When you think of chess, you imagine intellectual people staring at a board making calculated moves. If you are giving it a shot for the first time, it might leave you scratching your head. Each type of chess piece on the board has its own special moves that takes a bit of time and practice to learn. But if you get the hang of it, you go from noob to grandmaster in no time.
When it comes to the benefits of playing chess, one benefits from the mental workout that comes from playing the game, regardless of the mastery level. From sharpening your cognitive skills to making you a more resilient person overall, chess impacts you beyond the chessboard. Let’s take a quick look at 7 benefits of playing chess.
Body gains happen at the gym and brain gains happen on the chessboard. Each move you make on the board is like lifting a heavy dumbbell with your mind. From memorizing each piece’s moves and coming up with a clever strategy to outsmarting your opponent, you’ll definitely walk away smarter after each game.
If you feel like your thoughts are always bouncing all over the place like a hyperactive child high on sugar, then playing chess can do wonders for you. The game demands intense focus as one wrong move can give your opponent the upper hand. You need to block out all excess thoughts and make move that will make you shout "Checkmate!" Before your opponent does. You need to activate Zen mode before each game and there is no other way.
Just like all good things take time, playing a good game of chess takes time too. You cannot rush greatness. Some games may even take a few hours to complete and during that time, you will have to use all your strategic skills and also keep calm under pressure. If that doesn’t teach you patience, there are hardly other things that will.
No more forgetting where you put your glasses if you’re playing chess regularly. Remembering game plays, where your pieces are on the board, key strategies, and your opponent’s previous moves are bound to work those memory muscles. It’ll be like going to a mental boot camp every time you play a game. So, say goodbye to memory issues as you become a chess grandmaster over time.
Playing chess does not only focus on the logical aspects of your mind but your creative aspects too. Making the best moves and outthinking your opponent is like painting a grand portrait on a checkered canvas. Having loads of fun while thinking out of the box will send your creativity levels soaring high like never before. Going all out with your moves, while playing by the rules is the challenge that makes playing chess super fun!
Gaming brings people closer together and chess does it like no other. When you start playing chess, you become a part of a community that thinks alike. Whether you play against someone virtually or face-to-face, you will be able to form strong connections. From discussing strategies to competing with each other, the bond formed will be good for you mentally and emotionally.
Playing chess is not only for fun. You can actually build a career out of it. If you practice hard enough and develop your skills well, you can enter chess tournaments that can help you achieve a lot of respect in the gaming community. Many chess players dream of becoming grandmasters (chess pros) who travel the world competing with the best of the best. If you’re serious about chess, then you can give it a shot.
If working super hard to become a grandmaster is not for you and you’re looking to have lots of fun while challenging yourself and becoming a part of a community, then you can compete in virtual chess tournaments. There are many such platforms such as GAMP (gamp.gg), which hosts multiple chess.com tournaments every half hour. Once you register at GAMP using your phone number, you can add your chess.com gamer id and start competing in the tournaments that suit your fancy.
The best part is your results are automatically updated on GAMP, and you can challenge yourself to top the leaderboard. If you are as good as you think you are, you can get a chance to win some seriously cool rewards. Who doesn’t want to be rewarded for having fun right?
Whether you’re in it for the fun, the challenge, the rewards, or the community, chess is one of the best games to play out there. The benefits it provides are truly unmatched. If you have never tried it before, take some time out from your busy schedule and give it a shot. You will be surprised by how addictive it is. Game on.
Also Read: Chess.com Tactics: How to Checkmate
