after he had a great success against the prophets of Baal.

So many times in the past, as I’ve read this before, I’ve just been left thinking, how could Elijah get it so wrong, after such a great success??
Jezebel threatens him with a messenger, effectively saying, “I’m out to get you”, and he just runs, … after such a great success???
I’ve always struggled to understand why this happened.

Then the phrase “Winning, but, Worn Out” comes to me, then all of a sudden, it makes a bit more sense to me.

If a marathon winner, was asked to run another marathon, then how would that marathon winner feel?
As if they were a winner, but also a bit, or a lot, worn out??
Not at their best, to take on another marathon??
Probably finding themselves without the capacity to take on anything else at all, at that moment?
Might they even try to steer clear of, or avoid the prospect of another marathon, all together?

When I think of it in these terms, then all of a sudden, it doesn’t seem to be so confusing.

Have we all experienced something along these lines?
A time where we won or achieved something, but it cost us?
A time where we had the victory, but we were spent, at the same time, in need of rest and recovery?

God provides food and water for Elijah, by sending an angel to bake bread and supply a jar of water, which the angel does two times.
This is God’s response to Elijah’s prayer of, “I have had enough Lord, Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” (1Kings 19:4-8)

That probably wasn’t one of Elijah’s best prayers. 🙂 (It does sound like the words of someone who is a bit worn out, to me.)
But Elijah did seek God all the same. (Always a good choice to make.)

Thankfully, God meets Elijah’s needs, rather than pay any attention to his words. God provides rest and nourishment, for Elijah, at a time when he needs it most.

Then after a journey, Elijah meets with God, who then restores and encourages Elijah further, with the message that God speaks to him.
He is given instructions for what to do, and he is also told, that he is not alone, as he thought he was, and that he is also to anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet. (1 Kings 19:15-18)

God didn’t bring judgement on Elijah, when he was worn out and ready to give up.
God didn’t listen to Elijah’s words of, “I have had enough Lord, Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

Instead, God gave to Elijah, the time out, that he needed.
It wasn’t a permanent time out though. Elijah went on to keep doing the work that God had for him to do. But at a time when Elijah was winning, but worn out, God provided the food and rest, that was needed, and Elijah accepted it.

If food and rest is given to us, from Our Lord God, then will we accept what is offered to us?
Will we accept the rest that is offered to us, in whatever form it takes?
Sometimes, doing the “right work”, can be a rest in itself. But at other times, an actual “Time Out”, might be needed?
Our best course of action is always going to be to “Hear and Follow the words of Our Lord God “

If we see someone who is “Winning, but Worn Out”, can we try to not be so judgemental about them?
Could we instead be part of a rest solution for them? (If Our Lord God directs us to be.)
Can we all do, what is being asked of us, so that we may then end up with less people being worn out and more people winning?
As we keep in step with, Our Lord God.

John 10:27
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

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All Glory to God! Chess Solution

If you are here for the Six Queen Chess Theory, you’er in the right place, but first I have something else that is more important to write about.

(Yes, I know, you could just scroll down to the Chess content, but I do ask that you might consider reading the content below, as well??? 🙂 )

If we are shown a magic trick, that takes us in, then we can be left with a feeling of awe and wonder. But if the trick is explained to us, the awe and wonder can then be replaced with understanding.

Last week I posted about a chess game that took my breath away, just a bit, as I was playing it. (Link Here)
But, as time has gone on, I’ve since had time to review what happened, and the mechanics of the game. As such, I’m starting to understand just how things came together a bit, and that they could happen again in the future.
The game did have a feeling of magic to it, but as time has gone on, the magic, seems to have been the magic of discovering a solution, rather than magic itself.

I have to admit that I’ve probably got a bit carried away with the game in question. At the end of the day, the finishing part of the game was more of a chess puzzle, that I stumbled into a solution of, by actually doing it. 🙂

(For those who are interested, I’ll share my chess theory about the game in question, that may help others to have a similar type of game, at the end of this post.)

As I’ve pondered on the game, some of the awe and wonder, has just gone away, as I’ve realised that it’s now just a solved puzzle, rather than the magical event, that I first thought it was.

