Chess – A Game For Intelligent Individuals

Games are a way to have fun, but they also help us become better in certain aspects depending on the nature of each particular game. Chess is considered to be a game for smart people or at least for those who have plenty of patience to sit down and think for a relatively long period of time

1. The importance of strategy and imagination
   It is funny how chess has quite a few pawns and very few acceptable moves. It is interesting how such a simple game with so few rules can become so exciting and hard. Those who love chess are mostly tricked about the numerous strategies you can develop to rule the checkerboard. The existence of a King and a Queen as well as their protectors is the key of chess. Imitating the relationships in a Kingdom, chess has managed to transfer the complexity of the human world to the chessboard turning it into a math problem. The great part is that the player not only has to think in a mathematical way but also has to come up with a strategy that will make them win. Scientists support that people who play chess use both sides of their brains while playing, meaning that both reason and creativity have to participate to build a successful player.
2. A nice opportunity to practice your memory
   Memory here is not used in the traditional way, meaning to remember something from the past. It is actually used for the future and more particularly to design the future of your game. Chess demands strategy and in order to develop the desired strategy, one has to think about the next moves that will take place on the chessboard. For each of the potential moves, you are about to do, there are a number of moves your opponent can do to counter them. To choose the right move you have to remember all of the possible combinations up to a point. Therefore chess is a great opportunity to increase your memory while at the same time you are more probable to be good at it if you already have a strong memory.
3. What about focus skills
   Memory and focus are like sisters. They need each other to grow and thrive. To succeed in this challenging activity you need to have a mind that can locate a certain goal and be willing to follow the game as it evolves. Bobby Fischer once said “Chess demands total concentration.” You might have a plan of 20 moves ahead, however, if you lose your focus for a moment your strategy will fall apart. Remember professional players play with a clock, which means the game is a battle of concentration as well.
4. Performing under pressure
   Chess is an amazing game, but let’s face it; it is not about the fun. It is commonly played by adults and when two people sit down to play chess they start a competitive journey for the next couple of hours until we have a winner. The whole atmosphere that is being developed during the game is stressful and creates a sense of seriousness for the players. Pressure rises and the procedure demands individuals who can keep calm when they are under pressure. Practicing this game is a wonderful opportunity to develop your skills to handle the pressure.
5. Rebuilding your confidence
   The good news about chess is that once you practice that hard and under such stressful circumstances you can build confidence that will help you in other cases as well. As this game involves two players it means that when you start a ”battle” you are all alone. Being on your own, means you get to get a 100% of the responsibility of what happens on the chessboard. This fact alone gives the player a sense of how it is to fight on your own. Check out, the pressure is all yours but so is the victory. Once you deal with the challenges of the game you become more aware of your strong points as well as your weaknesses. The moment you realize both sides of yourself you will know how to act when your weak side appears on the map.