The story "Rules of the Game" is about more than the rules of a chess game. It is about the rules of life. What rules of life does Waverly learn in...

Waverly learns that you succeed in life by being smart and you get happy by doing what matters to you.

Waverly learned “the art of invisible strength” from her mother.  As Chinese immigrants, the family never had much and America was seen as the land of opportunity.  However, her mother still had a great deal of pride in being Chinese.  She taught her daughter how to be a Chinese American.

When Waverly becomes enamored of chess, her mother lets her pursue it but uses it as a way to teach her about life.

"They not telling you why so you can use their way go forward. They say, Don't know why, you find out yourself. But they knowing all the time. Better you take it, find out why yourself." She tossed her head back with a satisfied smile.”

Waverly learns that things are not always what they seem.  Chess is something she has to figure out for herself.  She learns how to do this, and gets very good at it.  Her mother does not let her brag, but she does want to show off her daughter.

One of the most important lessons Waverly learns is that you have to do something because you enjoy it.  The fight with her mother takes all of the fun out of the game, because Waverly forgot that her mother just wanted what was best for her. 

The struggle between mothers and daughters is a key theme in the book.  Waverly does not know how to communicate with her mother.  She learned how to be a good chess player, and how to psych out her components, but her mother remains a mystery to her.  She forgot the number one rule:  No matter how much you accomplish and where you go in life, you must never forget where you have come from.