Posts Tagged ‘Mind’
Chess Tip of the Day
Todays Chess tip of the day is for students who have trouble with rash moves. Often times, a chess player will spot his or her mistake only seconds after the move has been made. This is because they then naturally think at what their opponent will do.
The Solution: Have the chess player sit on their hands.
Why: The few seconds that it takes the player to lift their hands from underneath them, may be just enough time for them to consider the consequence of the actions. Much sooner than later, the player will start to do it naturally.
Chess Quote of the Day
Chess quotes often have very deep meaning that can be related to a child’s everyday life. One of my favorite chess quotes to explain to beginning chess players is:
“If you move slower, you will win faster.”
-George Krasnopolskiy
At first glance, this seems to not make any sense. Kids often believe that by making decisions (in chess and in life) quickly will often lead them to win the game quicker. Moving slowly is counter-intuitive for most children, but a skill that is crucial for them to learn. Kids learn that if they move quickly, they often times make bad decisions that will land them in a position that is even worse than if they had not made any chess moves at all.
On the contrary, if a chess player moves slow he or she is thinking of a plan. They look for the quickest route to achieve their goals, and only when they have found that are they ready to move. When chess players do move, they end the game quicker because they have a plan and a purpose for their moves.
Good chess players learn to think ahead and move slowly, but efficiently!
Playing Chess Without a Board
Chess has been around for over 1500 years in just about every place imaginable. There was even an Earth vs. Space Chess Match held between participants on a team from an elementary school in Washington playing chess against astronaut Greg Chamitoff.
One of the most interesting things about chess is that it can be played without a board. Most people have heard phrases such as e2 to e4 and Knight c3 to d5; this is something called chess notation. Chess players use this to write down their games and be able to look over then for review later. This also allows a player to play chess in their mind, using an incredible amount of visualization and memory skills. Chess players can play chess in their minds by letting their opponent know where they have moved, in chess notation, and visualizing a chess board. Some chess player can play multiple games in their head at the same time!
Teaching your child to play chess in their mind can be one of the most challenging and rewarding things to achieve. Children have the innate ability to visualize and have the potential to increase their memory skills to incredible heights. There are special technique that I teach students that want to learn to play chess in their minds. If you are interested in learning more please contact me.
Hows does a child’s mind work when they play chess?
We all know that chess is great exercise for a child brain. This article from the New York Times goes over how scientists have used M.R.I. technology to uncover what parts of the brain are working when chess is played, along with the differences between the way beginners and advanced players think.
Every chess player advances the way they think throughout their chess career. Experience as well as proper training lead the way for for higher level thinking, but do not replace the skills children learn when they just begin. One may think of it as wearing different types of glasses. For one situation you may need reading glasses, for another sunglasses, etc. A chess player learns to recognize situations and use the proper type of thinking skills to find the best move or combination. Over time they develop a repertoire of skills and are able to develop their own unique view, which leads them to their style of play.
Checkmates USA | Creative Services by D1MA
