My opinion is that chess has a set of characteristics that makes people not feel too attracted to it. 1) as you said, the loss is purely on you, and it makes a lot of people feel stupid when they lose. People do not like that. 2) Typically it does not allow for too much socializing while playing (I said typically people). So people see as sitting and getting super serious and silent. 3) It is an aggresive game, 2 people fighting for the win, destroying each other. Some people do not like that concept for games. It is a shame, because it is a great game, probably the greatest, and if people intimidated by it could find a nice and healthy playing group, they would quickly see that is very cool and that the above does not matter. But let's face it, common unexperienced people will think: I am not gonna sit here, for one hour, serious, and feeling stupid to end up losing and confirming that I am stupid. Sadly is the line of thought.
I have learned that being afraid to lose is the worst chess position. Mikhail Tal wasn't afraid to lose. You have to be willing to play even if it means a loss for the love of the game. Thank you for your insight. The world of online chess is very competitive and it's easy to get flustered but the rush is worth it. I've played more against the AI to hone my skills before playing against humans as I've felt unworthy and unprepared to play others who have done their homework but at the end of the day ya gotta take a chance sometime.
19:25 Nicely said. I am glad I watched this lengthy video to hear your words. Actually you confirmed what I already have as my philosophy - enjoy your life and don't think much about what others may say about your hobbies or something else that makes you happy!
Watching the documentary BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD a reporter asked Fischer after he won the world championship against Spassky, Bobby what do you plan on doing now, and Bobby's response was yeah, I was thinking of playing more chess! Lol.. Excellent documentary BTW for those that haven't seen it. It focuses on the '72 match between Fischer n Spassky and the aftermath. I think it was well done.
It must not be forgotten that Chess, wonderful tho it may be, is just a GAME...to be enjoyed as a challenging medium of...Fun, Amusement and Sociability. Just like Life...Chess should not be taken Too seriously...imho. 🤗
Funny that just this week I started writing a chess yearbook with analyses of all my important games from last year, and before digging into the games I started writing something about why I'm playing chess again, what it is that I want from the experience, and how can I turn my chess practice into a regular part of my life regardless of my game results. I think I'm in it to learn more about the game in every aspect, from how to beat the Sicilian Najdorf to how have chess pieces evolved stylistically through history. I think learning to appreciate new aspects of the game other than game results is an excellent way to keep the game useful and interesting in my life.
'appreciate new aspects of the game' --> Chess has no aspects other than middlegame and endgame to appreciate. Chess is dumb and dead game that will and should be replaced by chess960. World chess champions are cheaters: - Magnus Carlsen cheated Alireza Firouzja, Danya Naroditsky, and Ian Nepomniachtchi. - Garry Kasparov cheated Judit Polgar and thus is a traitor to Jews. World chess960 champions are honest people who instead CORRECTLY accuse others of cheating: - Bobby Fischer accused Tigran V Petrosian. - Wesley So accused Tigran L Petrosian. Hikaru Nakamura is just the rapid WFRCC and is a traitor to the US for siding with Magnus over Hans Niemann. GOD BLESS AMERICA. Source: ZS4ZPF
Knowledge comes from losses. This is the beauty of development in any area of interest. I play as I get time around a career, family and even other hobbies. i don’t have the time to grow as often as I’d like but I also luckily derive my identity from a combination of achievements rather than just chess. It’s a really great game for all ages and I love my time at the board and following chess news, etc.
You are right, knowledge comes from losses. I come at this from a different angle. I like to think I used to be pretty good at chess, I used to have a regular daily opponent who I thought was also good but eventually i was winning so often that I lost interest in winning or losing and started to experiment with different ways of attack and defence and risks. The journey became more important than the destination. I naturally started losing more often and accepted that, but I realised later on, that I'd ruined my game discipline and started a bad habit. I now found it difficult to play to win and keep focus on the opponent. I've been trying to get out of this rut ever since.
This is simple... Chess is not easy, it can be difficult and until you start winning it's not fun. I've played chess throughout the years and I've always considered it a competition, every game! Losing sucks and if you keep losing most will just give it up. I still get nervous before I play. If you're good at chess then it can be fun, but it takes a long while to become good and most will just give it up before that happens. It challenges the brain and I think that part is why many don't consider it a game.
I fully agree with you! It helps me when I play on selectively placing my happiness of the game strictly on the opportunity to have before me a moment in time when I can make a choice that I can follow through and at the same time my life not being any worse if that decision wasn't the best. I have a choice to choose, and see where those choices take me!
