Before chess,
I had a luxurious high-rise inner city penthouse,
And a beautiful, kind and loving spouse,
I had my own wildly successful health food franchise,
And after work I was diligent in doing regular aerobic exercise,
Now, I have a 2605 peak bullet chess rating
Before chess,
I had a very active and deeply satisfying social life,
And took regular round the world family trips to see exotic wildlife,
I had an SUV and two high performance sports cars,
And sat on my spectacular balcony every night smoking Cuban cigars,
Now, I have memorised 6,500 moves of Najdorf theory,
Before chess,
I almost always felt content and very mentally stable,
And I told my children wonderful stories about past adventures at the dinner table,
I made sure to regularly tell my close friends and family that I loved them,
And out of compassion to those in need, donated most of my disposable income,
Now, I cannot remember the last time I showered or brushed my teeth,
Before chess,
I was acutely aware of the passing of time,
And seized each moment with a sense that life was utterly precious and sublime,
I was so immensely grateful that I had achieved everything I wanted,
And it was as though every wish I'd ever made had been effortlessly granted,
Now, I sit here alone in the dark, in a grotty room, surrounded by dust,
Before chess,
I had a crystal clear vision for the way my family's future would unravel,
And the properties we would own and the beautiful places to which we'd travel,
I was the hero of my children and their ever-present inspiration,
And I had heart full of love, a mind full of dreams and I lived in pure elation,
Now, I am empty. I have no-one and nothing left,
Except my 2605 peak bullet rating,
And my Chessbase Najdorf opening preparation file,
Yet, these two alone, make all the sacrifice worthwhile
- by Burrower
I had a luxurious high-rise inner city penthouse,
And a beautiful, kind and loving spouse,
I had my own wildly successful health food franchise,
And after work I was diligent in doing regular aerobic exercise,
Now, I have a 2605 peak bullet chess rating
Before chess,
I had a very active and deeply satisfying social life,
And took regular round the world family trips to see exotic wildlife,
I had an SUV and two high performance sports cars,
And sat on my spectacular balcony every night smoking Cuban cigars,
Now, I have memorised 6,500 moves of Najdorf theory,
Before chess,
I almost always felt content and very mentally stable,
And I told my children wonderful stories about past adventures at the dinner table,
I made sure to regularly tell my close friends and family that I loved them,
And out of compassion to those in need, donated most of my disposable income,
Now, I cannot remember the last time I showered or brushed my teeth,
Before chess,
I was acutely aware of the passing of time,
And seized each moment with a sense that life was utterly precious and sublime,
I was so immensely grateful that I had achieved everything I wanted,
And it was as though every wish I'd ever made had been effortlessly granted,
Now, I sit here alone in the dark, in a grotty room, surrounded by dust,
Before chess,
I had a crystal clear vision for the way my family's future would unravel,
And the properties we would own and the beautiful places to which we'd travel,
I was the hero of my children and their ever-present inspiration,
And I had heart full of love, a mind full of dreams and I lived in pure elation,
Now, I am empty. I have no-one and nothing left,
Except my 2605 peak bullet rating,
And my Chessbase Najdorf opening preparation file,
Yet, these two alone, make all the sacrifice worthwhile
- by Burrower
