Life as Chess inspired non- original thoughts:
The king as self- representing all attributes drives and desires that relate to maintaining control of the board (life). Everything circles the king either they want to destroy it or protect it, there are no neutral pieces. As you deal with each person who comes along you make decisions which guards to attack, whether to try to slip inside their shield, trick them into giving something, anything so that you can be in control of the opponents king or self. No matter how one sided the confrontation might seem to an outsider:
You see a man walking toward you on a sidewalk. Dressed in a suit walking briskly somewhere to go you nod at him watch until he responds then turn away. Game over. Stalemate? Or success?
By nodding first you sent a feeler, a pawn an interruption into his field of play. He nodded back, a counter, another pawn to block the move leaving a stable field two pawns head to head center square.
Something more perhaps? Same situation but after the nod you step slightly into his path and before he gets to you ask: "Do you have the time?" He stops turns shoulder slightly to you and watches you for the time it takes his watch to rise reads the time. You say thanks and step out of the way, he resumes moving still level field. Still stalemate? Consider nod as pawns, slight step in to his path
bishop declaring check on his king. Check on his motion has choice of stopping and protecting his king, moving king out of the path (stepping around you) or moving other piece to push your bishop out of the way (using his briefcase to club you off the sidewalk, walking through you) stops moves a pawn into the path. You ask the time, queen into check. Reads time surrender. Or reads time, blocks path with kings rook pawn, opens up path for himself, and escapes mate because I can't continue to follow without endangering my pieces. Since I maintained my initiative my king was in no danger throughout..