Many good comments here but in my opinion, if you want to become a decent chess player, you have to study your games... Especially your losses! You need to understand what you did wrong when you lose. Most people just want to play another game and just lose again. Chess takes work. My problem is finding someone who wants to help me learn, and I certainly don't want to pay for it so... Yeah. I go over my losses with the computer but that is not as good as having a person actually explain to you how you should think about your moves. Chess can be fun but, it's not that easy and you need to put a lot of time into it if you want to get better 👍
I can honestly say the biggest thing that stops me from playing more is having to play online. I live in a rural farming community and there just isn't anyone locally that I have met to play with. I prefer to sit down face to face with my opponent and play over the board. It doesn't matter what you're playing online anymore everything is so rampant with cheaters it takes all the pleasure out of the game. I don't have any problem with losing, I lose the vast majority of my games. I play the game simply because I love the game. I just have no interest in making time to play online and have to wonder every game if the person I'm playing is cheating because that ruins the game for me.
I sympathise entirely with your point of view. A friendly game with a real person is very enjoyable. If you play an individual often enough you learn a lot about that person from the way he plays. It's part of the game to me. I also think clock chess spoils your game, you get used to moving without being able to fully think through moves so you play sloppy when you stop playing with a clock. The usual use of a clock makes online games less appetising.
Good opinions 👏 I would add that Chess is a sophisticated game with too much to learn if one wants to reach a good level, most people want to play something which doesn't need much learning. I started playing in tournaments then I found myself losing consequently due to opening moves and traps which my opponents knew well, and I found it dull to lose from the beginning because I don't know much of the openings, so I decided to withdraw until I have learnt enough of theory, which I'm currently working on.
'Chess is a sophisticated game' --> No it's not. Chess is dumb and dead game that will and should be replaced by chess960. World chess champions are cheaters: - Magnus Carlsen cheated Alireza Firouzja, Danya Naroditsky, and Ian Nepomniachtchi. - Garry Kasparov cheated Judit Polgar and thus is a traitor to Jews. World chess960 champions are honest people who instead CORRECTLY accuse others of cheating: - Bobby Fischer accused Tigran V Petrosian. - Wesley So accused Tigran L Petrosian. Hikaru Nakamura is just the rapid WFRCC and is a traitor to the US for siding with Magnus over Hans Niemann. GOD BLESS AMERICA. Source: ZS4ZPF
I think what you are doing is thinking too much about opening and developing your own pieces so neglecting what your opponent is doing. Its easy to think you can get away with this when 'combat has barely begun and it seems like a table is just being set. Address the balance with a more defensive mindset from the earliest moves, by this I don't mean concentrate on building a defensive position, I mean consider how you will need to defend against the next move your opponent will make from the one he has just done. Trying to fit an opening you have learnt about into a game regardless of what your opponent is doing will fail.
I think you hit it on the head when you noted that there is no randomness involved unlike card games, scrabble etc. which makes the loss hurt the ego more because you can’t blame it on chance. Also it is a game where various types of intelligence (memory, calculation skill, ability to visualize etc) are the skills required to play well and most people are very touchy about their intelligence and really hate to be thought to be less intelligent than someone where as they don’t generally mind as much being less strong say or athletically inclined nearly as much.
It depends which country you come from. In some cultures, particularly in Asia, southeast Asia and China, many more people are playing than in Europe. In some parts you see chess in most streets and parks. Xiangqi - Chinese chess is the most played game in the world.
I discovered I like dominoes better. But I stopped chess because it wasn’t fun I stressed over analysis and losing. I got tired of being beaten when I thought I was improving. I think I also got tired of learning things about myself.
Needing 24 minutes to summarise why people don't play chess is probably a big reason why. Shorter answer would probably be high skill ceiling and high skill gap between beginners and most people and skilled players. If it's not a close match then it's really not fun.
A lot of people are daunted by the complexity and how difficult it is to be good at it. It takes a lot of time and effort to be good at chess, time that many people don't have. It's much easier to watch TV or watch Tiktok videos. Shame.
Amazing video, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
My opinion is that chess has a set of characteristics that makes people not feel too attracted to it.
1) as you said, the loss is purely on you, and it makes a lot of people feel stupid when they lose. People do not like that.
2) Typically it does not allow for too much socializing while playing (I said typically people). So people see as sitting and getting super serious and silent.
3) It is an aggresive game, 2 people fighting for the win, destroying each other. Some people do not like that concept for games.
