I was a kid in elementary school when I first learned how to play chess. Smartphones didn’t exist back then (thank God!), and even computers weren’t that common.
I learned how to play in a local club, and most of my childhood games were over-the-board games played in that same club.
Now, knowing how to play something and falling in love with it are two very different things…I always knew how to play chess, but I admit that for the most part of my life I wasn’t necessarily a big fan of it; weeks or months could go by without me playing, and it was just fine.
Being myself an avid solo traveler, there were times when I have experienced long-haul flights that were boring to death… no offline work to take care of or no desire to work altogether, no interesting, approachable soul by your side to share a meaningful conversation with, no desire to sleep… It didn’t happen often, to be honest, but yeah, some flights were damn dull!
A few years ago I was playing around the entertainment board in my flight and discovered chess was an available option.
I started to play and kept playing, and at one point I got totally absorbed that I failed to notice the time passing… I was impressed and fell suddenly in love. This happened around the time I had to quit judo following a serious ACL injury and series of surgeries.
I needed something to replace the void I felt as judo was (and remains) one of the biggest loves and passions of my life, and chess suddenly came into my life.
I decided to take matters seriously. I started to analyze the game more thoroughly, becoming more knowledgeable about the theory of the openings, middle game, and end game… I was getting better and better, and here is a thing about us humans: The more we excel at something and the more we kick ass in it, the deeper we fall in love with it.
I do believe it’s a good idea for everybody to play chess, and here are my takes on it:
Chess keeps your brain active and sharp
The truth is once we finish our studies and stop doing the math and the scientific stuff, many of us will find ourselves doing monotonous, repetitive tasks at work that stimulate very little of our brains… Most jobs are neither creative nor challenging; it’s the reality of life.
Chess can keep sharp between the ears, and you’ll reap in other areas of life.
Chess helps you learn how to think about the outcomes of your actions
It installs the habit of assessing outcomes beforehand, and most importantly quickly (especially if you’re playing tight time controls like Blitz).
The point is, most chess game losses boil down to that one blunder or that one inattentive move that was far from accurate; such mistakes are often hard to recover from in a competitive game against an opponent of your level.
This quality comes in very handy in real life; many times I was about to say or do something, but my mind quickly assessed the potential outcomes and the inquiries that might follow and swiftly decided to change the subject… It’s funny how playing chess can train you to assess your actions and their consequences.
Chess teaches you the art of strategy
How to forgo an instant gain for a more significant one later, how to have a plan and conceal it, how to wait for the right moment, how to balance attack and defense, how to use psychology to your advantage, how the little details matter, how to not celebrate early, and how to never lose sight of your real objective, to checkmate the king.
Chess is a fantastic way to spend quality time with oneself
You may play a few online blitz games while relaxing on your couch, flying, or enjoying coffee in a lovely place. It feels delightful and entertaining.
Disclaimer
Despite being highly recommended, I’m honest enough to tell you that online chess can be extremely addictive.
Your brain can get quickly wired into that Elo thing that you might spend hours on end binge playing in an attempt to recover from a frustrating loss of rating points.
The longer you play, the more worn out your brain feels, the poorer you perform, the more points you lose, and the more you insist on keeping playing, and the vicious cycle goes on!
Play chess; it might benefit you in a lot of ways, but be mindful of its highly addictive nature.
