Beads of sweat glistened on my forehead, tracing a path down my face like tiny rivers of anxiety. My thoughts raced swiftly, a symphony of strategies intertwining, almost too complex to decipher. The painstakingly devised plan I had constructed had crumbled into a chaotic heap of disappointment. All my backup plans had failed, and as I placed the last train on the board, the bitter taste of defeat hung heavy in the air. Each weekend, my family and I play â€...