You really should play Chess

You Really Should Play Chess

I was intro'd to the game of chess by my 1st grade teacher. Truth be told, I think she had a group of boys who didn't know what to do with themselves and in Chess we found our flow where we lost time. (You should read more about "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi ...try to say his name even one time fast...:)

Chess has stayed with me over the years and I still enjoy it, but this isn't about me. It's about you and why you should play. Did you know:

• Mike Krzyzewski the basketball coach at Duke University has his players learn and play chess (read more to find out why)

• Chess, as much as any other game, teaches a player to maintain a duality of thought (very valuable to teachers and public speakers). One has to always be conscious of watching "his back" while also trying to attack. Focus on one or the other too much and you'll quickly lose. It's one of those games where you simply can't sit back and rely on a good defense.
• Like life, one must "control their center" to be successful
• Chess hones forethought. It teaches a person how to be attuned to their environment for opportunity. It reinforces the value of thinking out options before taking action. Great chess players never say "I spoke without thinking."
  
• Like life, the King is often called the most powerful piece (lose it and the game is over) but it is the queen that is the most devastating piece (I think that's why my daughters love it so much...ha, ha)
• You realize that one can lose and learn at the same time.
  
• You realize that surrounding yourself with people "better" than you makes you better
• You realize that even when you're beating someone, you are raising them up and making yourself better
• Chess relies on collaboration and synergy, much like business and the most effective classrooms

Lastly, and apologies about a personal success story, chess teaches leadership. One must seize opportunity and take action. I enjoyed a largely successful high school athletics experience. I earned 7 varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball having captained teams in two of these sports and earning "best defensive player" from my teammates in the third, but many don't realize that it was chess that empowered some of this.

I am very proud of having been a 2 year defensive captain for my football team and it was chess that lead to this. The similarities between setting up a football defense and chess are amazing. In football, one simply succeeds by getting more players to the ball than the other team. Individuals sometimes make great plays, but the TEAM that most consistently outnumbers its opponent wins. It's that simple. Chess teaches how to do this while still maintaining balance.

The MOST fun I had in sports was being empowered by a great coach to re-design our defense. In one game we had a terrible first half and at halftime our team was frustrated. I suggested that one of our defensive sets would work if we just changed responsibilities of our players. My coach could have shrugged this off, but he reflected on it, agreed with it and we put it into play. Our defense, which gave 175 running yards in the first half, only gave up 50 in the second and we won the game (and yes...we won the game). Regrettably, I never had the courage to tell anyone then about Chess.

So, hopefully you'll spread the word.

Oh, and lastly, if you're not convinced, chess also ...

• makes one a better driver (you know on the road) (and while you may think you are already good enough, likely everyone around you who really knows you will appreciate your improved driving skill ...ah come on, that was funny!)
  
• it makes one more meditative
• it's one of those mind-exercises that have been identified to keep the brain vibrant
  
• it really isn't as hard as you might think...

Good luck and happy Chess!