--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He examined the chess problem and set out…" description: "\"He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky ending, involving a couple of knights. 'White to play and mate in two moves.' Win..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/george-orwell-57_bigs_he-examined-the-chess-problem-and-set-ou_265068.jpg" --- # He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It… ![“He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky ending, involving a couple of knights. 'White to play and mate in two moves.' Winston looked up at the portrait of Big Brother. White always mates, he thought with a sort of cloudy mysticism. Always, without exception, it is so…” quote by George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/george-orwell-57_bigs_he-examined-the-chess-problem-and-set-ou_265068.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/george-orwell-57_bigs_he-examined-the-chess-problem-and-set-ou_265068.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/george-orwell-57_bigs_he-examined-the-chess-problem-and-set-ou_265068.jpg) > “He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky ending, involving a couple of knights. 'White to play and mate in two moves.' Winston looked up at the portrait of Big Brother. White always mates, he thought with a sort of cloudy mysticism. Always, without exception, it is so arranged. In no chess problem since the beginning of the world has black ever won. Did it not symbolize the eternal, unvarying triumph of Good over Evil? The huge face gazed back at him, full of calm power. White always mates.” [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage uses a chess metaphor to illustrate the belief that good (white) inevitably defeats evil (black) in a deterministic universe. **In simple terms:** Good always wins over evil. Key Takeaway Recognize patterns of inevitability. Themes determinism good vs evil metaphor literary analysis Mood thoughtful reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - reading literature - teaching moral philosophy - writing essays - discussing ethics Key Concepts symbolism philosophical reflection Questions to Reflect On - Does inevitability limit moral responsibility? - How does symbolism shape our view of conflict? A Different Perspective It overlooks randomness and human agency in complex conflicts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arranged Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arranged-chess-2604877/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Calm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calm/) [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Chess Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess-problem-2604875/) [Cloudy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cloudy/) [Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Examined Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/examined-chess-2604876/) [Exception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exception/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Good over evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-over-evil/) [Knights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knights/) [Mates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mates/) [Mates Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mates-thought-2604874/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Mysticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysticism/) [Pieces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Portraits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portraits/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tricky/) [Triumph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/triumph/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“In no chess problem since the beginning of the world has black ever won.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-no-chess-problem-since-the-beginning-of-the-world-has-black-ever/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [A chess problem is genuine mathematics, but it is in some way "trivial" mathematics. However, ingenious and intricate, however original and surprising the moves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-hardy/a-chess-problem-is-genuine-mathematics-but-it-is-in-some-way-trivial/) [G. H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-h-hardy/) > [A chess problem is simply an exercise in pure mathematics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-hardy/a-chess-problem-is-simply-an-exercise-in-pure-mathematics/) [G. H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-h-hardy/) > [A chess problem is an exercise in pure mathematics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-hardy/a-chess-problem-is-an-exercise-in-pure-mathematics/) [G. H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-h-hardy/) > [“In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defence of the indefensible. Things like the continuance of British rule in India, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-our-time-political-speech-and-writing-are-largely-the-defence-of/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible... Thus, political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-our-time-political-speech-and-writing-are-largely-the-defense-of-2/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Fire False Friends as early as possible. Do it before they dig out the dream seeds you've planted! The earlier, the better; the quicker,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/fire-false-friends-as-early-as-possible-do-it-before-they-dig-out-the/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [ I've always identified \[myself\] with the warrior and good over evil, and you don't negotiate for good over evil, if you want peace and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/i-ve-always-identified-myself-with-the-warrior-and-good-over-evil-and/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [I believe in God and in nature and in the triumph of good over evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-believe-in-god-and-in-nature-and-in-the-triumph-of-good-over-evil/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [ “The world of \[comic book\] collecting is not a pretty place. For a bunch of guys who like good-over-evil stories, you sure meet a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/the-world-of-comic-book-collecting-is-not-a-pretty-place-for-a-bunch/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [Make no mistake about it: Operation Desert Storm truly was a victory of good over evil, of freedom over tyranny, of peace over war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/make-no-mistake-about-it-operation-desert-storm-truly-was-a-victory/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [All humans realize they are loved when witnessing the dawn; early morning is the triumph of good over evil. Absolved by light we decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/all-humans-realize-they-are-loved-when-witnessing-the-dawn-early/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [When God wanted to defeat sin, His ultimate weapon was the sacrifice of His own Son. On Christmas Day two thousand years ago, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/when-god-wanted-to-defeat-sin-his-ultimate-weapon-was-the-sacrifice/) [Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/) > [We can work, study, laugh and have fun, dance, sing, and enjoy many different experiences. These are a wonderful part of life, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-l-andersen/we-can-work-study-laugh-and-have-fun-dance-sing-and-enjoy-many/) [Neil L. Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-l-andersen/) > [If Christ has risen the Bible is true from Genesis to Revelation. The kingdom of darkness has been overthrown. Satan has fallen like lightning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hodge/if-christ-has-risen-the-bible-is-true-from-genesis-to-revelation-the/) [Charles Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hodge/) ## More by George Orwell > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [It was given out that the animals there practised cannibalism, tortured one another with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common. This was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/it-was-given-out-that-the-animals-there-practised-cannibalism/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“The actual writing would be easy. All he had to do was to transfer to paper the interminable restless monologue that had been running…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-actual-writing-would-be-easy-all-he-had-to-do-was-to-transfer-to/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [He felt as though he were wandering in the forests of the sea bottom, lost in a monstrous world where he himself was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/he-felt-as-though-he-were-wandering-in-the-forests-of-the-sea-bottom/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“if you took 1 Corinthians, chapter thirteen, and in every verse wrote 'money' instead of 'charity', the chapter had ten times as much meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/if-you-took-1-corinthians-chapter-thirteen-and-in-every-verse-wrote/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Happiness can exist only in acceptance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/happiness-can-exist-only-in-acceptance/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/and-if-all-others-accepted-the-lie-which-the-party-imposed-if-all/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Whitman himself "accepted" a great deal that his contemporaries found unmentionable. For he is not only writing of the prairie, he also wanders through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/whitman-himself-accepted-a-great-deal-that-his-contemporaries-found/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“But I tell you, Winston, that reality is not external. Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. Whatever the Party holds to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/but-i-tell-you-winston-that-reality-is-not-external-reality-exists-in/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“And the people under the sky were also very much the same...everywhere, all over the world, hundreds or thousands of millions of people just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/and-the-people-under-the-sky-were-also-very-much-the-same-everywhere/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/don-t-you-see-that-the-whole-aim-of-newspeak-is-to-narrow-the-range/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Windmill or no windmill, he said, life would go on as it had always gone on--that is, badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/windmill-or-no-windmill-he-said-life-would-go-on-as-it-had-always/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/man-is-the-only-creature-that-consumes-without-producing-he-does-not/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [And the bigger the fall, the bigger the joke. It would be better fun to throw a custard pie at a bishop than at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/and-the-bigger-the-fall-the-bigger-the-joke-it-would-be-better-fun-to/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Any writer or journalist who wants to retain his integrity finds himself thwarted by the general drift of society rather than by active persecution.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/any-writer-or-journalist-who-wants-to-retain-his-integrity-finds/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) [Explore all 1,657 George Orwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) [Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky ending, involving a couple of knights. 'White to play and mate in two moves.' Winston looked up at the portrait of Big Brother. White always mates, he thought with a sort of cloudy mysticism. Always, without exception, it is so arranged. In no chess problem since the beginning of the world has black ever won. Did it not symbolize the eternal, unvarying triumph of Good over Evil? The huge face gazed back at him, full of calm power. White always mates.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Orwell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/he-examined-the-chess-problem-and-set-out-the-pieces-it-was-a-tricky/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/he-examined-the-chess-problem-and-set-out-the-pieces-it-was-a-tricky/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/george-orwell-57_bigs_he-examined-the-chess-problem-and-set-ou_265068.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/george-orwell-57_bigs_he-examined-the-chess-problem-and-set-ou_265068.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/george-orwell-57_bigs_he-examined-the-chess-problem-and-set-ou_265068.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky ending, involving a couple of knights…” — George Orwell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "George Orwell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "He examined the chess problem and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/he-examined-the-chess-problem-and-set-out-the-pieces-it-was-a-tricky/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/he-examined-the-chess-problem-and-set-out-the-pieces-it-was-a-tricky/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```