Rules of the Game by Amy Tan

“Rules of the Game” is Amy Tan's first written story, originally entitled “Endgame” in manuscript. Although the story was originally published as an independent work, it also contains several thematic motifs of the book.

The central subject of “Rules of the Game” is power. Although pure power itself is immaculate and invisible, the effects of power can be seen manifested in a mother-daughter struggle, a male-female tug-of-war, a conflict between Asian and American values in an immigrant family, and the opposition between black and white in a chess game.

Tan employs an intricate and piquant irony to ...