Hey guys, this is my answer to UC prompt 1. Wondering what you guys think. did i answer the question or did i miss the point? any glaring grammar problems? Thanks guys!
Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
Pieces are sacrificed, tactics are devised, and openings are pursued; all in order to capture the opponents' king. This is the fundamental goal of chess.
Ever since I first learnt chess at the age of six by observing my father and sister play, I have been fascinated by the game. The infinite potentials for victory and defeat, the multitude of moves at one's disposal and the complexity of the game have always captivated me. When I discovered the Asean Chess Academy, I went from merely being a passive spectator to being an active participant in the chess world.
The Academy is a place where chess addicts can congregate through our mutual passion for chess, regardless of our race, creed and religion. It was not the individual's background that defined him, but the personality he portrayed through the game. A person's character can be revealed through the process of moves played. Is he Genghis Khan, violently overwhelming his opponent with brilliant aggressive plays that strike down the enemy line (the dragon variation of the "Sicilian Defence"), or is he the Duke of Wellington, with a sturdy defence that slowly dwindles away enemy forces (the "Caro Kann Defence")?
My passions lie in creating and innovating and for this reason I choose to pursue engineering and this self-contained world of chess enthusiasts is symbolic of that. Chess is not only a perfect illustration, but also an apt demonstration, of the complexities of creating. My resources are limited, as are my pieces, and the strategies which I use must maximize the benefit I obtain from them. Furthermore, in chess it is creativity and insight and not merely sheer calculative power which determines the outcome of a match and this pursuit of elegance in engineering has been inspired through chess. Chess has not only altered how my aspirations and dreams but also affected how I can achieve them. The very nature of the game involves a deep sense of responsibility; every pieces fate and future, as well as that of the outcome of the game, rests with you. Rather than finding this limiting, I find it supremely overpowering. The success or failure of my goals and aspirations depends solely on me.
In chess you cannot control everything. But it is through the game's surprising twists that the exquisiteness of the game emerges. Like a dance, the game constantly evolves through creativity and insight. To me, chess is not a combative sport with the sole intention of trying to obliterate your adversary but rather the beauty generated when two minds face each other with their personalities determining the course of the game.
Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
Pieces are sacrificed, tactics are devised, and openings are pursued; all in order to capture the opponents' king. This is the fundamental goal of chess.
Ever since I first learnt chess at the age of six by observing my father and sister play, I have been fascinated by the game. The infinite potentials for victory and defeat, the multitude of moves at one's disposal and the complexity of the game have always captivated me. When I discovered the Asean Chess Academy, I went from merely being a passive spectator to being an active participant in the chess world.
The Academy is a place where chess addicts can congregate through our mutual passion for chess, regardless of our race, creed and religion. It was not the individual's background that defined him, but the personality he portrayed through the game. A person's character can be revealed through the process of moves played. Is he Genghis Khan, violently overwhelming his opponent with brilliant aggressive plays that strike down the enemy line (the dragon variation of the "Sicilian Defence"), or is he the Duke of Wellington, with a sturdy defence that slowly dwindles away enemy forces (the "Caro Kann Defence")?
My passions lie in creating and innovating and for this reason I choose to pursue engineering and this self-contained world of chess enthusiasts is symbolic of that. Chess is not only a perfect illustration, but also an apt demonstration, of the complexities of creating. My resources are limited, as are my pieces, and the strategies which I use must maximize the benefit I obtain from them. Furthermore, in chess it is creativity and insight and not merely sheer calculative power which determines the outcome of a match and this pursuit of elegance in engineering has been inspired through chess. Chess has not only altered how my aspirations and dreams but also affected how I can achieve them. The very nature of the game involves a deep sense of responsibility; every pieces fate and future, as well as that of the outcome of the game, rests with you. Rather than finding this limiting, I find it supremely overpowering. The success or failure of my goals and aspirations depends solely on me.
In chess you cannot control everything. But it is through the game's surprising twists that the exquisiteness of the game emerges. Like a dance, the game constantly evolves through creativity and insight. To me, chess is not a combative sport with the sole intention of trying to obliterate your adversary but rather the beauty generated when two minds face each other with their personalities determining the course of the game.
