Human Chess Rules 1.0

Definition: Human chess is the never-ending game in which people, seeking to fulfill their own needs and desires, work for, with and against others positioning themselves, others and the world around them in such a way that they have a better chance of reaching their goals than those who seek the same thing or things conflicting with their desires.

The Cardinal Rule: When playing human chess, one's mind should always be in the game. It is the only sport where there are no play periods, no time outs and no end in sight. Even if your needs are met, others are not and they may be prone to move against you if for no other reason than you have done/acquired/achieved more than they.

On Desires:
1) People are always motivated by selfish desires
2) Selfish desires are rarely rational
3) What one desires if often affected or influenced by their environment
4) Therefore, by positioning or altering one's environment, you can change their desires
5) You are a part of a person's environment, therefore, altering your position can change another's environment

On Knowledge:
6) Knowledge is paramount, you must know what one desires in order to alter their will.
7) You must also know what you desire in order to know which way to alter other's wills.
8) If you do not know these things you are playing the game blind and will lose without knowing.

On Perception:
9) Perceptions are 90% the law.
10) If a good deed is perceived to be an injury, then it is an injury.
11) If a bad deed is perceived to be an aid, than it is an aid.
12) Always remember, a diplomat is someone who can tell another to go to Hell in such a way that they think they might enjoy the trip.
13) It pays to be a diplomat.

On War:
14) There is little to be gained from open war, you should avoid it.
15) If an enemy seeks open war, you should smite him/her as quickly as possible and be the first to offer the olive branch. A beaten enemy will jump at any truce offered, no matter how unfair.

On Alliances:
16) Sometimes in order to gain what you need, you must submit to the will of others.
17) There is no dishonor in serving another so long as your own agenda is being met.
18) Every alliance places a strain on all parties involved.
19) Every alliance has a benefit for all parties involved.
20) If the strain should ever exceed the benefit, the alliance should be broken immediately.
21) Unless an alliance is truly mutually beneficial it is prone to betrayal.

On Groups:
22) Groups are a means by which a collection of weak people use their number as a bargaining chip to gain strength.
23) All cohesive groups larger than 12 have a leadership of some kind.
24) To deal with the group, it's best to deal with the leadership directly rather than the individuals that make it up.
25) To keep a group cohesive, the individuals in it must sacrifice their right to judge to the leaders.
26) To split a group up, make the followers question the leader and convince a handful of the sheep that they could be the shepherds. A rebellion will be inevitable.
27) On the whole, powerful people should steer clear of joining cohesive groups. The sacrifice is simply too great.

On Individuals:
28) Everyone is unique in some way; no two people are alike.
29) Therefore, it should never be assumed that you could deal with one person exactly the way you dealt with another, unless it is proven to be true.

On Plans:
30) The best way to understand a person is to understand their desires, then to grasp their problems and opportunities in attaining those desires. This will help you understand their plan.
31) Everyone has a plan, they may not admit it, but everyone is scheming of how to get what they want/need.
32) Everyone has a talent that can be useful and a flaw that can be detrimental. Understanding those will help you see how someone can fit into your own plan.
33) A wise man will see how someone's talent can help them in their current plan, the wisest man will see how they can alter their own plan to make use of another's talent.
34) That's why fluid plans, on the whole, reach their target the quickest.

On Emotions and Beliefs:
35) Never anger those you need help from if avoidable.
36) Never anger someone who has served their purpose if avoidable, they might be necessary later.
37) If you make someone believe they can do something, odds are they will.
38) If you make someone believe they cannot do something, odds are they won't.
39) People will believe what they want to believe, trying to work against that is unwise.

On Friends:
40) If you want to make a friend, whenever possible, give someone the chance to help you, never offer to help them. People would much rather be a creditor than a debtor.
41) However, be prepared to repay the debt someday. Do not gripe when the time comes.
42) Never, for any reason, stab a friend in the back. It only creates an undesirable open war and makes the acquisition of future friends more difficult.
43) If you do not desire friends, that is your decision, but realize the weaker position it puts you in.
44) However, weaker position aside, the lack of friends or dependants can make your playing field much more simple to navigate.
45) If you do desire to keep friends, keep only as many as you can maintain and trust.
46) A friendship without maintenance or trust only creates a wild card in situations where certainty is essential to survival.

On Enemies:
47) Everyone has enemies, accept the fact that you have them and always will have them now.
48) Don't shy away from making enemies. Just make sure they are weaker than yourselves and either have nothing to offer you or are more beneficial to you as an opponent (IE: any enemy of my enemy is a friend of mine).
49) If a battle with an enemy becomes too draining, seek peace, even at the cost of pride.
50) Make your peace complete and total, do not leave open doors for future hostilities.

On The Goals:
51) The goal of human chess is to fulfill your desires.
52) If you can help others fulfill theirs at the same time, so much the better.
53) As soon as you attain one desire, another will take it's place.
54) That is why the game of human chess is never-ending.
55) That is why even the best players get beat.
56) and that is what makes the game as entertaining as it is…

The Trump Rule:
57) Like in life itself, every rule in human chess has an exception. Always be on the lookout for these exceptions so you can play them with confidence. The thing that separates the great chess players from the simply good ones is the ability to spot the exceptions and ride them to victory.