What can Chess Teach Us about Failure?

Why is the game of chess not more popular in the United States?  I have seen this question on multiple Blogs and forums here at chess.com and I too have wondered why it is not popular within the United States.  There are several reasons to why I think that the game is not as popular as it is in other parts of the world.  The biggest reason why I think the game is not as popular as it is in other parts in the world is because it is not exposed as something that is important. 

Chess is only a game but it can do so much more than just teaching us about winning and losing.  Chess is a critical thinking game.  One move can alter a game’s momentum in an instant.  I have played in numerous games where I knew right when I moved a piece that I handed the game to my opponent.  Do I get upset at myself for making the move?  Yes.  Do I continue to play chess even though I lost a game like that?  Yes.

I have had a lot of different jobs in my life and I know from first hand that if you are going to try something new failure is just part of the process.  It is very similar to learning new openings.  You know that you will not always make the best move, but it is a learning process through trial and error.   This is what is even worse in my opinion…

I know some people who are afraid to venture out of their shell because of how they have been raised.  I have seen it first hand and know some people who will not even try something because they have been told not to their entire lives.  What if Thomas Edison was like that?  What if he decided not to venture into something unknown and try new things?  If he would have taken that route than the light bulb might have never been made. 

A book that I highly recommend anyone to read if you know someone like this is The Edison Gene: ADHD and the Gift of the Hunter Child by Thom Hartmann.  ISBN numbers ISBN-13: 9780892811281 or ISBN: 0892811285. 

Thanks for reading and good luck in your games!