|
Why
should you play chess?!
Chess is
a mind-sport, an ancient and popular game. It is played and
appreciated all over the world. Yet a beginner or a non-player
may ask that, why should I play chessE In this article we will
try to find the answer.
A
science and an art!
Chess is more than just a sport. Its a game that utilizes the
principles of both Science and Art. That it is a science is very
obvious as it follows certain norms and rules which govern the
movement and value of each piece, e.g., in certain positions,
mathematical calculations comes into play. Some of our past
world champions were mathematicians or engineers. But chess is
also an art. When a game between two masters is so fascinating
that several succeeding generations find delight in it even
after a 100 or 200 years, then game ceases to be just a game and
becomes a piece of art. That is how two of the past games of
Anderssen (a legendary chess player) have been titled as the
immortalEand the evergreenE
A cure
for depression
Chess can be a perfect cure for
depression, better than any pills invented so far. Our modern
life styles are unfortunately full of frustrations and stress. A
number of human beings suffer from paranoiaEoften imaginary.
The only area where paranoia actually helps mankind is at the
chessboard. The chess brain is bombarded with several different
plausible replies, but in effect a player has to select only
ONE. This, in effect is the key to fighting frustrations and
depressions.
The
AGONY and the ECSTASY
In a nutshell, we have the agony of intense study, preparations
and practice that the difficult game demands, the agony of
nerve-racking calculations at every single move; then there is
agony of the bitter taste of defeat, especially when the game
was practically won. And finally the agony of conflicts and
disruptions in ones daily routine (especially for
non-professional chess players), culminating in the worst
friction ever of neglect of ones family life. All these agonies
are beyond comparison.
Why then do chess players the
world over continue to play chess?
Thats because the agony is amply balanced by an overwhelming amount of
ecstasy that the game brings. In yester-years chess didnt bring money
or fame as it does today. A chess player inspite of all odds was
compelled to play chess. Who compelled him? It is the yearning of his
soul, crying out to bask in this ecstatic delight. Chess legend
Tarrasch has compared chess with powerful pursuits as love and music,
and rightly so.
Your
mirror
Chess players in life behave exactly as
they behave on the chess board, e.g., the bold ones take risks,
timid ones are too conservative and some bad ones might try
nonsense. Its not only your mind, but your complete personality
that plays chess. So, now many of you should know where you
stand and probably know what to do to change for good.
The
qualities that chess implants
It pains me to say that many
people are under the delusion that chess is sheer waste of time,
not realizing that there is a plethora of excellent qualities
that anyone can imbibe through chess. For example, the qualities
of intellect, such as memory, concentration, judgement and
foresight. Then the qualities of leadership, co-ordination,
courage to take short term risks for long term gains. Then the
qualities of heart, such as patience, perseverance,
adaptability, economy and other qualities. Lastly qualities such
as tact, strategy, initiative and resourcefulness. Oh! The list
is endless!
|
