Ambarisha

Who Ambarisha is

Ambarisha was a king of the solar line devoted to Vishnu in every act. Once, completing a vow of fasting, he waited for the sage Durvasa, who had gone to bathe; as the auspicious time to break the fast was passing, he sipped a little water. Durvasa, enraged, created a demon to kill him, but Vishnu's discus, the Sudarshana, destroyed it and pursued the sage through all the worlds. Vishnu told Durvasa that only Ambarisha could forgive him; the king, who had not eaten all the while, welcomed him and prayed to the discus to spare him.

“I have one defender that no attack can overcome. Strike, if you must.”

How Ambarisha plays chess

Protected by a single unstoppable defender: attack him, and the attack rebounds on you.

The Classicist: Sound, balanced chess: develops, castles and takes what the position offers.

Opening repertoire: Caro-Kann, Exchange (Rubinstein) · Petrov, Main (Long) · French, Winawer (Positional)

Defeat Ambarisha in a full game from the normal starting position to earn the achievement The Discus Stilled and open the way to the next guardian.

Sources

• Bhagavata Purana, Book 9, Chapters 4–5

Placement on the path reflects chess difficulty only — a game-design choice, not a ranking of anyone's spiritual standing.