Monday, October 22, 2012

Why Isn't Chess Taught At School?

For those of you who may know me , you know I am a chess nut. I am not really good at it though. My rating on Chess.com is currently is a 1206 which is the highest it has been in quite some time. I usually hover around the mid 1100's . So if  you are looking for an easy game go to Chess.com and look me up . I have learned a lot about myself from the game of Chess.

For one thing when I have too many games going on I tend to rush my moves so I can get to the next game faster and rush my moves there . I tend to make many mistakes and get myself into trouble . This makes for many of my games to end in lopsided losses . When I slow down and take my time ,think about my moves, plan ahead (yes even take notes) I tend to be more competitive.

There is many things that can be learned from Chess. This is why I feel that it should be taught in school. I think our kids should learn some of the lessons that can be learned from Chess such as problem solving, concentration, planning, logical thinking and learning how to learn from your mistakes.


  • Kids( I guess adults too) can learn problem solving from chess because every move that they make or their opponent makes the game change. After the move the board changes and a new puzzle is created. It is very difficult at the beginning of the game because there are so many options that you and your opponent can make. The goal is to limit your opponents options to move the way they want and to increase the options for you . We all face problems in real life , the more that we train our brain in problem solving games or exercises like Chess the better we are to overcome those problems
  • I am sorry , the concentration that it takes to play a video game fails in comparison to the concentration . As I mentioned in the opening of this piece if I have too many games going on and I rush my moves . When I am concentrating on my moves, I do better and am more competitive. I wish I would applied this to my schoolwork back in the day, I might have done better in school,who knows where I would be if that happened, oh well....
  • If are just playing the game making up as you go along , then you will lose. Any chess player worth anything will plan their moves well ahead of time and adjust their plan according to what your opponent does. This is how life is, if you plan and are willing to adjust your plan chances are you will succeed . 
  • Thinking logical and weighing the options in your life helps you make better decisions, in turn should help you succeed and increase your well being. as well. Before you move in chess you should weigh all your options and try to determine what your opponent will do in response to your intended move, before you make your move.


  • Final Point is learning from mistakes. We make mistakes in life and if we do not want to repeat those mistakes then we need to learn from them . Too many time people get into a viscous cycle of disappointments or failures. They don't look at the reasons why they fail, if they change some of the reasons why they fail, maybe the cycle can be stopped. If you make the wrong move in chess and leave your Queen exposed early in the game it will be very hard to overcome.
So why isn't chess taught in school? My guess is that is it isn't cost effective or that people see the advantages of teaching it. I think the lessons learned would be beneficial to our kids. 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Drained.....

Want a true scan of my head lately? Here you go.

Last night I didn't want to go to bed, because I feared waking up and having to deal with today. I can not really tell you why I felt that way, but I have been feeling that way frequently .Lately it seems like I just can not handle it anymore.

I don't want to bore you with the specifics, and I know that most people have it harder than me. I am truly blessed with a wonderful wife and two  kids . These three people are the reason I don't curl up into the fetal position and suck my thumb while waving the white flag , they are my reasons to keep moving forward.

Usually when I write an entry in my blog there is something I want to accomplish, today I am rambling. Sorry.