Why You Should Not Stop Playing Chess
“When you’re lonely, when you feel yourself an alien in the world, play Chess. This will raise your spirits and be your counselor in war” – Aristotle
Chess is an ancient game that has been played and enjoyed by generations. Chess has been played by different types of people throughout the centuries. Everyone has enjoyed the problem-solving challenges the game has brought. A famous chess player once said that the objective of the game is to crush a person’s mind. The game is brutal and defeats are often painful.
These little get-togethers of chess players often result in better friendships and fruitful connections. It’s an opportunity to renew friendship and camaraderie. It strengthens the bond, whatever has been formed, among people who share the same interest. The value of this friendship is one reason you should continue playing chess.
Playing chess gives you several health benefits. The benefits that can be derived from playing chess include preventing Alzheimer's disease. Chess gives the mind, the exercise it needs to function properly. By playing chess, your mind is constantly being challenged. Your mind is not left in idle mode. You will always find challenging situations or puzzles whenever you play chess.
Chess will also give you a reason to travel to different places. If you regularly play in chess tournaments, you will most likely travel to different venues where chess tournaments are held. Most chess tournaments are held in places or venues that are located near areas that are scenic or frequented by tourists. Sometimes there are historical places that you can also discover while participating in chess tournaments.
Chess is also fun and full of surprises. Chess can provide you with that kind of fun you will not find in other games. Chess has that appeal that will make you want to play for more. Once you start pushing those pawns and other pieces, you can no longer stop playing chess. Once a chess player will always be a chess player. Chess has that kind of allure that makes people hooked to the game.
Chess is a game that requires you to focus. When playing the game of chess, you need to focus and concentrate on your strategic and tactical plans to win. The game of chess helps you to focus and in that manner improves your concentration.
Playing chess can also help you forget about your problems. When you play chess, you momentarily forget about your problems. Once you push those pawns and pieces, you begin to solve problems in the chessboard and in you life. Your only goal is to win a game. Life will often bring you hurdles and challenges. Sometimes, you just need a momentary escape to breathe, relax and regain your strength. Chess can provide this momentary escape from your life’s problems.
Chess will help you become creative. The game of chess demands that you find ways to win even in a very difficult situation. The various positions that appear on the chessboard mean that the mind should continually find ways to find a solution to a very challenging situation. By playing chess, you would learn to continuously “think outside the box”. By trying to find the best move, your creativity is improved.
If you continue playing chess, your perseverance will also improve. You will continually persevere even in the most difficult situation. One of the characteristics of chess players is their ability to persevere even in the most hopeless situation. By continuously playing chess, you would never forget to persevere and continue doing your best even if the odds are against you.
Chess is a game that will give you entertainment at a very low price. Chess, compared to other forms of entertainment or sport is inexpensive. To play chess, all you need is a chessboard and a clock. You can even dispense with the clock if you are merely playing a casual game. Some chessboards are within everyone’s budget. Once you got a chessboard, you can play chess in almost every place. Thus, if you continue playing chess, you will always be entertained. You will have an inexpensive way of fighting boredom.
If you continue playing chess, you will always have a reason to visit chess clubs. There are several chess clubs that you can visit. Chess clubs can be found in almost every municipality, city, or province. Going to chess clubs is fun! Aside from meeting persons with a similar love for chess, you get a reason to go out of the house. In the Philippines, chess clubs have grown showing how chess has surged in popularity. I have visited chess clubs in Makati and Cebu. In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, I have been to several chess clubs such as the Agincourt Chess Club and the Hart House Chess Club. I also played at the Nathan Phillips Square near the Eaton Centre in Downtown, Toronto.
Chess is a reason to stay inside your home. During the winter, rainy days, or those days that it is not suitable to get out of the house or you just want to stay at home, playing chess is a good reason to stay indoors. You can play chess with a relative or invite a friend to your house for a friendly game of chess. In the comforts of your own home, you enjoy a very challenging game of chess, either online or with real pieces. The joy of playing chess inside your home with your family is an experience that you will always remember.
I still recall those times when I watch my father and neighbors play chess. By just watching how they play chess, I have learned the pieces move and eventually I have learned to play the game. The moment I learned how to move the various chess pieces, I became an enthusiast of the game and a chess player ever since.
With the internet, you can play chess with anyone around the world. There is no more limit on who, when, and where you can play chess. You can enjoy the game without limits. Playing chess online is the future of chess. Our generation is lucky to live during this time when chess can be played on the internet. You do not need to carry a chessboard around your neighborhood hoping that someone would have the time and interest to play chess with you. Chess.com and Lichess are the two (2) most popular apps today where you can play chess online.
If you can be happy alone, you will be unstoppable! Once you learn to be happy with only the chess pieces and a chessboard nothing will stop you to enjoy life. Chess is life reduced in its simplest terms. The game of chess shows us that the intricacies of life can be fully explained by using chess pieces and a chessboard. The chessboard represents the world we live in and we are the pieces living in a hierarchical order. Chess will give you a world where you can live on your terms. There is something magical about playing chess that once you started to play the game, you always look for venues or tournaments where you can play chess. Once you become a chess player, you will always be a chess player.
Chess is now going mainstream. The success of the Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit” has popularized chess to a very high level. Chess first became mainstream during that time when Bobby Fischer was playing Boris Spassky for the World Chess Championship in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1972. The release of the series “The Queen’s Gambit” has shown how chess can have a positive impact on the lives of people. In that movie, the life of an orphan was transformed after a janitor has taught her how to play chess. Many were inspired to learn and play chess after watching the series. Chess has also become very popular in schools around the world..
You can derive a lot of benefits from playing chess. Chess is fun and challenging. Never stop playing chess either online or with real pieces.
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