The Last Gambit
by Om Swami
Genre: YA Coming of Age
Release Date: February 2017
Harper Element (Harper Collins)
Summary:
Success by design is infinitely better than a win by chance. Vasu Bhatt is fourteen years old when a mysterious old man spots him at a chess tournament and offers to coach him, on two simple but strange conditions: he would not accompany his student to tournaments, and there was to be no digging into his past. Initially resentful, Vasu begins to gradually understand his master’s mettle.
Over eight years, master and student come to love and respect each other, but the two conditions remain unbroken – until Vasu confronts and provokes the old man. Meanwhile, their hard work and strategy pay off: Vasu qualifies for the world chess championship. But can he make it all the way without his master by his side?
Inspiring, moving and mercurial, The Last Gambit is a beautiful coming of age tale in a uniquely Indian context.
Genre: YA Coming of Age
Release Date: February 2017
Harper Element (Harper Collins)
Summary:
Success by design is infinitely better than a win by chance. Vasu Bhatt is fourteen years old when a mysterious old man spots him at a chess tournament and offers to coach him, on two simple but strange conditions: he would not accompany his student to tournaments, and there was to be no digging into his past. Initially resentful, Vasu begins to gradually understand his master’s mettle.
Over eight years, master and student come to love and respect each other, but the two conditions remain unbroken – until Vasu confronts and provokes the old man. Meanwhile, their hard work and strategy pay off: Vasu qualifies for the world chess championship. But can he make it all the way without his master by his side?
Inspiring, moving and mercurial, The Last Gambit is a beautiful coming of age tale in a uniquely Indian context.
Excerpt
‘Do you know who the finest teacher is?’ he asked. ‘You!’
Ignoring my answer, he continued, ‘Experience is the
greatest teacher, Vasu. Always replay your own games to see where you went
wrong and what made you play the way you did. People don’t lose because they
make mistakes, they do so because they repeat their mistakes. The first time,
it’s not a loss but a learning.’
‘So, how do I avoid making mistakes?’
‘Just don’t
repeat them,’ he said after coughing and clearing his throat. ‘Be it life or
chess, that’s the only difference between a grandmaster and an amateur. An
amateur expects to reach a different destination by walking the same path. He
hopes for miracles or serendipities. A grandmaster, on the other hand, relies
on his own effort and intelligence. He does not commit the same error twice.’
‘But Master,’ I
said, curious, ‘I do try my best to not repeat my mistakes. Why do I still
lose?’ ‘Because you nourish the body and starve the soul.’ I gave him a blank
look because I didn’t have a clue about what he just said. ‘Do you know the
soul of chess, Vasu?’
About the Author
Om Swami is a monk who
lives in a remote place in the Himalayan foothills. He has a bachelor degree in
business and an MBA from Sydney, Australia. Swami served in executive roles in
large corporations around the world. He founded and led a profitable software
company with offices in San Francisco, New York, Toronto, London, Sydney and
India.
Om Swami completely
renounced his business interests to pursue a more spiritual life. He is the
bestselling author of Kundalini: An Untold Story, A Fistful of Love and If Truth
Be Told: A Monk’s Memoir.
His blog omswami.com is
read by millions all over the world.
Thanks for hosting the Tour !
ReplyDelete