It is a shame, because it is a great game, probably the greatest, and if people intimidated by it could find a nice and healthy playing group, they would quickly see that is very cool and that the above does not matter. But let's face it, common unexperienced people will think: I am not gonna sit here, for one hour, serious, and feeling stupid to end up losing and confirming that I am stupid. Sadly is the line of thought.
This video got me out of a losing streak. When I’m not doing well, I really just need to remember to relax and enjoy myself.
I have learned that being afraid to lose is the worst chess position. Mikhail Tal wasn't afraid to lose. You have to be willing to play even if it means a loss for the love of the game. Thank you for your insight. The world of online chess is very competitive and it's easy to get flustered but the rush is worth it.
I've played more against the AI to hone my skills before playing against humans as I've felt unworthy and unprepared to play others who have done their homework but at the end of the day ya gotta take a chance sometime.
19:25 Nicely said. I am glad I watched this lengthy video to hear your words. Actually you confirmed what I already have as my philosophy - enjoy your life and don't think much about what others may say about your hobbies or something else that makes you happy!
Watching the documentary BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD a reporter asked Fischer after he won the world championship against Spassky, Bobby what do you plan on doing now, and Bobby's response was yeah, I was thinking of playing more chess! Lol..
Excellent documentary BTW for those that haven't seen it. It focuses on the '72 match between Fischer n Spassky and the aftermath. I think it was well done.
I remember watching that documentary! Bobby Fischer will remain a hero and a source of inspiration to many people world wide!
In my small community of 790, only 1 plays chess. You can imagine his frustration.
1 play chess and 789 play chess960? Yay! :D
@@nicbentulan No.
@@BarbinRottweiler why does the 1 player play chess instead of chess960?
It must not be forgotten that Chess, wonderful tho it may be, is just a GAME...to be enjoyed as a challenging medium of...Fun, Amusement and Sociability. Just like Life...Chess should not be taken Too seriously...imho. 🤗
Funny that just this week I started writing a chess yearbook with analyses of all my important games from last year, and before digging into the games I started writing something about why I'm playing chess again, what it is that I want from the experience, and how can I turn my chess practice into a regular part of my life regardless of my game results. I think I'm in it to learn more about the game in every aspect, from how to beat the Sicilian Najdorf to how have chess pieces evolved stylistically through history. I think learning to appreciate new aspects of the game other than game results is an excellent way to keep the game useful and interesting in my life.
'appreciate new aspects of the game' --> Chess has no aspects other than middlegame and endgame to appreciate. Chess is dumb and dead game that will and should be replaced by chess960.
World chess champions are cheaters:
- Magnus Carlsen cheated Alireza Firouzja, Danya Naroditsky, and Ian Nepomniachtchi.
- Garry Kasparov cheated Judit Polgar and thus is a traitor to Jews.
World chess960 champions are honest people who instead CORRECTLY accuse others of cheating:
- Bobby Fischer accused Tigran V Petrosian.
- Wesley So accused Tigran L Petrosian.
Hikaru Nakamura is just the rapid WFRCC and is a traitor to the US for siding with Magnus over Hans Niemann.
GOD BLESS AMERICA.
Source:
ZS4ZPF
Knowledge comes from losses. This is the beauty of development in any area of interest. I play as I get time around a career, family and even other hobbies. i don’t have the time to grow as often as I’d like but I also luckily derive my identity from a combination of achievements rather than just chess. It’s a really great game for all ages and I love my time at the board and following chess news, etc.
You are right, knowledge comes from losses. I come at this from a different angle. I like to think I used to be pretty good at chess, I used to have a regular daily opponent who I thought was also good but eventually i was winning so often that I lost interest in winning or losing and started to experiment with different ways of attack and defence and risks. The journey became more important than the destination. I naturally started losing more often and accepted that, but I realised later on, that I'd ruined my game discipline and started a bad habit. I now found it difficult to play to win and keep focus on the opponent. I've been trying to get out of this rut ever since.
This is simple... Chess is not easy, it can be difficult and until you start winning it's not fun. I've played chess throughout the years and I've always considered it a competition, every game! Losing sucks and if you keep losing most will just give it up. I still get nervous before I play. If you're good at chess then it can be fun, but it takes a long while to become good and most will just give it up before that happens. It challenges the brain and I think that part is why many don't consider it a game.
I fully agree with you! It helps me when I play on selectively placing my happiness of the game strictly on the opportunity to have before me a moment in time when I can make a choice that I can follow through and at the same time my life not being any worse if that decision wasn't the best. I have a choice to choose, and see where those choices take me!
