Having played chess for a while, I have had many experiences with the game. In the fight to become a better player, I have also had my fair share of experiences that I feel my chess career would not be complete without. There is a famous saying about how the utmost importance should be placed more on the journey than on the destination. Don't get me wrong, the destination is an excellent motivating factor, but the journey should not be forgotten.
Everyone has their own experiences that shape the way they go about developing their chess careers. However, I feel that anyone who undergoes these 10 experiences should feel very lucky to have developed a more intimate relationship with the game of chess. I encourage all of you to share your own chess experiences in the comments below to look back to the times when this game changed your life. Here are some things everyone should experience:
1. Upsetting a very strong player.
2. Losing a completely winning position because of time.
3. Traveling outside your hometown to play in a big tournament.
4. Deciding to try out a new opening seconds before your next tournament game.
5. Watching 30 people discuss chess at the same time in a tournament hall.
6. Doing last second opening preparation for a game against a good friend or rival.
7. Discovering in post-game analysis of a game you lost that you could have won, if you had found a simple combination.
8. Discussing chess with a friend over a slice of pizza or a warm sandwich.
9. Walking around a chess store, taking a look at the wide variety of books and chess items there.
10. Watching a smile come over someone's face as you teach them something about the game that they didn't know before.
Many people say chess is just a game. But the journey you have with this game can transform your life in ways you didn't even think possible. I have won and lost my fair share of tournament games. But at the end of the day, the experiences I have had with the game are what make a lasting impression on my mind.
Feel free to share your experiences in the comments!
Everyone has their own experiences that shape the way they go about developing their chess careers. However, I feel that anyone who undergoes these 10 experiences should feel very lucky to have developed a more intimate relationship with the game of chess. I encourage all of you to share your own chess experiences in the comments below to look back to the times when this game changed your life. Here are some things everyone should experience:
1. Upsetting a very strong player.
2. Losing a completely winning position because of time.
3. Traveling outside your hometown to play in a big tournament.
4. Deciding to try out a new opening seconds before your next tournament game.
5. Watching 30 people discuss chess at the same time in a tournament hall.
6. Doing last second opening preparation for a game against a good friend or rival.
7. Discovering in post-game analysis of a game you lost that you could have won, if you had found a simple combination.
8. Discussing chess with a friend over a slice of pizza or a warm sandwich.
9. Walking around a chess store, taking a look at the wide variety of books and chess items there.
10. Watching a smile come over someone's face as you teach them something about the game that they didn't know before.
Many people say chess is just a game. But the journey you have with this game can transform your life in ways you didn't even think possible. I have won and lost my fair share of tournament games. But at the end of the day, the experiences I have had with the game are what make a lasting impression on my mind.
Feel free to share your experiences in the comments!