All's Fair in Love & War

One of my favorite idioms is "all's fair in love and war"

The idiom "all's fair in love and war" means that in situations of intense passion or conflict, people may act outside of the usual rules of fair play or morality. It suggests that in love and war, individuals may disregard conventional ethical behavior or rules of engagement to achieve their goals

It implies that in love, people may use any means necessary to win a romantic interest, even if it involves deception or manipulation. In war, it suggests that soldiers may use any tactic, even if considered cruel or unethical, to gain an advantage

Sometimes love can feel like a game. A cat and mouse chase. A strategic move around every corner. Constantly thinking about our next move: where to move, how to move, how it'll affect other pieces on the board, etc. Sometimes it feels like we have to constantly think about what comes next.

When we're playing the game of love, at some point, we decide to corner the other person and confront them with whatever is racing through our minds. We corner them like a checkmate move in chess. In chess, you can checkmate your opponent's king with various pawns in your set but the one above is depicting using the queen pawn to checkmate the king. This symbolizes masculine and feminine energy in relationships and the dynamic between the two.

Definition of checkmate: a check from which a king cannot escape.