Many good comments here but in my opinion, if you want to become a decent chess player, you have to study your games... Especially your losses!
You need to understand what you did wrong when you lose. Most people just want to play another game and just lose again. Chess takes work. My problem is finding someone who wants to help me learn, and I certainly don't want to pay for it so... Yeah. I go over my losses with the computer but that is not as good as having a person actually explain to you how you should think about your moves. Chess can be fun but, it's not that easy and you need to put a lot of time into it if you want to get better 👍
I can honestly say the biggest thing that stops me from playing more is having to play online. I live in a rural farming community and there just isn't anyone locally that I have met to play with. I prefer to sit down face to face with my opponent and play over the board. It doesn't matter what you're playing online anymore everything is so rampant with cheaters it takes all the pleasure out of the game. I don't have any problem with losing, I lose the vast majority of my games. I play the game simply because I love the game. I just have no interest in making time to play online and have to wonder every game if the person I'm playing is cheating because that ruins the game for me.
I sympathise entirely with your point of view. A friendly game with a real person is very enjoyable. If you play an individual often enough you learn a lot about that person from the way he plays. It's part of the game to me. I also think clock chess spoils your game, you get used to moving without being able to fully think through moves so you play sloppy when you stop playing with a clock. The usual use of a clock makes online games less appetising.
Good opinions 👏 I would add that Chess is a sophisticated game with too much to learn if one wants to reach a good level, most people want to play something which doesn't need much learning.
I started playing in tournaments then I found myself losing consequently due to opening moves and traps which my opponents knew well, and I found it dull to lose from the beginning because I don't know much of the openings, so I decided to withdraw until I have learnt enough of theory, which I'm currently working on.
'Chess is a sophisticated game' --> No it's not. Chess is dumb and dead game that will and should be replaced by chess960.
World chess champions are cheaters:
- Magnus Carlsen cheated Alireza Firouzja, Danya Naroditsky, and Ian Nepomniachtchi.
- Garry Kasparov cheated Judit Polgar and thus is a traitor to Jews.
World chess960 champions are honest people who instead CORRECTLY accuse others of cheating:
- Bobby Fischer accused Tigran V Petrosian.
- Wesley So accused Tigran L Petrosian.
Hikaru Nakamura is just the rapid WFRCC and is a traitor to the US for siding with Magnus over Hans Niemann.
GOD BLESS AMERICA.
Source:
ZS4ZPF
I think what you are doing is thinking too much about opening and developing your own pieces so neglecting what your opponent is doing. Its easy to think you can get away with this when 'combat has barely begun and it seems like a table is just being set. Address the balance with a more defensive mindset from the earliest moves, by this I don't mean concentrate on building a defensive position, I mean consider how you will need to defend against the next move your opponent will make from the one he has just done. Trying to fit an opening you have learnt about into a game regardless of what your opponent is doing will fail.
I think you hit it on the head when you noted that there is no randomness involved unlike card games, scrabble etc. which makes the loss hurt the ego more because you can’t blame it on chance. Also it is a game where various types of intelligence (memory, calculation skill, ability to visualize etc) are the skills required to play well and most people are very touchy about their intelligence and really hate to be thought to be less intelligent than someone where as they don’t generally mind as much being less strong say or athletically inclined nearly as much.
"Makes the loss hurt the ego" 100%
Chess has made my fps playing self take a close look at how I lose lol
Thank you
I got lucky, I got my little brother and to love chess and coincidentally a good friend of mine started his chess journey around the same time!
It depends which country you come from. In some cultures, particularly in Asia, southeast Asia and China, many more people are playing than in Europe. In some parts you see chess in most streets and parks.
Xiangqi - Chinese chess is the most played game in the world.
I discovered I like dominoes better. But I stopped chess because it wasn’t fun I stressed over analysis and losing. I got tired of being beaten when I thought I was improving. I think I also got tired of learning things about myself.
Needing 24 minutes to summarise why people don't play chess is probably a big reason why. Shorter answer would probably be high skill ceiling and high skill gap between beginners and most people and skilled players. If it's not a close match then it's really not fun.
A lot of people are daunted by the complexity and how difficult it is to be good at it. It takes a lot of time and effort to be good at chess, time that many people don't have. It's much easier to watch TV or watch Tiktok videos. Shame.
👍😊
♟👍🏼
Because they're playing chess960 because chess sucks.