This essay is dedicated to Daniel Naroditsky (November 9, 1995 – October 19, 2025). We grieve over the loss of him, and may he watch us from the skies. “Never play for the win, never play for the draw, just play chess!”  Alexander Khalifman What do chess and life have in common? Some might say it’s the inevitable sacrifices or the permanent feeling of a ticking clock, but for me, it’s about initiative. Once, in a game with a powerful opponent, he demanded: “Do you even unders