It’s kind of left me with a sense of that, I can actually tell the difference between a fairytale, or a magic trick, or a magical experience, and the actual truth.

Psalm 34:8
 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

I’ve made the choice to follow my Lord God Almighty, as such, I have experience that confirms to me, that the above scripture, is true.
I’ve not been hoodwinked by a fairy tale, or some kind of scheme or magic trick, as I was initially by the chess game.
On the contrary, as I have continued to look into the bible, and the claims of Jesus, the more I have been convinced, that He is the real deal.

There is a narrow path, that I have gladly chosen to walk.
I do not walk this path, because I am a fool who has been hoodwinked or misled, but because I have a knowledge that convinces me, that it is based in absolute truth, for I have looked into, who Jesus is, and the claims that He made, and I am utterly convinced that He is the Real Deal!

That Jesus Is God, who took on human form.
Who lived a human life, and was then crucified on a cross.
Who then, three days later, was raised back to life.
Who then appeared to many people, and then gave many convincing proofs, that it was actually Him, Jesus Christ, The Risen Lord God Almighty.
I also know, that I will go to be with Him, when I leave this earth, as I have asked Jesus into my heart and life, as Lord and Saviour.
You too could do this, and then have a peace about your final resting place.

If you would like to know the truth, then seek it out, and you shall find it.

Matthew 7:7-8
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

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If there is anyone who would like to seek out the Truth, I do have an archive page of posts with an outreach feel to them.
(Posts that try to shine a light, on the Truth.)
If you feel lead to, then please do consider having a look. (Link below)

Posts with an Outreach feel.

___________________________________

For those who are here for the chess content, it starts from here.
I do ask that you do consider reading the above content.
It may not only be a saving read for you in the here and now, but it could also have a lasting impact on your final resting place???

Six Queens on a chess board, and no stalemate, How is this possible???

After having played the game, it’s the diagonals that appears to be the starting place to understanding how this can work out.
With that in mind, the board below has an excessive number of bishops on it. (This is for the theory, not game play.)
After you place 8 bishops onto one end of the board, then there is a safe zone from the 8 bishops. If you wanted to go to the extreme, then you could also place an extra 12 bishops onto the board, that are then unable to see the safe zone. As seen in the green squares below.

If we changed the 8 bishops to queens, then there is no safe zone. But if the king is placed onto the board in the right location, then there is a safe zone directly in line with the king. This because of how the diagonals come into play.
Again, if we want to take this to the extreme, then just a few more queens can be added to the board, yet the safe zone remains in place, as below. (Oddly enough, there is even room for 3 more queens, over the bishops.)

Now, if we go back to the 6 queen game, and apply these principles to the board, then we can start to understand how the safe zone for the white king can be formed.

The first task would be to shepherd the white King down the board, and contain it in a safe zone.
A possible position to aim for is shown below.

All other pieces have been removed from the board for clarity.
The white King is able to move between E5 and E8, and will be not hindered by any promotions to queens, on the first rank.
(Unless a Queen promotes on A1, in which case E5 becomes unavailable to the white king.)

Once all the pawns have been promoted to Queens, we then want to line the Queens up, as below.

As the black king moves across the board, the safe zone for the white king moves with it, but shrinks, following the profile of the bishop safe zone, we saw above. (As there are 2 less pieces on the board for the six queens set up, the possible safe zone has a few extra spaces on one side of the board.)

As the black king reaches C2 (viewing the board from black’s side) the number of safe squares is reduced to 4.
Which then reduces down to 1 when the black king reaches B1, as the black king then takes control of the A2 square.
If it was white’s move on the above board, then it would be a stalemate, as white has no legal moves. But because of the tempo, it’s black’s move, as white just moved to the safe square.
(In order to keep the tempo in black’s favour, the black King must be on C2, before moving to B1.)

The need for black to get a check at this point, is of the highest magnitude!
There is the second option of moving the black pieces, in such a way, so that white would then have at least 2 safe squares, but this would be going backwards, so why would anyone want to do that?

There are multiple opportunities for a check, that would then result in a Checkmate, but, I believe that there are two options (at this point), that will lead to a total board domination solution.

