Are you having any fun?

There are a lot of things that I HAVE to do in life. These things are called "chores" and by definition, they are usually tedious or routine tasks like housework. I never want chess studies to feel like chores. I understand that in order to become good at something, effort is required. Often times, when learning a sport, a phrase like "no pain, no gain" is used to motivate us to push through tough training sessions. I get it. I used to be very active in sports when I was a bit younger (now I prefer fitness that is a little kinder to my joints, but I digress). In all my years of training for races or sports events, I don't really remember a time when I was not having fun. I was motivated to go to practice because I wanted to improve. I liked the gains I was making by training, and I enjoyed learning new techniques to make me stronger and more competitive.

We know enough about human behavior to understand that people tend to remember things attached to strong emotions, but not so much the mundane things in life. Highs and lows are easily remembered, but an average day tends to fade into the background. By this logic, we will remember our greatest victories and our greatest defeats in chess. I am sure everyone can remember the details of a really embarrassing game or a game where they outwitted a stronger opponent. But what about those 100s of games played in between? I am sure repeated mistakes or repeated successful patterns are remembered over time, but I think if we keep the element of fun in the mix, we can remember tactics much faster and with less repetition.

So for all those hoping to climb the rating ladder for whatever reason, I want to suggest that you don't lose track of enjoying each game. Unfortunately, it is hard to make an emotional connection when playing online. Most players don't chat and play, but even if they did, it is tough to convey feelings through texts, and often writing is misunderstood. This is why I am promoting more over the board play. I think the social component of chess is so valuable, as I have mentioned in a previous blog post. I love when I am at the chess club and the game play is loaded with friendly banter and laughter. I really do remember my mistakes better this way. Having laughed at my blunders or made some remark about why I was giving away a piece as a gift, I do remember not to create the same mess for myself in the future.

I know I am not a grandmaster. Not many of us are. Maybe my thoughts don't seem worth listening to. But I still wanted to share. I hope you are having fun on your journey! I know I sure am! ;-)