i mean, i had my fatal encounter, as did rick ankiel.ment about everybody's story, their low point. do you want it enough, and are you lucky enough? that's a part of it, too. >> while krauthammer's injury has kept him off the playing fields and courts, he's pursued another competitive outlet -- chess. which lights you up more? baseball or chess when you're in the game? >> there's no comparison. it's chess. >> do you still play chess? >> no, i gave it up. it's an addiction. >> completely? >> it's a poison. >> [ laughs ] >> i mean, it's -- you know, you reach a point when you're on the internet, you know, middle of the night and you're playing speed chess or you realize you're in a motel room and you're drinking aqua velva. >> [ laughs ] your book was supposed to be a collection of essays on things other than politics, but it didn't turn out that way. why? >> in the end, everything, all the beautiful, elegant things in life, depend ultimately on getting politics right. >> you say science, art, poetry, baseball must ultimately bow to politi