Among the participants of a Shabbos farbrengen in the spring of 1952 was the world chess champion, Mr. Roshevsky. At one point during the talks, the Rebbe explained that anything can teach people lessons in serving G‑d. He then related the following story.

It is customary to refrain from Torah study on the eve of December 25.1 One such evening, the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Rebbe Rashab, saw his son, Yosef Yitzchak (who later succeeded him as Rebbe) playing chess with a revered chassid, Reb Elchanon Dov Morozov.

The Rebbe Rashab stood nearby and said: “Nu, it is not fair to give advice.” He watched the game without uttering a word. Afterwards, the Rebbe proceeded to teach a lesson in worshipping G‑d based upon the game of chess, explaining that there are two kinds of chess pieces: the officers and the simple soldiers, the pawns.

The officers may make a variety of different moves and move several squares at a time. The pawns, by contrast, may only progress one square at a time. Nevertheless, when the pawn arrives at the other end of the board, he may ascend in rank and may be exchanged for any other piece, even a queen. However, a pawn cannot assume the rank of a king, for there is only one king.

Our worship of G‑d is similar. There are heavenly angels and mortal men. The angels, like the officers in the game of chess, have a wide range of movement which is unrestricted by physical limitations. However, their rank and level can never change. Mortals, on the other hand, are like pawns. They can progress only one step at a time. Yet, when these souls complete their mission in this world and “reach the other side,” they can assume higher ranks, even becoming “queens.” Still, there is only one king the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.