God's Coaching #52

God's Coaching #52

What do you call an expo center in Sofia, Bulgaria, lined with 360 identical tables and chess games? A world record! But not for the most people playing chess at once (you can read about that on October 21). On this day in 2009, Kiril Georgiev played 360 people at once! This Bulgarian chess master earned a spot in the Guinness World Records for playing the most simultaneous games of chess by one individual.

How did he do it? All of Kiril’s opponents sat at tables. It was slow going, but Kiril walked from game to game. He played for more than 14 hours and walked more than 12 miles in the process! Who says chess isn’t good exercise? Kiril averaged three moves an hour.

Before you think you can gather 361 of your closest friends and beat the record, there are a lot of official requirements. Maybe the hardest is that a record breaker must win at least 80 percent of the games. Kiril’s final score was 284 wins, 6 losses, and 70 ties. The guy had serious brain power!

What’s the Score?

Do you get bored with a game of chess after half an hour? Kiril must have been tempted to hurry up and get the record finished. But he remained patient and made sure all 360 games counted.

We live much of our lives in the fast lane, quickly going from one thing to another. But we can learn a lesson from chess. It’s a slow game. You have to think about what you’re doing and look several moves ahead. One wrong move and you’re done. “Haste makes mistakes,” Proverbs 19:2 says. So chess players are careful not to make hasty moves.

The Bible tells us we also make mistakes in life when we get in too big a hurry without seeking knowledge first. Have you ever rushed in and made a mess of a situation because you didn’t know everything you needed to? Stay patient. Learn from people who know more than you. And trust God to guide you with his perfect timing.

On the Ball

Practice slowing down. Try working a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. Maybe your family can set it up on a table and solve it together slowly. It’s good practice to focus on taking things one step at a time.

Coach’s Comment

Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes. Proverbs 19:2