For a man who has just lost a game after persevering for nearly five hours, Mohamed Allam is unnaturally cheerful. Hardly once during a 20-minute conversation does his grin fade. He crossed a border by land before taking two flights—from Jordan to Bahrain and from there to Goa—to compete at the World Cup in India, but a defeat in the opening game of the first round at the FIDE World Cup to Swedish grandmaster Nils Grandelius leaves Mohamed’s tournament hopes on the verge of ending in just two days. A day later, a draw against Grandelius means his tournament is over in just two days. But he understands—much better than most others—that life holds harsher cruelties than a chess tournament ending quickly. The world might revert to simple analogies like calling chess as a war between miniature armies, but for Mohamed, the only player from Palestine at the FIDE World Cup in Goa, the sport is a peaceful refuge from everyday life. “Chess is so peaceful, like every sport. For me, it’s a way to …