Are we really playing for fun? Or is this mostly a form of escapism?

We all need a hobby, something that will motivate us to stand up in the morning.

My main hobbies are tennis and chess, although I also like to paint and play guitar.

Tennis give me a lot of pleasure, especially if I am playing well. After a close match I will usually be happy for the time I spent playing. I also like to train.

With chess is a little bit different. Of course it is funny to toast a weak player from time to time, but the huge amount of emotional stress I have when facing a stronger player is not always pleasant for me. 

Okay, I am usually not playing against stronger players. I am not playing in a chess club, probably because I have the impression that I will perceive the stress of a playing against a stronger player as something negative. This would be probably different if I would be talented, but I am not. (And I don't like much the idea of sitting for long periods of time).

Why am I then playing and studying chess? There are some superficial reasons that I can mention. I give chess lessons for beginners, so I thing my students will of course profit from chess knowledge (and they will of course respect me more if I am regularly toasting them). I think that chess is also a great think for my brain. I like also to understand what stronger players are doing.

But one very specific reason is perhaps related to escapism. Let's see a Wiki-definition of this word:

"Escapism is the avoidance of unpleasant, boring, arduous, scary, or banal aspects of daily life. It can also be used as a term to define the actions people take to help relieve persisting feelings of depression or general sadness."

I had a kind of burnout  when I finish my PhD in 2015, and around this time I began to train regularly chess. I didn't get much better. But I had the impression I was doing "something": training my English (a lot of great chess books and chess websites are in English) and other languages, using my brain, etc etc. And at least doing something to improve my chess. But I think that the main reason to invest more time in chess was to postpone the decisions about my other projects in life (I was planning to publish a book on popular science). Escapism is perhaps also the reason why I spend a lot of time with training instead of playing - I have definitively less stress when I am training than when I am playing chess.

Do you have similar experiences with chess as escapism? 

We all need a hobby, something that will motivate us to stand up in the morning.

My main hobbies are tennis and chess, although I also like to paint and play guitar.

Tennis give me a lot of pleasure, especially if I am playing well. After a close match I will usually be happy for the time I spent playing. I also like to train.

With chess is a little bit different. Of course it is funny to toast a weak player from time to time, but the huge amount of emotional stress I have when facing a stronger player is not always pleasant for me. 

Okay, I am usually not playing against stronger players. I am not playing in a chess club, probably because I have the impression that I will perceive the stress of a playing against a stronger player as something negative. This would be probably different if I would be talented, but I am not. (And I don't like much the idea of sitting for long periods of time).

Why am I then playing and studying chess? There are some superficial reasons that I can mention. I give chess lessons for beginners, so I thing my students will of course profit from chess knowledge (and they will of course respect me more if I am regularly toasting them). I think that chess is also a great think for my brain. I like also to understand what stronger players are doing.

But one very specific reason is perhaps related to escapism. Let's see a Wiki-definition of this word:

"Escapism is the avoidance of unpleasant, boring, arduous, scary, or banal aspects of daily life. It can also be used as a term to define the actions people take to help relieve persisting feelings of depression or general sadness."

I had a kind of burnout  when I finish my PhD in 2015, and around this time I began to train regularly chess. I didn't get much better. But I had the impression I was doing "something": training my English (a lot of great chess books and chess websites are in English) and other languages, using my brain, etc etc. And at least doing something to improve my chess. But I think that the main reason to invest more time in chess was to postpone the decisions about my other projects in life (I was planning to publish a book on popular science). Escapism is perhaps also the reason why I spend a lot of time with training instead of playing - I have definitively less stress when I am training than when I am playing chess.

Do you have similar experiences with chess as escapism? 

I am playing for fun for a long time, never take it seriously... that’s why I am forever beginner haha 😂

for some people, chess is their life... for me, just another new kind of hobbies besides of skiing, piano... cooking... there are many things in life to focus on... btw Grüezi :)

We all need a hobby, something that will motivate us to stand up in the morning.

My main hobbies are tennis and chess, although I also like to paint and play guitar.

Tennis give me a lot of pleasure, especially if I am playing well. After a close match I will usually be happy for the time I spent playing. I also like to train.

With chess is a little bit different. Of course it is funny to toast a weak player from time to time, but the huge amount of emotional stress I have when facing a stronger player is not always pleasant for me. 

Okay, I am usually not playing against stronger players. I am not playing in a chess club, probably because I have the impression that I will perceive the stress of a playing against a stronger player as something negative. This would be probably different if I would be talented, but I am not. (And I don't like much the idea of sitting for long periods of time).

Why am I then playing and studying chess? There are some superficial reasons that I can mention. I give chess lessons for beginners, so I thing my students will of course profit from chess knowledge (and they will of course respect me more if I am regularly toasting them). I think that chess is also a great think for my brain. I like also to understand what stronger players are doing.

But one very specific reason is perhaps related to escapism. Let's see a Wiki-definition of this word:

"Escapism is the avoidance of unpleasant, boring, arduous, scary, or banal aspects of daily life. It can also be used as a term to define the actions people take to help relieve persisting feelings of depression or general sadness."

I had a kind of burnout  when I finish my PhD in 2015, and around this time I began to train regularly chess. I didn't get much better. But I had the impression I was doing "something": training my English (a lot of great chess books and chess websites are in English) and other languages, using my brain, etc etc. And at least doing something to improve my chess. But I think that the main reason to invest more time in chess was to postpone the decisions about my other projects in life (I was planning to publish a book on popular science). Escapism is perhaps also the reason why I spend a lot of time with training instead of playing - I have definitively less stress when I am training than when I am playing chess.

Do you have similar experiences with chess as escapism? 

I have stress both when competing against a better player in tennis, basketball, etc. as I do with chess.

I used to get very stressed in rated chess games, but I've reached the point where I'm looking to have fun with it, win or lose - though it helps I win a little more than I lose.  For example, I do much better with 1 e4 than 1 d4, but it's fun to explore the possibilities with the London Attack, etc.  I haven't been one to sacrifice a pawn early for an attack but I'm thinking of trying the Smith-Morra Gambit against the Sicilian or open with the King's Gambit because, like the London, it will be fun to do!