Reasons for Playing Chess

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Welcome to my article detailing why chess is an avenue that is worth pursuing. Originally, this article was a boring list of advantages, but I decided to revise this article so that it provides more concise information. If you prefer a mindless list, click here for a compilation of the original list.

The benefits of chess are wide and varied. There is a flourishing movement to use the mind sport as a tool to aid the intellectual development of people of all ages. There are numerous reasons why chess takes a prominent role in the hobbies of innumerable people around the world. Here are the seven most compelling explanations I have found:

Chess is a game with virtually infinity possibilities - the number of unique 40-move chess games is 10¹²⁰; that's greater than the number of electrons in the observable universe, which lies at a mere 10⁷⁹! Every game provides new distinctive problems to solve, and due to its complexity, chess can maintain a person's interest for a lifetime. In addition, practically every game of chess is unique, so each new game is uncovering unexplored ground.

In people of all ages, chess promotes self-discipline, humility, patience, logical thinking, concentration, organisational skills, pattern recognition, creativity, aesthetic appreciation, verbal reasoning, strategic planning, cognitive ability and a host of other psychologically-positive attributes.

Chess encourages social inclusion at a low monetary cost.

Chess is self-motivating. Each win provides satisfaction, while each loss inspires us to study harder. Being able to cope with losses is one reason why the the long term player will find improvements in humility and patience.

Playing chess gives us a sense of achievement and self-worth.

Especially for those who have few other skills, chess can become a means of supporting one's livelihood. Chess has opened up job prospects in areas such as chess coaching and journalism.

In many parts of the world, chess is a niche sport. There are legions of people who are good at swimming, running, tennis, school work, music and business. Chess is an activity that very few people are good at in comparison to other endeavours. However, it is still well known enough to be respected around the world, unlike some more obscure hobbies...

Personally, I believe chess accommodates players of all ages:

For youngsters, while it clearly is not essential, it develops skills that are highly practical in life. Only considering the academic side of things, it is widely acknowledged to improve school grades, particularly in mathematics.

For seniors, it is a way to constantly test and improve mental stamina. It is documented that playing (and presumably studying) chess is a potent way to delay the onset of degenerative disorders such as dementia.

For the middle-aged, chess serves as a competitive, enjoyable and challenging past-time. Someone once wrote to me, "I am 34 years old and just getting into chess. It has seemed to consume me for the last little bit." This is typical case of a new-found passion for chess.

For the majority of us who are non-professional chess players, the game serves as gratifying activity in its own right and can often be a stepping stone onto greater things. I hope I have provided some good arguments for your pursuit of chess. It is truly a rich game that has baffled mankind for the better part of two millennia.

Further information

While researching for this topic, I stumbled across a very helpful article by Jim Celone, a graduate of Yale University who holds an M.S. in Statistics.

The composition provides a detailed overview of the benefits of chess and delves into other elements of scientific chess theory too. Among other things, Celone's writing gives us an insight into the origins of the royal game; the parallels between chess, mathematics and music; and an exhaustive discussion of the arguments in favour of chess. Click here to see Celone's article Why Play Chess.

I have also included a link below relating to a heart-warming story of Brazilian convicts participating in a chess program.

Good luck on your chess journey!

To purchase products, I recommend Wholesale Chess. They provide the highest quality chess products at the lowest prices (especially for US and Canadian players). They even offer to match prices with other chess websites! Even though I live overseas, this is where I choose to purchase chess goods.

For chess opening training and repertoire maintenance, I highly recommend the software that I personally use, Chess Openings Wizard. This software was approved by Grandmaster Peter Svidler (FIDE rating 2730 as of January 2011) many years ago.

Article originally written: Friday, April 24, 2009

Article edited (slightly): Wednesday, December 14, 2011