https://mathenchant.wordpress.com/2020/02/17/chess-with-the-devil/

«…Mathematician Charles Fefferman (…) says that doing math research is like playing chess with the Devil. Or rather, chess with a devil who, although much smarter than you, is bound by an ironclad rule: although you are allowed at any stage to take back as many moves as you like and rewind the game to an earlier stage, the devil cannot. In game after game, the devil trounces you, but if you learn from your mistakes, you can turn his intelligence against him, forcing him to become your chess tutor. (…) Someone who reads a record of the final version of the game (…) may marvel at some cunning trap you set and ask “How on earth did you know that this would lead to checkmate ten moves in the future?” The answer is, you already had a chance to explore that future…»