I’m torn by your article. On the one hand, I don’t doubt that the common Russian soldier is purposely sabotaging Putin’s “Special Military Operation” (as has been widely reported) not by some grand plan of his fellow soldiers but by his singular participation in a Russian society that is built on corruption and deceit.

No wonder they are such good chess players where strategy and tactics are there for all to see, but yet so complex as to perplex a naïve opponent, or to immediately capitalize on an opponent’s mistake.

On the other hand, what I do not understand is how the purported Grand Master himself, Putin, has shown himself to be so utterly ineffectual. If the common soldier has this figured out, how so not Putin? He’s exposed himself as perhaps the worst chess player in Russia, and he’s exposed not only his incompetent military, but he’s also exposed the entire Russian culture as “Potemkin.” It’s a nation built upon lies, corruption, fear, mistrust and deception. Some might argue that the US is too, but at least we aspire to the opposite. Russia seems perfectly content to be what it is.