Debunking Five Myths about Chess
January 5, 2009
Tags: Learning Chess Articles, Teaching Chess Articles
Written by Laura Sherman of YourChessCoach.com
1) Chess is for Nerds
Not so! One of the greatest things about the sport is that it attracts people from all walks of life. Whenever I played in chess tournaments I was always amazed at how a doctor would be playing a carpenter or a school teacher would be playing a plumber. Besides would you call John Wayne, Timothy Dalton (one of our James Bonds), Bill Cosby, Tom Selleck or Will Smith a nerd? To their face? They all play chess, you know. Actually the list goes on, but I think I’ve made my point.
2) Girls Can’t Play Chess
Ahem! Well, taking myself out of the equation, how about the three Polgar Sisters? They have been playing chess for decades and are still very highly respected in the chess community, especially amongst the top players of the world. The youngest sister, Judith, beat a grandmaster at the age of 10. She became the youngest player to earn the title of grandmaster at age 15, beating Bobby Fischer’s record.
3) Chess is Just a Game
Sure chess a game, but it can give you many advantages in life. Google “Chess and Education” and you will see how much research has been done in the area. Studies from around the world have concluded that chess makes kids smarter. My father taught me when I was nine years old. To this day I treat problems in life as I would over the chess board. Analyze the situation, come up with various possible solutions (quickly), weed out the unrealistic ones, find the one that works best for the situation and go for it! We can all win at life.
4) You Have to Be a Genius to be Any Good
As if! No one is born a good chess player. You need to learn some basic concepts and play a lot and then learn from your games. The best way to improve is to learn to write down the moves of your game and then go over that game with someone who is more experienced. It could be a friend or a chess instructor. If you are a tournament player always take any opportunity to analyze your game with your opponent. You both can learn a lot!
5) Chess is Boring
What? Okay, so you’re talking to someone who would routinely sacrifice her chess pieces to gain a tactical advantage. I either won gloriously or well, I didn’t (we won’t talk about those games). Seriously chess is a battle, each and every game. Nothing boring about it! Plus it is a very bonding experience. I fell in love with my husband at a chess tournament almost sixteen years ago and now we are teaching our four-year-old son how to play.
This article was written by Chess Instructor Laura Sherman, of YourChessCoach.com. Your Chess Coach is devoted to teaching chess to children of all ages, giving them the many life skills that the game offers.
If you would like to ask Laura a question about chess, you can ask the question in the comment space below, leave your email, and Laura will respond directly to you.
