An introduction to chess - Featured
Welcome to the world of chess. If you think all that chess has to offer is an hour of quiet contemplation with either the white or the black king standing alone on a checkered board, you are mistaken. Chess gives a person the most strenuous mental exercise
that one can hope for. In a world where IQ is increasingly being given more importance, chess provides us with just the right tools to hone our minds. So let go of the misconception that this game is meant for all the geeks and the nerds out there. If you
want to have a sharp mind, you need to start playing chess.
Thomas Huxley, the celebrated scientist and philosopher, famously describes chess in his quote: “The chessboard is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the Universe, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature and the player on the other
side is hidden from us.”
Chess is a game of strategy. It makes a person think long term in order to achieve his or her goal. One cannot play chess in a reactive mode, rather, a proactive attitude is indispensible in being competitive at chess. A player has to weigh every possible
option available before making a move. The analysis involves evaluating all the pros and cons associated with each alternative. This method of thinking becomes second nature to chessmasters who unconsciously apply it in their daily decision making. Such a
calculated approach towards life enables a person to avoid many pitfalls, make the most of what one has and seize the opportunities as they arrive. Those people that we often call ‘lucky’ more often than not possess this skill.
Certain traits are commonly identified in people who are high achievers in any walk of life. We all possess these traits, the only difference is that some of us let them rust while only a few of us use them. The only difference between a successful and an
unsuccessful person is that the former does not let these traits stay dormant. Chess provides a person with an excellent practice to make use of these skills. Once the habit of using them is developed, the effort becomes a reflex.
Your goal in chess is to checkmate. All through the match, you stay focused on that goal. Every decision you make is based on bringing you one step closer to your target. Your attacking strategies and your defensive maneuvers revolve around achieving the
mate. If your concentration wavers at any point in time, your decision will get faulty and you could lose. Therefore, chess makes you maintain your focus and concentration.
While playing the game, you are constantly evaluating your opponent. You think for yourself as well as your opponent so you can strategize accordingly. This process requires you to use logical thinking in order to construct every possible scenario. Retention
also comes into play.
Bruce A. Moon, a chess-master describes this concisely: “A Chess game is a dialogue, a conversation between a player and his opponent. Each move by the opponent may contain threats or be a blunder, but a player cannot defend against threats or take advantage
of blunders if he does not first ask himself: What is my opponent planning after each move?”
Chess liberates a person from dependencies. You make a wrong move and you will suffer the consequences. You make a right one and the pleasure is all yours. So if you want to make all the right moves in life, go buy yourself a chess board.
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