what does chess help you improve?

Thanks.  When you play online is it real money?  I wouldn't want to lose a lot of money trying to learn.  It's fun just watching it though, the announcers help me understand what's going on.  I thought it was interesting when one player said "oh, you had the hand I was pretending to have"  So it seems like you could get lucky, going in with a nothing hand, then scaring other into folding (as long as one of them doesn't have the best hand heh).

But betting patterns makes sense.  I guess you play the odds both of the cards and how a player plays.  It seems like you couldn't do that so well playing multiple games online though... unless it eventually becomes easy or something.  It seems like there'd be so many people you couldn't keep track of people's patterns.

I'll look over your notes, but I would have looked at e5 for the opposite reasons.  (I may be taking your phrasing too literally though.)

It looks like it has some tactics (h2, the fork on e4, opening up the rook against the queen) but positionally it seems bad.  Positionally I'd want to work on the queenside.  Meanwhile e5 helps both white's bishop on b2 and gives up control of / clears d4 for white.

Don't get me wrong, e5 looks good, I'd spend time calculating too, but to be honest I'd distrust it positionally.

Positionally, the move activates Black's pieces and provokes exchanges. I wanted to defer activity on the queenside because the extra pawn there is far more useful in an ending with few pieces on the board.

It strikes me as a thematic central break. That's what I was thinking during the game, anyway.

However, you make some good points about d4 and White's bishop. Perhaps there are some positional elements to which I should be more attentive.

No apologies necessary... I found out what the problem was.

You seem to be thinking I was referring to the "opponent" (the person you play against) when in fact I was referring to the "opposition" which although in one sense, it could look like it's talking about the opponent, but it is not.

"The opposition" in chess is actually an endgame tactic whereby you gain the opposition by moving your king in such a manner that there are an odd number of squares between your king and your opponent's king with your opponent to move. And you lose it by leaving an even number of squares between your king and your opponent's king with your opponent's turn to move.

Basically, when you win the opposition, it allows you to advance with your king in ways that lead you to advance while preventing your opponent's king from stopping your advancement.

Someone else here probably has more time and efficiency at explaining the "opposition" but it's not the opponent.

I hope you can see that opposition is a chess tactic and not an opponent from this post though.

And thank you for bearing with me even when you thought i was talking about something that means the same thing as an opponent.

I like to poker too.

You got it! And thanks for the thanks. Now, if only I can get my rating up to where yours is. 

Yes, Chess Mentor is awesome. I haven't used it as much as I should yet, but each time I have, I've learned something valuable. :)

Ive been a middle school chess coach competing in a large scholastic organization, going on 10 years and here is a few:

Students grades improve. Its not that they are smarter, but increasingly understand the the consequences to good and bad desicions... bad move equates to not doing home work or not studying. Ive had D and F selfcontained students transfer to mainstream classes and get A's B's and C's.

Selfconfidence big time. When a disadvantaged kid from an at risk background beats a kid from an Academy school with every advantage in life... during big monthly scholastic chess tournys.... something that requires "brains"... not fists or physical skills...it does something to that kid.  Confidence soars. They now know that they can compete with anybody in anything if given a chance. It also doesnt hurt that they have as their biggest fans... their parent(s)... who catch the "fever" too ("Lil' Johnnie is playing chess?.... chess?!").

:)

I don't know, I'd have to say it's more of a love/hate relationship with me and chess. I love to learn, but apparently someone named Elo has it out for me.

waka, waka.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8uY79zQeak

Q: What does chess help you improve?

A: It helps you improve at playing more chess. And perhaps it's time better spent than, say, watching episodes of Star Trek Voyager on TV.
Aside from that? Probably not all that much. Chess is very esoteric in the sense that it doesn't typically have much applicability to the outside world, much like a lot of higher level mathematics. Although math actually takes some brains to do whereas it's much easier to play chess reasonably well without being particularly bright.

I do recall that those who play chess during their school years tend to make for better students (on average) than those who don't (all other things being equal), but of course correlation isn't necessarily causation, so it's quite possible that the better students are just more attracted to chess playing for whatever reason.

Also, I haven't read up a lot on this particular topic (especially lately), but I've done a little.

(Coached Chess going on 10 years (also taught at the same school for 8 years... see above post)

Nope.... their grades DO improve, because of chess. I am not quoting some study... I "see" it every year. Some kids who already have good grades play chess for me.... but it's the ones that were D and F students for years and then turn it around after playing competitive scholastic chess for a year or more....that really stand out... looking back through the years, I can still "see" their faces... and... remember some names. :)

I've been coaching elementary students for thirteen years, and I've seen these results as well.

Whats up coach? :) 

Glad to hear it. Awesome.

Chess helps with problem solving, visualizing, strategizing, anticipation, focus, concentrateing, thinking skills, have fun, and much more

+1

Does that mean I get a point

clms_chess wrote:

Soccersoccer wrote:

Chess helps with problem solving, visualizing, strategizing, anticipation, focus, concentrateing, thinking skills, have fun, and much more

+1

Lol....it means a poster (me) agrees with you :)

Chess trained me for my job. It took a long time to get there but eventually my bosses figured out I approach problems in a way no one else does. Our problem resolution area forwards all failed issues to me and I use my chess skills on them. It's a lot of fun to be paid to use my chess training.

I knew I was just joking but chess does help you with lots of stuff even if you don't see it right away

clms_chess wrote:

Lol....it means a poster (me) agrees with you :)

http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/10-big-brain-benefits-of-playing-chess very informative, enjoy

+1

wow... nice link

:) +1