During my 6 queen Checkmate game, I stumbled into the beautiful solution of moving the H1 queen to H8.
The effect this had, can be seen clearly below.

The safe square for white moves from B8 to B7.
This is because when the queen was on H1, it was watching B7.
As it moves to H8, it is now watching B8 instead.

If you would like to search out the other move to make, to move the safe square, then stop reading for the moment, and have a look.

Did you find it? Moving the H1 queen to H2, then moves the safe square from B8 to A8.

I’m not going to be looking into all the possibilities for how many solutions there are for a board domination Checkmate, as I’d get tired of writing it, and you’d probably get bored reading it. So I’ll just focus on the solution that I stumbled into. 🙂

The same scenario applies to the G1 queen moving to G7, and all the other following moves, of the queens, until the position below is reached, and there are no more safe squares, as the king comes into play, leaving the safe square with nowhere to move to. This then leads to the total board domination position, as seen below.

This position was a first for me!
I don’t know for sure if it’s a first ever, but maybe it is???
I have looked for it on the web, and not found anything.

If I am the first to publish this solution, then do I get the privilege of naming it?
If yes, then I would like to call it…..

All Glory to God! Chess Solution.
Which was given to, and then written up by Wannabe Christian Doorman.

__________________________

Update

The final position is most definitely, a known/solved position, for me.

I can write this, as I’ve now had, maybe a little bit too much fun with it… ??? 🙂

I’ve been repeating it, against the Bots, on Chess.com. Could you do likewise???

Martin, is the easiest to achieve this with.

As a challenge, what is the highest rated Bot, that you could do this to???

(Part of the challenge with Martin, is trying to convince him to take your excess pieces. 🙂 )

I Beat Martin!https://www.chess.com/game/computer/348095638

Martin, isn’t the only one I’ve done this to. I think that the highest rated Bot that I’ve done this to so far is Wendy, rated 1500

I Beat Wendy!
https://www.chess.com/game/computer/333704276

(I’ve been doing this against Bots, as doing to an actual person, just seems a bit mean to me.)

I’ve also worked out, that an all board dominating position, can also be achieved with just 5 Queens, plus the King, as below.

Because the King looks a bit untidy, in the above board, I had to have another go. 🙂

I Beat Steve Aoki!
https://www.chess.com/game/computer/352130172

With my playing with it, I’ve also come to realise, that there is a rook variation of the, All Glory to God! Chess Solution. that can be achieved.

For this variation, I want to be shouting out…

Bring Out The Rooooks!!!

I Beat Google En Passant Bot!
https://www.chess.com/game/computer/339455330

If 5 Rooks wasn’t enough, I’ve also now completed a version with 7 Rooks.

I Beat Martin!
https://www.chess.com/game/computer/361435014

I dare say that there are a few more variations that can be achieved. Different variations of Rooks and Queens being the most obvious. (Yes, I’ve done a few of them as well.) But I’m now reaching (reached) the point of, “Enough is Enough already!!!” 🙂

_______________________

I thought that I’d covered most of the main variations, but it seems that I have one more to add. There is a Seven Queen Solution, that can be achieved.

My aim was to have seven Queens, but Martin was so generous towards me, and he let me have nine. I had to sacrifice two, in order to achieve the finish above.

I Beat Martin!
https://www.chess.com/game/computer/388113422

Because Martin was so generous, and let me have nine Queens, I wondered if he would let me have ten Rooks???

It seems like the answer is yes. 🙂

I Beat Martin!
https://www.chess.com/game/computer/403861629

After achieving a ten Rook Checkmate, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could find a fun nine Queen position??? I had to try for something slightly different to the lining the Queens along the same diagonal though. (Too many Queens for that. 🙂 )

I Beat Martin!
https://www.chess.com/game/computer/418099097

________________________

I had thought that Martin Bot was the only one who would let me have nine Queens, but Nelson Bot, (rated 1300) also appears to be a rather generous Bot. 🙂

I Beat Nelson!
https://www.chess.com/game/computer/448954869

_______________________

I’m hoping that with this latest update to this post, this will be the final update???

It seems that Martin Bot, wants to have the last word/game … ???

Could you beat Martin Bot, without loosing a single piece?

