Chess and Go: Strategic Rivalry or Harmonious Balance?

When troops are deployed on active frontier duty - even in peacetime - the key issues that face commanders are: maintaining morale, vitality and discipline for long periods. Under difficult climatic conditions or in areas far from human habitation, the challenges are multiplied. Such a situation certainly must face both the Indian army and Chinese PLA during their deployment along the Himalayan boundaries. Of course, the time honoured way for armies to cope has been to rely on the routines and rituals of army life. So, frequent briefings, drills, inspections, exercises, sports and marches are orchestrated to keep up high levels of mental and physical alertness amongst the troops. Nevertheless, there is time to spare. Many military men have used such leisure to hone their interests and hobbies. Some have become writers, poets and chroniclers of note. Others have sketched and painted landscapes and portraits. Many have studied the habits and ethnography of the local peoples, and described the countryside and its flora and fauna. Military personnel of many countries throughout history have in particular made pioneering surveys, contributed to cartography and the exploration of many remote areas on our planet has largely been the result of such efforts