“Chess is life.”(Bobby Fischer) It is also a board game played by two people. Chess strategy consists of setting and achieving long term positioning advantages while tactics concentrate on immediate maneuvers during a game. There is much more to playing chess such as the position of the pieces and values of each piece. What can you learn from chess? Could it help you in life?
Chess like life has infinite possibilities. There is no single way to win at chess or at life. The objective of chess and life is winning. Winning can have multiple meanings. Winning at chess is checkmate, but there a variety of ways to arrive there. In life, winning is much more complicated. In life, you set goals and work on tasks to help you achieve your goals. Chess strategy is setting and achieving long term positioning advantages during the game to ultimately win. Chess prepares you mentally for life!
Ten ways chess prepares you
Concentration – Games such as chess helps you improve your concentration. You have to practice concentration because your opponent makes moves and you have to think about your next move.
Critical thinking – Chess requires reflective thinking when your opponent makes a move and deciding what to do every time you make a move.
Abstract Reasoning – Chess like life requires you analyze information and solve problems on a complex level. In chess and life, you should analyze and evaluate your circumstances.
Problem solving – Problem solving consists solving problems in an orderly manner. It is just gathering information, analyzing, identify solutions, evaluating and execute.
Pattern recognition – This is part of learning where you observe patterns apply what you learn to generalize in new situations. In chess, you can see patterns to help you in new maneuvers.
Strategic planning – This is defining a strategy or direction and making decisions on allocating resources to pursue the strategy. Whether it is a game, organization or individual, you need a direction or strategy for long term goals.
Creativity – The use of imagination or original ideas to produce something. In chess, you can be creative with a new set of moves to reach your goal of winning.
Analysis – It is a detailed examination of elements or structure of something as a basis for interpretation. Games like chess require examination of your opponent’s moves and how it affects your strategy.
Synthesis – This is combining elements to form a theory. This helps us learn because we gather information and draw a theory from what we learn.
Evaluation – Whether are making chess moves or making choices in your life, you assess the pros and cons of a choice. Which is the better choice?
Final thoughts
Chess provides valuable qualities to help you succeed in life. Chess and some other games teach the importance of planning, decision making, organization skills, memory, and competition. You develop skills to deal with the complexities of life. Learning to develop a strategy and the accompanying tactics of playing chess is invaluable. Chess requires you to think carefully before make a move.
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When I started dating my husband we played chess all the time. (I was a fun date!) We would even spend time in the park playing when the weather was nice. Sometimes people would come by and watch. I was terrible. He would always win but I was determined that I would beat him. It took months but finally victory was mine. We still have the picture of me holding sitting at the chessboard holding his queen up for the camera. It is a great game to sharpen your thinking.
Absolutely! It also reveals a lot about your personality too.
Great thoughts. I often look at decision making as chess vs. checkers. Some people just see the next move, but taking the time to collect your thoughts and see the whole board allows you to make the smartest move.
Chess teaches strategy which is the difference between a job and a career.
We’re pretty big into board games in our house, but not roll the dice, whoever gets to the end the fastest wins, kinds of board games. C loves strategy games, and we use these on a regular basis with our daughter to help her learn to think ahead, make a plan, and sometimes revise the plan if things don’t work out as hoped/expected.
While she may never be a chess player, our goal is to help her learn a number of these same skills while having fun.
I think there are a variety of games that teaches strategy such card games as well as board games. I remember playing chess, cards, chines checkers, checkers, monopoly (my favorite) and many others. Sports is just another way to learn these skills and others.