Rules of the Game

“I was six when my mother taught me the art of invisible strength.”

From the first line of the story, Waverly’s relationship with her mother is central to her development as both a chess player and a young girl. Waverly’s mother’s “invisible strength” guides Waverly to develop her affinity for chess by clearing the path for her to succeed. And Waverly’s “invisible strength” will eventually lead her to national chess champion status because of her ability to anticipate her opponents’ moves and remain patient in her pursuit of victory. That same “invisible strength” will lead Waverly to challenge her mother in her internal battle to define herself and her future outside of San Francisco’s Chinatown.

“Wise guy, he not go against wind. In Chinese we say, Come from South, blow with wind—poom!—North will follow. Strongest wind cannot be seen.”

Waverly’s mother offers sage advice throughout the story, touching here on two of the narrative’s strongest tropes: wind and invisibility. When the wind naturally blows in a certain direction, one will not get far if one moves against it. If Waverly’s talent is playing chess, then Waverly must follow wherever that talent takes her. The “strongest wind” becomes Waverly’s mother, who although she stands in plain sight, acts as the invisible wind guiding her talented, headstrong daughter into a life full of possibilities.