Why The Chess Community & Other Communities Are Growing
Disclamer:
This post is from my personal archive and reflects my thoughts and experieces at the time of writing. It has been modified for clarity and comprehension. Originally posted on July 11th, 2020.
Hello, my name is Dinesh Satyavolu.
I have a past connection with chess. A friend introduced me to the game when I was about 7 or 8 years old. At that time, I had no real interest in chess and saw it as just another board game like Ludo or Checkers. I didn’t explore what was behind the game and ended up quitting after about 10 minutes.
A few years later, just before quarantine, I was feeling bored and contemplating what to do next. I was a 13-year-old wondering about my future. I had always thought about going into computer science but wasn’t enjoying it much. Then I thought, why not give chess another try? I remembered my friend saying that chess could be very beneficial.
The next day, I approached my friend and told him I wanted to learn chess again. He agreed, and we began playing. I knew some basics but quickly realized I needed to improve. Determined to beat him, I worked hard and joined a chess academy called Kings and Queen Chess to improve. I practiced and learned enough to finally get a decisive win against him. This is what shifted my mindset about chess, and the gratefulness that I got from this experience.
I began seeking more resources to get stronger and better, even though I had just started. I wanted to share this story to show how I got into the chess community and how it became my life goal to reach the top. This process happens in other communities too. For example, I was curious about solving a Rubik’s Cube out of boredom and found a channel called Cubical. They were making a documentary about cubing, and I was amazed to discover there’s a community for Rubik’s Cube solving.
Even if you’ve been teased for your interests, remember that every community has its own space and people who share your passion. I didn’t actually solve the cube, but I appreciated that there are communities for all sorts of interests.
The point of sharing this is to encourage you to find what you love and join a community that supports you. People are constantly discovering new interests and building communities around them, just like chess. Finding something you enjoy will help you build a career or lifestyle that you love, rather than just doing something for money. So, go out there, discover your passion, and join that community.
