Amici Sumus  -  We are friends

This Latin sentence is used as a guiding mantra among the correspondence chess community. The idea is that chess is an invigorating mental challenge, in which one should strive one's hardest while following the rules; however, one should always treat one's opponent as if s/he were one's best friend. In cases of disagreement over the rules, friends would find a solution amicably, and the winner and loser alike would exhibit good sportsmanship. A statement of this philosophy appears in the Rules and Guidelines of the International Chess Correspondence Federation (www.iccf.com), and some players close their letters with Amici Sumus.

I think Amici Sumus is especially apropos for 2001-2003, as it reminds us that a simple, shared joy, such as a game of chess, can succeed in bringing together people who might have wildly different backgrounds and opinions.

Thanks to Grichka and Excalibre for telling me that Amici sumus is pronounced /a-mee-kee soo-mus/. Of course, I could have figured this out if I had read the nice guide to Classical Latin pronunciation.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to clean up; my liberal, bleeding heart has oozed all over my keyboard.