Lessons From Chess

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Hi friends, I hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday. What are some of the hobbies or sports you like to participate in? I am 35 and have limited mobility due to my disability. So my options are limited. Yes, there are challenge or baseball leagues, and the Special Olympics has every sport you can imagine. I’m at the age where most other participants are either way too old or way too young. In addition, the concept of everyone getting a trophy or metal at the end doesn’t seem right to me. Most importantly, it would take 50 more steps if I just wanted to play wheelchair basketball for an hour. What if I just wanted to distract myself for a few minutes? Yes, there are plenty of video games with adaptive controllers. That truly is wonderful. However, I wanted something more realistic and a guaranteed challenge.

“for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair;” Proverbs 1:2‭-‬3 NIV

I recently discovered chess. I know the game of chess has been around almost forever, but it really is a brilliant game, and it has so much to teach us about life. I picked up the following lessons from playing the game, among others Have a good day, everyone. Let me know in the comments if anyone has tried playing chess and what they’ve learned from it

• No matter how much you can or cannot move, you can still play even if someone else moves the pieces for you because every piece and square on the board has a name.
• Chess is not for nerds! It’s a very social game you can always learn from other players. Especially in today’s world with players constantly streaming their matches. Players of all races are represented. There’s always someone waiting to connect even if it’s just to teach or play a game.
• I currently have the lowest rating in all of Chess, but it is almost impossible to play the same game twice so you always constantly being challenged and learning a new strategy.
• Every piece on the board has a specific role you have to see the big picture. I specifically enjoy this aspect because we get so focused in this world about what we’re doing in the moment we never take a step back to look at the whole board of life.
• Most people when they start a plan of any kind. Get excited when they start a new project but lose interest in the middle and never get to the end. In chess the middle game is where the challenge really begins. The game will not end until the king is captured so you constantly have to keep adapting to a new scenario.
• After you play games, you have to study your mistakes. In life people don’t want to learn from mistakes but in chess if you don’t analyze your past you can’t get better in the future.
• Chess does not require physical strength, but strictly. Your mind and your heart working together.

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