According to my psychologist "Chess is just a game"

ticKtok

"...there are, in fact MORE total Chess positions (approx. 2 times 10 to the 46th power) than there are total particles (protons, neutrons) in the entire universe (approx. 10 to the 80th power)."

GREAT comeback!!!

 Where did you get those numbers from?

Anyway at the most fundamental level chess is a game. It may mean more or less to some people but we are all free to choose our own values.

 I wouldn't mention the number of positions. Could be misunderstood, if you know what I mean.

Ticktoc, I think you need to check your math...  I'm pretty sure  that 2 times 10 to the 46th power is way less than 10 to the 80th power...  In fact, it is more than a billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth times less than the numbers of particles in the universe...  And I'm not too sure if those numbers are correct, anyway.  Well, kudos for trying .

Try this:

Buy her a copy of the board game Clue.

Give it to her as a gift and explain that you wanted to give her an example of what a game was and that you thought this one was perfect because it was clear that she didn't have a clue.

That psychologist must not have learned or remembered much about cognitive psychology and the role played by chess in developing these theories.

The truth is that psychology and chess have combined to create he accepted theories of cognitive learning and expertise acquisition (De Groot, Gobet, Chase and Simon, Eriksson, etc.), the whole "chunking" and "template" theories of learning.  So psychology and chess should be friends. 

 2 times 10 to the 46th power is only one fith 10 to 47th power, which means 10 to the 80th is 5 times 10 to 33rd power more than 2 times 10 to 46th.

You could use the "chess is just a game" logic for anything else that hardly makes a difference, like "singing is just a career and hobby", "football is just a sport" you know, whatever. People think that those things might be more important than a board game but that would be because they don't understand the strategy of the game and instead think the depth is boring, and I know this because that's what I used to think when I didn't know what I was doing. And at the same time I can't appreciate football that much because I don't know anything about it and don't play it or care about it. Serious chess is competition with many layers to it, and preparing for a big match against someone is practically the same as preparing to face a team in a sport.

And, it's simply a huge achievement to be really good at chess! It must help your mind as well (I don't care what people say). The logical thinking for planning, and your calculating skill for figuring out tactical variations.

What's wrong with pleasure, competition, and the challenge to become good at something so deep? If it's not ruining your life anyways, then these are very good things.

The "therapeutic" question those of us who read this and get angry should be asking ourselves, IMHO, is "Why do I need to see chess as more than a game?"  We all have hobbies and passions that "produce" nothing in the world save the happiness, joy and satisfaction they give us.  Don't feel like you have to justify your love of chess by proving that it is the most important thing (or game) a person can ever enjoy.  It probably isn't and such grandiose claims would make any mental health professional wonder about you.

Attacking psychology because one person asked their friend who happens to be a psychologist about chess and they replied that it is just a game is really bizarre.  There is no reason to think that this psychologist was giving a professional opinion and the only thing she is guilty of is overlooking the importance of chess in her friend's view of the world.  

Finally, if you are seeing a psychiatrist/psychologist and tell them that you are playing hours and hours of chess everyday, for which you receive no material benefit or surplus of happiness and contentment, they just might think you are a little obsessed.  And some of us are.

Chess is just a game...like tennis, football or any other sport! Oh and by the way checker isintellectually challenging, monoply is not!

Yeah, I was just about to come back with basically the same answer.

 by saying psychology isn't a science. Not a real one anyway.  a 'soft science' at best.

Wars, land deals, aquisitions of all sorts were struck on a chess board. It is the worlds oldest most respected game.I learned when I was in the fifth grade and taught my son when he was 5. Long live chess

"[Chess] is a foolish expedient for making idle people believe they are doing something very clever, when they are only wasting their time. "
— George Bernard Shaw

When I came to actual terms with this fact, it dampened my spirits...but not my desire to play.

I like goldendog's posts a lot on this subject.  They are in touch with reality.

And to the OP:  I think you're right that her dismissal didn't take into account the specialness of chess...she should have instead said "Chess is just a charming game". 

Well, that's pretty pessimistic, surely it's more than that.  I don't use it to feel clever or productive.  I think it's intentionally harsh in order to make it's point poignant.

I agree, his point of view seems very objective.   I do disagree with him though on how little art there is -- I believe it's fully the art, for example, painting can be, it's just that chess is an esoteric art form. 

He's correct that moves optically aren't the art, once you learn chess, it's it's own language.  When a rook moves 3 squares to the left there is no art spatially or optically, but of course it isn't a painting.  It's the subtext, it's the unspoken conversation between the players and pieces themselves -- it's certainly esoteric -- it's certainly art. 

And just like better known art forms it can be a grand expression for the artist, or a joy to behold for a spectator.

you telling me this isn`t art?

Even if it is art I'm afraid it's not chess -- that position's not legal.

It is in Crazyhouse! I think. Like, if Black played Q@e4+ and White replied with Q@d5+.