Chess and Your Mind; How the brain can struggle to keep up

Chess is such a SPORT (Yes, "Bolded" and Italicized) where you can train your brain to achieve what you thought was impossible. Though the game has much to offer, such as growth in many defining skills, no one talks about the negatives or the downside that Chess can have on a human being. Today we will be exploring the Positives and Negative of Chess and how they can redefine your life.

Let's start on a good note;

Positives:

One of the many things playing chess can do to a human brain is cognitive enhancement. That means that Chess can help with memory, recall, and concentration. Chess requires a lot of focus and repetitive thinking to win (or not lose) the game; these help with focus and concentration. Calculating all the lines also requires good memory and recall skills. 

Chess has also been proven to help in decision-making and enhance life skills. Chess motivates people to analyze situations and options, both of which are critical for the decision-making process in our minds.

Chess also promotes creative and critical thinking. It is necessary to be creative while playing chess. Chess promotes the idea of taking unconventional ideas and risks, and the idea of experimenting with all the different moves that can be played.

It has also been proven that Chess helps improve academic performance, especially in reading and math. 

Chess also helps you in many other aspects of life, in ways that you might not expect. But the point of this blog is not to explore the positives, but rather to discover the negatives. 

Why I Wrote This Blog (The Negatives):

Though Chess has many positives to offer, it has a few negative side effects as well.

• Physical Health
• Money
• Commitment 
• Stress
• Addiction 

Chess can affect your physical health because if you play too much, it can cause a lack of exercise. Plus, you get little to no exercise at Chess tournaments since you are sitting for hours at a time (making it very important to walk around and get some water like the masters do).

Chess can affect your financial situation since enrolling in tournaments can cost hundreds of dollars. Also, taking into consideration, many chess players make little to no money playing in tournaments. Another way Chess can affect your financial situation is through the opportunity cost for Chess coaches, online memberships, and online Chess lessons.

To get good at Chess requires a lot of dedication and commitment, which can be rather time-consuming. You can't get good at Chess overnight. 

Chess takes a heavy toll on your mental health as well. It can cause stress, headaches, and anxiety since it requires so much mental focus and capacity to play (at least play with a decent performance).

Lastly, you can get addicted to Chess. Many people have been (and are) addicted to Chess (An example of a person is Marcel Duchamp). The endless possibilities, the mystery, and its mentally stimulating nature make it an addictive game. 

In my own experiences, I have noticed some key factors of the downsides of Chess. I have noticed that stress from Chess has affected my sleep patterns. When I am playing Chess and drop a lot of rating (for example, I was at 1720 and dropped 40 rating to go down to 1680), I will be compelled to continue playing (causing tilt) until I get my rating back, even if it is at midnight. I feel a strong and rather stressful urge to get my rating back, which is quite frustrating, and I suppose is considered a downside. The same goes for my academic performances; I have found myself playing chess when I should have been studying for a test (addiction), which is another downside. 

Another thing I have noticed is body pain from sitting at my desk for too long with my hand resting on a mouse, which is due to a lack of physical activity. 

Another thing Chess is proven to cause is "Analysis Paralysis", which is a situation where "overthinking and excessive analysis of a problem lead to an inability to make a decision or take action" (Google Definition). 

After considering this, it's up to you. Overall is Chess good for you or bad for you? Join the Conversation!