It is quite natural for any popular event or an activity to have adequate number of myths along with the reality. Everything that is practiced today is a result of a story or an incident that was unforeseen in the past. An idea that struck to someone at any point of time can only be penned down in history however with regular practice and evolution of the certain idea, it becomes the part of the present, or it becomes obsolete for the world. With the progression of that idea, there are myths and misconceptions that can generally appear in the process. As for chess, its popularity had surfaced a few myths. Today, let’s find out what are the classic myths in chess.
Adults are better in chess than children- As true as it may sound, scientists have proved that it may not be true. People thought that adults can be better players than children because of their maturity to handle situations, quick decision-making ability and higher concentration level. Recent observatory experiments conducted over various groups of children and adults proves that children are better at chess if trained rightly. They have the capability to pick up things much faster than a youth or adults. Thus, age is just a number in this case.
An experienced chess player can think beyond- A tragic misconception that prevails in the chess world among players and non-players, is experienced players have the ability to think 25-30 moves ahead of their present game scene. Actually, it all depends on the depth of thinking of an individual. In chess, just the first four moves may involve 318,979,564,000 combinations. So, it doesn’t depend on the experience of the person but the prowess to calculate and plan much ahead of the game.
The 10,000 hours golden rule- According to popular books, Malcolm Gladwell’s, Outliers: The Story of Success, a player need to play for 10,000 hours to ace the game of chess. However, according to ‘The Psychology of Chess’, a book by professor Fernand Gobet, of the University of Liverpool, some need less than 10,000 hours. He also said that “The quickest players needed only 3,000 hours of deliberate practice to reach master level,” this information is based on his research using data from the World Chess Federation.
It all depends on luck- Chess is a game that is played on the basis of regular practice, thinking ability, calculating ability, decision making capability and memory power. Luck is one criterion but can’t decide the flow of the game. It is just not enough to be lucky, you have to play a fair game to prove your worth.
It is a game of the mind- Agreed, to learn and to be a chess master, you need to train your mind to go with the flow of the game. However, it is not just the mind that needs to be fit, the body should also listen to you. Only if you're physically fit, your mind would work accordingly. As it is rightly said, a sound body has a sound mind.
You could still hear these myths, but, now you know what to believe and what not to. Children have a curious mind and Mind Mentorz help your children learn from their curiosity. We help them climb the ladder of knowledge and creativity, only to excel in their life.