If yes, then could you end up with an Epic Finishing Position, that makes No sense???

I’m thinking that it’s going to be hard to top this final position?

I Beat Martin!
https://www.chess.com/game/computer/511795789

All this crazy chess playing, started with a little Six Queen Checkmate game, that led to the All Glory to God Chess Solution theory, that then enabled me to play the above games. 🙂

As much fun as it has been, I’m hoping that I’ve worked out all or most of the Crazy Chess, our of my system, and that I can now try to learn, how to play the game, in a more sensible way. (There’s still so much for me to learn.)

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The Beauty that can Come, from Listening to The Ultimate Grand Master

If we could truly hear, and follow what Our Lord God speaks to us, then how much could we see or do???

I’ve recently started trying to learn how to play chess again, properly.
I learned the basics as a child. But I never really got past the beginner level. It’s been through watching YouTube videos, that I’ve come to realise how little I actually knew.

As I’ve been learning, a thought once occured to me. “How different would my gameplay be, if I had a GM (Grand Master) speaking in my ear, as I was playing?”

Now please, don’t misunderstood me, I’m not talking about a GM telling me what to do, and then me just following it, as that would just be the GM playing a game, through me. (Although, that doesn’t sound too bad in itself. 🙂 )
But, what I’m talking about, is if a GM, could point out certain things, as I was playing. Things like, “You could try to do this or that.” Or more importantly, “Are you sure, you want to do that, there’s a bit of danger here.”

As a Christian, we do have a connection to the Ultimate Grand Master!
He is Our Lord God Almighty, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

One of the best bits about this connection, we have with Him, is that He wants to speak to us, in our situations where we are.
Our Lord God would like to lead and guide us, in the way/s that will be best for us to go.
(No, that’s not a typing error. Sometimes we can have one way that is the best choice to take, such as following Him. Then we can have several good choices to choose from, such as, where shall we eat today. (Sometimes, the answer is Anywhere! To that one 🙂 ))

So, if we could actually train ourselves to hear His thoughts that much better, then just what could He achieve, through our, following His prompts???

It makes me think, a little bit.

Well, the game of chess that I’ve just had, could possibly be a small glimpse into an answer of that very question.
I’ve just had the most ridiculous finishing position for a game of chess, that I couldn’t even imagine!
I don’t think that such a position could ever have come from me.
Even if I were to ever to just try to manufacture such a position.
It’s the picture in this post. Six Queen’s and a King, to cover every single square on the board, to deliver the most ridiculous checkmate, that I’ve ever seen! 🙂

Chess players may see the fun and beauty in the finishing position that much easier than non chess players.

For the non chess players, having too many queen’s on the board, can be a problem, in itself. The risk of having a stalemate increases as the multiple queens can leave your opponents king with no legal moves to make, whilst not being in check, on it’s current square. If it’s your opponents move, and they can’t make a legal move, then that’s a stalemate, and the game is a draw.
This can be highly annoying, if you are in a winning position, and should be winning the game. (Such as having multiple queens.)

As I look at the final finishing position, I’m just left thinking, “How did that actually happen???”

Every single square on the board is covered by either one of the six Queens, or the King. To top it all off, every single Queen was used to give a check, to push the white King up the board to the final Checkmate position.
(I’ll leave a copy of the scorecard game play at the end of this post, for any who want to see how the game played out.)

I know that I played this game, and that it is genuine, but I’ve still got a measure of disbelief about it.
I know how ridiculous it is, and yet, it happened… ??? …
Just one question, …. HOW???

The only answer that I can come up with for that question, is the title to this post, “The Beauty that can Come, from Listening to The Ultimate Grand Master”.

It’s the only explanation that I can come up with!

It was just a normal game of chess against the computer, when I realised that I’d won. But rather than just go for the simple checkmate, I had a small thought to try and promote all my remaining pawns, into Queens.

Why not have a little fun. I’d tried it in the past, to then just end up with the dreaded stalemate, but the thought was still just there.

So I had a go, then what happened, happened, and then I was left looking at the most ridiculous checkmate position… ???

I’m just left thinking, is it a picture of what could happen, if we do hear, and then follow, Our Heavenly Father’s thoughts and promptings?

