subject: Why Do People Play Chess [print this page] The reasons why people play chess board games will of course differ from one age group to the next. The motivation may also be different among people with different temperaments.
Chess board games may be played by people who have plenty of free time at home in order to keep from getting bored. For this purpose, not only chess itself, but any other board game may be played. This is a good way to spend the time in a productive way by stimulating their visual perception and thinking process. It is one way of practicing and developing mental alertness too.
Besides whiling away the spare time, some people like to play chess board games in order to relieve themselves of stress. How do these types of people derive relaxation from an essentially thought intensive game? The stress these people want to get rid off will usually come from problematic or irritating situations that are beyond their control and that are far from being resolved. Playing chess is one way of getting their minds out of that state of helpless suspension down to something that they can control and that will always find some resolution. Playing chess is one way to escape the seeming lack of logic in the way things develop in life. It is one way of reassuring one's self that there is still some reason left in living.
Then you have the scholars who love the chess board games for their aesthetic value. This means that they are in love with the chess pieces, the various moves that have been given to certain pieces in the game and the rules of the game. These people will probably love reading about chess just as they like playing it. They are bound to be more disposed to discuss the game than to play it. This is the type of chess lover whom you can expect to collect antique and unique chess sets.
A lot like chess buffs, but perhaps less scholarly, you will have the people who play chess board games professionally. These are people who have developed the mental and psychological habits needed to play the game well. In order to compete with any amount of success in chess competitions, a person has to develop clarity of visualization and logic. In addition to abilities that can be developed, some professional players may be blessed with a photographic memory. This means that their mind is able to retain an accurate image of the board and the way the pieces are distributed on it. By referring to this image the mind is able to visualize what the next best move might be. In effect, some chess players can see the game in their heads.
And last, but not least, you have the young children who play chess with the guidance of their teachers. Because chess board games have so much to teach a person about the correct way of reasoning, it has become a part of the education of children in most advanced societies to learn how to play chess board games.
