I had set myself a goal to make at least one post a month about how my business is going. For those who haven’t read my first post in October, I set myself on the path to be a Chess Coach. It is very clear that I have a lot of information to share about the game of Chess and I am gradually improving as a player and as a writer. In this month’s post, I would like to use some inspiration from my mother, Judena Klebs, who asked me what it is about the game of Chess that I like so much. For this reason, I have compiled a short list of the features that make Chess, as well as many variants like Shogi or Xiangqi, unique from other games.
1. There is no chance or randomness based on dice, coin flip, spinning wheel, or random number generator.
Because Chess is only based on the decisions of the players, no external elements are used. Can you imagine if Chess was like Pokemon or Final Fantasy, where a piece might capture another piece but only if dice were rolled (like the game of Risk)? Can you imagine if the king was checkmated if a coin was flipped and landed on heads? Or what if random numbers were assigned and decided where a piece moves to instead of the players deciding it? These things would ruin Chess, and people would stop playing. In fact, their presence in other games is actually disgusting, in my opinion, because then games are about getting lucky instead of winning based on skill.
2. Planning is possible
Because of the lack of random chance, as mentioned before, it is possible to plan a strategy or a plan A for my next move. Then, if, during my opponent’s turn, they make a move that ruins what I was going to do. I can make a plan B in case of this and repeat this process so that no matter what move they make, I have something ready to go. I like to plan and strategize instead of just doing what I feel like in the moment.
3. Chess is for everyone of every race, gender, financial status, and age.
Any person who can see the board and pieces can place Chess. It doesn’t really matter what you look like or how old you are. It’s also a game where men and women are completely equal because it is a sport of the mind instead of physical strength.
Some people believe that men are smarter than women at Chess. I have actually listened to different people’s opinions on this, and it is worth mentioning because it’s a persistent myth that actually motivated me to get back into the game of Chess. Part of the reason for people believing this false statement is the presence of more men who are titled players traveling the world and winning tournaments. But then elements such as how much money they have to travel or whether women are allowed to participate in certain countries become a factor. There is also the problem of sexual harassment, and women are in physical danger in many places of the world.
But you don’t have to have a lot of money to play Chess for fun with your friends and family. In fact, you can play Chess online with random strangers if you have a computer or a cell phone and an internet connection. The fact is that Chess is a game where sexism, racism, homophobia, and transphobia have no place. It’s for that reason that in my AI songs about Chess, I often mention the equality between all people.
Those are the 3 main reasons I believe Chess is set apart from other board, card, and video games. Chess is something that is more accessible and uses the mind in a way other games don’t.
Chastity White Rose 