3 ms·
One question is whether you can learn non-cognitive skills from chess that transfer to other fields eg. tenacity, dealing with loss, the ability to sit and thin
by Gatsky 6y ago
One question is whether you can learn non-cognitive skills from chess that transfer to other fields eg. tenacity, dealing with loss, the ability to sit and think for long periods of time. I probably had some of the most memorable failures of my sheltered life on the chess board, starting from when I got suckered with a 4 move checkmate in the first week I learned how to play.
- new2628 6y agoSome of these skills (I would add: patience, focus, controlling anger, planning a few steps ahead) definitely transfer and are especially valuable to teach to children. But all these apply at the beginning already, for champion-level play the famous Morphy quote applies: "The ability to play chess is the sign of a gentleman. The ability to play chess well is the sign of a wasted life."
- unethical_ban 6y agoRisk taking, patience, dealing with loss/intentional sacrifice, and thinking ahead are skills learned in chess - things I only realized several days ago, when picking it up again as a fun mobile game without in-app purchases. I suck at it, but by being less afraid to lose, by realizing you have to sacrifice pieces intentionally to win, I have enjoyed the game more. It is definitely a game I would promote to my future children.