"The chess master says nothing, other than moving the silent chess pieces." Rumi
Go back 1500 years and you would find that the game of chess has just started to be played. It is rumored that chess originated in India and then moved to Persia, however, the way the game spread from one country to another is not even questionable as this game is one that is still played worldwide today. Chess surely does keep players enthralled despite being a silent game. Since the game has stood the test of time, we have to ask perhaps if it is the many faces of chess that beckons people from all over the world and keeps them wanting to continue playing.
Chess is a game of faces and by that we don't mean the faces that the playing pieces take on -king, queen, bishop, rook, and knight. Chess is a form of art, a form of sport, mindfulness, and somewhat of a science too. More than that, a deeper look at the game will tell you that chess reflects a society, and the movement of the chess pieces resembles the movement of people that have a certain rank within a society. Each chess piece has some sort of value just like each person has their status within a society. If you play the game and keep this analogy in mind, you surely will become more addicted to playing the game.
Aside from the many faces of chess and the analogy of chess being like a society, the game is addictive particularly because of what the game is about. The chessboard must be set up at the beginning of play. The positioning of the chess pieces remain the same always. The second row of the chessboard has all the pawns. The rooks go in the corners with knights being positioned next to them. Next to the knights are the bishops and then the queen. The queen needs to be very delicately placed in a block that matches her piece colour. Hence, the white queen chess piece is positioned on the white square and the black queen chess piece is placed on a black square. The kings gets placed on the remaining blocks on opposite sides of the chessboard.
Once the chessboard is correctly set up then your pieces can begin to move. Although the king is the most important piece (as you would expect the king to be in a society), the king is the weakest in terms of the positions to where the king can move. The king can only move one time in any direction-up, down, side, and diagonally. The king must be moved in such a way in that it is never captured by another piece. When the king gets captured by another chess playing piece, we say this is a "check". It is the queen on the chessboard that is most powerful piece able to move in any straight direction- forward, backwards, sideways, and diagonally. Basically if the queen captures an opponent's piece, her move is over.
This is just the gist of the game, you could spend a good few hours learning all the rules of the game. Let's explore the faces of chess further.
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Chess is an Art Form
It is very weird to think of chess as a form of art. When the word, "Art," comes to your mind, you may think about drawing or dancing. Chess does not entail drawing neither is there any movement during a game of chess. In fact, chess players sit in one position for hours on end without moving much but the chess pieces on the chessboard.
Perhaps we can say that chess is an art form particularly because many people enjoy watching other people play chess. The medium (the chessboard) used to play the game may be slightly different to the artist's canvas, however, the game requires chess players to bring their imagination to the fore and make calculated moves which is what the painter does as well. Could this creativity and imagination required by a game of chess not be considered the ultimate form of art?
If you really think about it, even the arrangement of chess pieces on the chessboard is a form of art. The way each chess piece is designed is surely something to marvel at. With all the latest and newest chessboards appearing on scene, it is no wonder why we label chess as a form of art. The LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Wizard's Chess Set is truly a work of art.
More than just the placement of pieces being a work of art, the visualisation required by the chess players to make a move is in itself something to admire as well.
If you are curious to find out how chess is a form of art, read this article.
What is Chess if Not Just An Art Form?
Aside from being a form of art, chess is mindfulness. The players involved in playing a game of chess need to stay fully focused and mindful during play.
The best of the best chess players are known for their ability to remain fully focused throughout the game without letting anything (not even their opponent) distract them. In fact, so mindful are the players of the game of chess before them that it seems like they are completely unfazed by anything that is going on around them.
Have you ever been to a chess tournament? If you have, you will notice that all the contestants are fully focused and determined to compete. Barely any conversation takes place during a chess match and perhaps the only sound that can be heard is the movement of chess pieces tapping on the chessboard.
Yes, playing chess entails having an inner dialogue with yourself and not allowing anything other than your next movement distract you.
Does being mindful mean being selfish? Not quite! Being mindful is not being selfish but being fully conscious of every action that you make. Chess players plan their next move before even making the move. Lastly, the mindfulness required to play a game of chess is such that you are able to take full responsibility for every single piece that you move.
Perhaps you can learn more about how chess is a form of mindfulness, and it surely is worth reading about playing chess as a way to be mindful of every move.
Get Your Chess Game On and View Chess as a Sport
When you think about a sport, you generally think about something that requires physical movement and physical stamina.
So how can chess be a sport if no physical movement is required at all? Well, sitting in front of the chessboard requires the same mental capacity as the physical capacity required to succeed in any sport. While physical fitness is not a requirement of chess players, mental fitness certainly is required.
Another reason why we call chess a sport is because it entails the same amount of competitiveness that any sport requires. Aside from competing in chess, tournaments, players also need:
- Brain power which is similar to the physical power required by sports players
- Discipline and determination also required by sports players
- Just like any sport, chess requires players to adhere to rules and etiquette of play
Playing properly and adhering to the correct gaming etiquette is important, else players may be banned from the game entirely.
Cheating by using technological devices to give you the kick start that you need is certainly not allowed. Every chess player knows that the crux of chess is to test your mental capacity to know which moves to make and which moves will result in your king being captured.
Are you interested in learning how you can get involved in the sport of chess? Read all about how chess is considered a sport.
More about Chess as a Science
Have you noticed that more parents all around the world are becoming interested in having their kids enrolled in chess lessons? It is believe learning how to play chess has a considerable benefit on the academic performance of children since chess is actually a science.
When you learn to play chess, you are simultaneously developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. If you think about it really carefully, the chess player studies the chessboard before them just like how scientists study the body of literature before them.
The scientist identifies gaps in the body of knowledge and then tests them. In the same way, the chess player studies the chessboard and thinks about what to do next. The chess player may go in a completely different direction that they originally identified due to missing information regarding the moves the opponent chess player will make.
That is why chess is so intriguing, new discoveries are made on the chessboard during every game.
Has the idea of chess being a science fascinated you? Time to watch the Netflix series, "The Queen's Gambit," to become all the more excited about chess.
Read up more about how chess is considered a science.
Do you need nerves of steel to start playing chess? Well, if you really think about it: "Every chess master was once a beginner." Irving Chernev. You too need to get your head in the game and get started somewhere in order to decide if nerves of steel are really required for chess or not!
See why and how Is Chess Considered Art? on Superprof
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