Literally anything you do is a "huge waste of time" because when you do it long enough, you die and that's it, like it never even happened.
So, this argument is meaningless. Let people amuse themselves and forget about their inevitable doom in the way they like.
Chess is a huge waste of time, here's why.
Sort:
just getting the achievement 
Also Think about the stereotypical chess player. It is a bunch of bad character traits
Well I mean you can say that about any hobby really. I mean take basketball. You can spend thousands of hours getting better but unless your in like the top 50 of the world your not going to make a living off of it. However you still play it because you find it fun. That is the situation with chess I think most people are in
Jun 20, 2025
0
#67
It's interesting to find what people have to say about this. But why come onto a chess website, create an account, and spend 15 minutes writing just to tell people to give up?
smol13 wrote:
It's interesting to find what people have to say about this. But why come onto a chess website, create an account, and spend 15 minutes writing just to tell people to give up?
Bc if you say it anywhere else everyone will just agree
Jun 20, 2025
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#69
"These people can then in their adult life or later life live off of playing Chess by winning tournaments. But would you sacrifice thousands upon thousands of hours to play a board game if you knew you had 10 years to live? Hell no."
Lol, yeah how dare people spend thousands of hours on a hobby they enjoy instead of doom scrolling tiktok.
Jun 20, 2025
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#70
Hi!
For me chess is an enjoyable game worth spending time on --both playing and studying. It not only is a hobby but a mental sport generally recognized for improving your intelectual abilities such as memory, abstract thinking, goal setting, planning, and discipline. These skills can be valuable in many areas of life like maths and science, business, sports, and more.
The time we invest in chess should in my opinion align with our goals. As to give an idea, professional chess players may spend 35 hours a week on it -or more. Amateurs can do well with only a fraction of that and still feel satisfied of their achievements.
After practicing for a while, some people may feel the urge to improve, especially if they are stuck in their progress. Then it is a good time to talk to a teacher or coach for some guidance and lessons. It is true that one can spend a lot of time trying to improve but this usually happens when you go solo. If you work with a coach they can tell you in what areas to focus, the time you should spend -according to your availability - and even support your mindset for a better play and training. In the long run, this can save you a lot of time.
So, I think chess itself isn't a waste of time—but without direction, it's easy to waste time on it.
Good luck!
maafernan - chess.com coach
Most time wasters are at least fun chess not so much