So, when all is said and done, will we all endeavour to hear what Our Heavenly Father is speaking to us, and then will we follow, where He leads for us to go?
Just what could the end results be, if we do???
A Beauty that makes no sense, and leaves you with such a disbelief of, “Did that just happen”, as you view, such a result???

If you don’t already have access to your Heavenly Father, because you haven’t asked for Him to enter into your life, well, you can.
For a starting point, you could simply ask, “Heavenly Father, please come into my heart and life, so that I too, can have access to Your words for me.”

Revelation 3:20
20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

_______________________________

The above is the end of this week’s post, but for those who would like it, I’ll do a small amount of game analysis. (As well as game score sheet.)

I’d love to know what GothamChess would make of the game. I’ll be sending a copy of the the game his way, you never know, maybe, he will do a review of the game???

So, the game analysis, or partial analysis, from me.

The game was against the computer on the chess app, that I have on my phone. I don’t have an Elo rating. I’ve just increased the rating of the computer, until it’s at a point where I can win, if I’m playing well, but it’s not a push over. The computer was set at 1050. (I know, the screenshot says 1100, but the data download has it as 1050, maybe it’s a rounding up thing??)

I think that the game was mostly a slightly better one for me.
When I traded the original queens (yes, that makes it 7 Queens in total for me, in the game) it was because I thought it was my best option to do so, and not because I felt pressured to do it.

When our rooks were staring down at each other, I was happy to do so, thinking, “you can take me, rather than me take you. 🙂

When I first ran through the game, I thought that I missed a fork with my knight with the white rooks, but then I noticed that it was never really a fork, because of how the board was set up. It would have forced an exchange of rooks, instead of being an actual fork.

Pieces where exchanged at various points. At one point, I thought that the computer blundered a rook for a knight, until it took my rook with it’s bishop which was a surprise for me, as I’d missed where it’s bishop was, DOH!

But, I was then left me in a much better position. ???

I had a pawn, a couple of squares away from promoting, and white had no way to stop it.
(Actually it appears that I had two pawns approaching, on the A and C file. But I’d only noticed the A file pawn, the right pawn to move, as whites bishop had no chance to stop it. 🙂 )
So the first pawn was promoted.

I can remember thinking that I wanted to place all my remaining pawns onto dark squares, so that they would be safe from whites light squared bishop.
I fumbled this to a great extent, as white could have taken a couple of pawns, very easily. White could have done this with a check, then capture, but it didn’t???
Was whites chances of getting a stalemate, better with more pieces on the board?

Then I was too easily allowed to promote the 2nd pawn.
White’s bishop then decided to commit suicide, which I obliged it with??
I can only assume that the computer was trying to work for a stalemate? Either that, or I’d depressed the bishop so badily, as it was a light squared bishop, with nothing to even see, let alone capture?? 🙂

It was at this point, or near enough to it, that I realised that I’d effectively won, but rather than just go for the simplest checkmate, I just wondered if I could try for promoting the rest of the pawns, that I had left? After all, why not?

After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, I was starting to get my pawns lined up for promotion with one Queen forming a barrier, to keep the white King away.

The 3rd pawn was easy to promote as a pawn prevented any stalemate risks. I fumbled my way to 3 pawns waiting, with my King, trying to make a safe zone, for the white King.

The 4th promotion was looking as if it should be ok, so was duly done. The 5th promotion was ok to do, with my King still standing strong, making a safe zone, for white.
This now left the final pawn to promote, without falling foul of a dreaded stalemate.

White helped me out, yet again, by seeking the safe zone, in line with my King!!??
My H1 Queen moved to G1, to make room for the final promotion, which duly happened, to make a full set of 6 Queens, and currently, no stalemate…??

Now, trying in a huge way, to not freak out over stalemate!!!
It’s safe to move my King, as that will create a check.
But the safe zone, moved with my King, which the white King then follows.
My King winds up on one end of the board next to my Queen’s (looking all neat and tidy), with the white King on the other side of the board.

Only One thought in my head, “Just Get a CHECK!!!”
(I had no board awarness at this point, just freaking out about the possibility of a stalemate, with six Queens on the board.)
(From after game reviewing, it appears that there is only one safe square for the white King on the board at this point, the one it’s on!
Fortunately for me, it was my turn, because if it was white’s turn, it would have been stalemate.)

