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At the beginning of this lockdown I decided that I wanted to learn a skill or a new hobby, something that would keep my mind occupied and give me something to really shoot for. My friend Tiffany Ash has been offering for years to teach me how to play chess, and this seemed like the perfect time to do it. Not only was this going to be a cool thing to learn, but it would also give me the perfect reason to stay in touch with Tiffany during the lockdown. A few Zoom calls and a lot of frustration later, I can now play, and here is why I would totally recommend it.
Table of Contents
Hard Work
This is a game which requires serious brain power if you want to be good at it, and that is great for giving your mind the workout that it needs. I can honestly say that having played a lot of games with Tiffany I genuinely felt tired from thinking about so many moves. This has to be a good sign as it indicates that you are probably using areas of your brain which you haven’t before, or haven’t for a while.
Chasing The Buzz
Something which you should be prepared for when playing chess is losing, this is something that is gong to happen a lot, especially when you are learning. It is not just the losing however, when you do get beaten, you feel really foolish and completely outsmarted. The beauty is however, that when you beat someone at chess, you really do feel like the smartest kid in town and it is you who outsmarted the other player. This is the buzz that you end up chasing and it is what will keep you playing more and more games, discovering more and more ways to play.
Constantly Learning
Because chess features so many variables, there is always things that you will learn regarding tactic and strategy. All I have managed to do so far is learn how the game works, and understand some commonly used tricks to win games. As I progress however, I am noticing so many new ways of playing and things to watch out for. Tiffany tells me that it is the same at her level and I imagine there are people who have played for years, who will still be learning new press and strategies.
Easier Than Ever
Because of the resources which are available online, it has never been easier than it is right now to play and learn this game. There are many apps which allow you to play with players from all over the world, there are also tonnes of videos which you can check out that will offer guide on how best to play the game. This is the perfect time to learn a skill like this, and it is quite the achievement to say that you can play this fascinating board game.
Why not make this the year that you learn to play chess too!?
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