Check Mate! May 6, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Mindfulness, Travel & Leisure.trackback
Evidence suggests that playing chess increases our thinking and problem-solving ability, as well as boosting math and reading test scores in students.
I’m not surprised.
The single-minded focus required by the game shuts down all the extraneous chatter in our brain.
We are in the moment, doing battle, pawn against knight, bishop against rook, king against queen. Check Mate!
No wonder kids (of all ages) love to play!
Don’t believe me . . . check out the U.S. Chess Federation‘s soaring membership roster for kids 14 and younger.
Chess is actually pulling kids away from TV and video games long enough for them to learn to think, and concentrate, and strategize.
Want to give it a try? At chess.com, you and your kids can:
* Learn the basics
* Improve your skills
* Pick up strategies
* Play others worldwide
* Download a free app to play (or watch matches) on your mobile phone
Resources: Chess (Wikipedia) * Chess ~ Rules & Basic Strategies
Spirit Lights The Way 
Ah, yes. Chess.
A friend of mine from days past, and I, would play often. He would usually beat me when we played the standard game.
One day he suggested a variation, I think it was called “Speed Chess” or something of the sort. You had to make your moves within 1 minute or less, by the timer.
Suddenly I was the better player.
This led me to believe that there are depths to the game that I’d never considered.
On the rare occasion that I play, I seldom get the chance to utter “checkmate” ~ unless I’ve overlooked an “escape hatch” and it’s really just “check.”