I can remember thinking, that I’d like for the final checkmate to be so Epic and audacious, using as many Queens as possible, so that a a postion like it will never be seen again.
But I had to put that thought aside, and just concentrate on just not getting a stalemate.
So, look for a check. (I’ve not done a count of how many checks, or more to the point, checkmates there were. 🙂 )

Checking with the H file Queen, just seemed like a move to make.
So, just did that.
But still no Checkmate.. ???
So, the G file Queen goes in for a check, followed by the F file Queen.

Starting to see a pattern form here, let’s just go with it. 🙂
(To me, it just looks like a case of, “Come on ladies, come and join the Party! Or sound the Trumpet, and Advance! 🙂 )

Until finally, Checkmate is achieved, in the most ridiculous fashion possible… ??? … 🙂

Not even Star Trek technology can help the white King now, he may be able to dematerialize from his current square, but where would he rematerialize to???
Another dimmension??? (That would be another chess board in the world of chess, and that would still be a loss, by abandonment of the board!!! 🙂 )

It’s only after the game, as I’ve analysed what was going on, that I realised what was happening.
The Queen that I was moving to check the King with, was also the Queen, that was watching the square, in front of the King.
So, as I was moving the Queens, the one safe square, was moving up the board, right in front of the King, until he met the squares that my King was watching.
Which finally led to the most ridiculous and beautiful Checkmate, that I’ve ever seen. 🙂

If you’re wondering, “Just How did this come about???” (I’ve done Plenty of that!!)
Well, after much wondering and head scratching myself, I can only come up with one answer to that one, which is to point you to the title of this post…

“The Beauty that can Come, from Listening to The Ultimate Grand Master”

_______________________________

As time has gone by, and I’ve been pondering on what just happened in the game, I think that I’m starting to understand some of the mechanics of what happened, a little bit better.
For next weeks post, I’ll be including a section on some of the theory that has been going round my head, for how to try and achieve a multiple Queen checkmate, in the future???
With this knowledge, you too may be able to achieve a multiple Queen Checkmate???

Next week has now come, and the chess solution is included in the post. Link Here.

Further Update. I’ve now added another post about the 6 Queen game, which includes an extra time bit, with some of my thoughts as to why I think this game was a gift to me. Link Here.

_______________________________

[Event “Game vs Computer”]
[Site “Checkmate Chess”]
[Date “2025.5.30”]
[Round “1”]
[White “Computer”]
[Black “Player”]
[Result “0-1”]
[WhiteElo “1050”]
[BlackElo “0”]

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. d4 Bf5 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Be3 e6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Nh4 Bg6 8.Nxg6 hxg6 9. Qa4+ Nbd7 10. Rg1 a6 11. h3 b5 12. Qc2 Bd6 13. a3 O-O 14. Rd1 Qc7 15. g3 Nb6 16. Bg2 Nc4 17. Bd2 a5 18. Nxb5 Qb6 19. Nxd6 Qxd6 20. Bf4 Qb6 21. h4 Nxb2 22. Rb1 Qxd4 23. Qd3 Qxd3 24. exd3 Nxd3+ 25. Ke2 Nxf4+ 26. gxf4 a4 27. Rgc1 Nh5 28. Rb7 Nxf4+ 29. Kf3 Nd3 30. Rcc7 Ne5+ 31. Kg3 Nc4 32. Ra7 Nxa3 33. Bf3 Nc4 34. Rxa8 Rxa8 35. Rxc4 dxc4 36. Bxa8 a3 37. Kg2 a2 38. Bc6 a2a1Q 39. h5 gxh5 40. Be4 f6 41. Bf3 h4 42. Bg4 g5 43. Kh2 e5 44. Kg2 c3 45. Bf5 Kg7 46. Bg4 c2 47. Be2 c2c1Q 48. Bd1 Qxd1 49. Kh3 Qh1+ 50. Kg4 Qa4+ 51. f4 gxf4 52. Kh5 h3 53. Kg4 h2 54. Kh4 e4 55. Kh3 f3 56. Kg4 Kf7 57. Kf4 Ke6 58. Ke3 f5 59. Kf4 Qa5 60. Kg3 Kd5 61. Kf4 Kd4 62. Kg5 f2 63. Kf4 e3 64. Kg5 Ke4 65. Kf6 f4 66. Kg7 f3 67. Kf8 f2f1Q 68. Kf7 Qfe1 69. Kg7 f2 70. Kf8 Qd1 71. Kg7 e2 72. Kg6 Kf3 73. Kf6 e2e1Q 74. Kg7 f2f1Q 75. Kf8 Qhg1 76. Kf7 h2h1Q 77. Kf6 Qac3+ 78. Kf5 Qcc1 79. Kf6 Ke2+ 80. Ke6 Kd2+ 81. Kd7 Kc2+ 82. Kc7 Kb1+ 83. Kb8 Qh8+ 84. Kb7 Qgg7+ 85. Kb6 Qff6+ 86. Kb5 Qee5+ 87. Kb4 Qdd4+ 88. Kb3 Qcc3# 0-1

