What Is Chess????

A fight of two personalities.

the art of gaming

As much as I would like to, I cannot put chess into the category of 'just a game'; there is some indefinable quality of the game, some intangible link to both my left brain and my right brain, that far removes this activity from such diversions as Monopoly or playing cards. The psychological element of Chess is a largely untapped and vastly underestimated resource for self improvement.

The great Russian trainer Mark Dvoretsky wrote in 'Training for the Tournament Player' (with Artur Yusopov, Batsford 1993) "...a game is conducted on the basis of objective positional laws (thats for you 'chess is a science' lot), but a decisive influence on it's result is exerted by a chessplayer's personal qualities-his talent, character, state of health, and finally his degree of preparation....Chess mastery comprises an enormous number of the most varied components; in some of these a player may be very strong, while in others-frankly weak. Behind the moves he makes lie his merits and deficiencies, his strong and weak sides."

This is the most profound illumination on the inner game of chess I have read to date. I take this to mean that I can take what I learn in life and apply it to chess, but the reverse is also true. Chess can enrich our lives by acting as a mirror, revealing hidden character defects (and qualites) that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

What is Chess? A game...perhaps more. A contest of wills..but not only that. A struggle, a fight, a diversion, an art, a science, it has the unique character among all games to be what each individual wants it to be. Monopoly will always just be monopoly! ;)

Is Starcraft II sport, art, or science?

What about Checkers? How come nobody ever asks such profound questions about Checkers? Hello?

What is chess?

Don't hurt me.

Don't hurt me. No more.

What is chess?

******

Yet another butchering of a 1980's pop song. Couldn't help myself.

 Tal was a chess artist