_______________________________

7q/6q1/5q2/4q3/3q4/1Kq5/8/1k6 w – – 24 89

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The Actual Truth is, God Loves You, Us, Me.

As a child, I had a bad experience with the church.
It wasn’t anything that bad really. But, as a child, it made me turn my back on the church, and in effect, all things to do with God.

It was so bad, that when a church group came to my secondary school assembly, when I was a teenager, on an outreach mission, all I could do was mutter under my breath, “This is a load of old nonsense and rubbish!!” (Or something like it.)
Apparently, I was louder than I thought I was, as my friend said to me, “You really didn’t like them. You were muttering about them all through that.”

It was true, I didn’t like them at all, even though I didn’t even know them.
My past experience, was colouring how I viewed them.

So what was this terrible experience then??
(As I have already said, it was a nothing thing really.)

I was at Sunday school, and we were given leaflets with a picture on it to colour in. There were two scenes in the leaflet.

One scene was of a child, offering their toy to another child, saying, “Would you like to play with my toy?”
The second scene was of a child, holding firmly onto their toy saying, “It’s mine!”

As a child with three brothers, I firmly identified myself as the child in the second scene, of “It’s mine!”

There was a tick and a cross on both scenes. There was a cross on the scene that I thought was me. The tick was on the scene of “How you should be acting”.

I had absolutely no intention of ever being like that first scene!!!

As such, all that leaflet said to me, was that the church was telling me that, “I was Bad!”

I fully turned my back on the church, because of that leaflet.

That leaflet had sold me a lie, that I was “Bad”, because I didn’t want to follow, “The Right Way”, to do things.

Yet here I am now, writing a post, declaring that,
“God Is Love, and that He Loves You, with an Everlasting Love!!!”

That’s a bit of a turnaround then. 🙂

What’s brought about such a turnaround then?
The short version is, that I now know what the “Actual Truth” is.

I would love to write down in a short snappy way, how I came to know what the Actual Truth is, but it was a bit of a long process.

The shortest snappy version that I can give, is that The Truth sought me out, and when I was face to face with “The Actual Truth”, then I just couldn’t deny it!

Part of that Truth is that, God isn’t just watching over me, waiting for me to mess up, and then tell me how bad I am.
Instead He is. Loving Heavenly Father, who feels my pain, when things go wrong.
Instead of wanting to condem and criticise, He wants to teach and correct, as a Loving Heavenly Father, as One who wants the Best, for Their child.

You might possibly be thinking something as along the lines of, “Well that sounds like a nice truth for you, but it’s not like any kind of truth that I know.”

The reality is that a truth, is a truth, whether you accept it, or not. Knowing what the actual truth is, can change your perspective though.

The next question could then be,
“Do you want to know what “The Actual Truth is?”

To quote an old TV programme, “The truth is out there.”

Matthew 7:7-8
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

___________________________________

If there is anyone who would like to seek out the Truth, I do have an archive page of posts with an outreach feel to them.
(Posts that try to shine a light, on the Truth.)
If you feel lead to, then please do consider having a look. (Link below)

Posts with an Outreach feel.