Chess is one of the most popular games worldwide.
However, if you are a beginner or looking to re-study chess after several years, one of the common concerns you probably have is if spending the energy and time in playing chess will be worthwhile or not.
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So, Is Chess a Hobby Worth Pursuing?
The simple answer is yes! It’s a hobby worth playing. For most non-professional chess-professional, chess as a hobby is often played for fun and enjoyment during leisure. Playing chess is among the most rewarding hobbies one can integrate into their life. There are many benefits of playing chess ranging from practical benefits such as mental and cognitive benefits.
Chess sharpens your memory, boosts confidence, and improves cognitive and problem-solving skills. Most studies have established the positive effects of chess on our mental health and brain. Therefore, chess is a hobby that is worth pursuing.
You will also enjoy various subtle benefits, such as finding something to have fun with during your free time without involving an electronic device or smartphone.
After taking out the chess set, one can enjoy the non-technical game time rewarding for your mind and body.
Most importantly, the game comes with unpredictable fun as there are lots of ways to play the game from your first to final move.
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Why Does Chess Qualify as A Hobby?
Therefore, if you play chess regularly for enjoyment and do not generate any revenue, chess can qualify as a hobby for you.
One can, however, start chess as a hobby and then pursue the game as a career.
Lots of pro-chess players get into tutoring in their free time.
One can start coaching students at different levels helping to learn pieces and rules, prepare for the national tournaments and enhance their chess strategy.
Generally, the game is a good choice if you are searching for a perfect hobby to add to your life.
Playing chess is a famous hobby that allows one to get another individual to play with.
It’s a hobby that will teach you certain skills or add to what you have, including; pattern recognition, problem-solving, logic, and imagination.
Seven Reasons Why Chess Is Worth Pursuing
Some individuals see chess as a simple game you play to pass free time with your friends or family.
However, chess as a hobby is a game with many benefits. Here are some reasons why chess is a hobby worth pursuing.
1. Sharpens Your Memory
Playing chess requires a player to recall several patterns and tactics to win.
Applying these tactics involves stimulating your brain, which is an excellent test.
Solving the puzzles will also be a good exercise for your brain.
Like staying physically fit requires exercising your muscles, staying mentally fit requires exercising your brains.
Chess is one of the best and challenging games for sharpening memory and good for overall brain development.
2. Enhanced Concentration
In chess, one requires concentration to play the game effectively.
If you don’t put in proper concentration, you will not anticipate or analyze your opponent’s next move. When we concentrate on one thing for longer, it helps in increasing our concentration.
Chess will particularly improve your concentration.
3. Improves Your Sportsmanship Spirit
Chess is played with etiquette and in silence.
Gamers start the game by shaking hands. More so, a player is not allowed to distract opponents by any means.
Therefore, these etiquettes create a strong sportsmanship spirit in the player’s mind.
By taking the game as a hobby, you will learn good etiquette and make you a lot more polite as an individual.
If a player wants to give a draw, they have to say that softly. They should not hit the clock hard to disturb the other opponent.
One has to play their game gently without mocking their opponent.
These are some of the good etiquettes you will learn through chess.
4. Boosts Your Self-confidence
While pursuing chess, your self-confidence increases as you win games.
Even when losing, one will learn many things from their mistakes.
This helps you in improving over time as a perfect player. Chess offers you a lot of satisfaction and a special feeling.
This way, you will boost your self-confidence.
5. Enhances Your Cognitive Skills
Cognitive skills refer to brain-based skills that enable one to think, learn, reason and remember.
It’s the mental ability to do things from simple to complex tasks.
Playing chess helps you to enhance your cognitive skills.
The game challenges your brain in several ways, and the much it’s challenged, the more neural connections develop.
The number of your brain dendrites increases, ultimately contributing to your brain’s overall development.
6. Improves Your Problems Solving Skills
When pursuing chess, games use several strategies to win.
The game is dynamic, and no move is rigid or pre-planned.
Therefore, one must anticipate every opponent’s move and use tactics to solve the puzzle.
Chess games hence enhance your problem solving skills.
Try playing chess with a friend, computer, or a pro player to understand this.
7. Protects Against Dementia And ADHD
According to a 2019 scientific study, chess provides complex mental flexibility that helps in protecting older adults from dementia.
Another research study on the effect of playing chess on ADHD reveals that it helps decrease over-activity and inattentiveness.
Hence, it’s a worthy hobby to get into, even for ADHD patients.
Is It Worth Learning Chess as An Adult?
Yes, it’s worth learning the game as an adult as it decreases your risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
If you like to play chess, it’s a perfect pastime hobby even as an adult, enjoyable and full of fun.
One can even play chess with their children and encourage them to learn this brilliant game.
However, if you want to become a grandmaster in the game, it will be challenging and requires a lot of effort and practice.
Is Playing Chess a Worthwhile Career Opportunity?
Although one can start a profession to play chess, it’s a challenging route.
Also, it’s even hard to know the approximate income of playing chess.
It depends on many factors, including; the number of tournaments registered, the opponent’s rank, if there is any sponsorship, and others.
However, it’s also possible to have a job related to chess games outside the tournament and sponsorship circuit.
The most obvious job is teaching chess.
This could be a one-on-one tutoring session, writing books, strategy guides or articles, or teaching a class full of students.
More so, one can consider making money with more modern methods such as selling online classes, teaching a master class online, writing e-books, and designing chess-related decorative items, and selling them online.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, the chess game is definitely worthy of learning for it’s mental benefits and as a perfect hobby.
The most positive thing about chess is one can never get bored.
This proves to be a perfect way of spending leisure.
Playing chess will always benefit you in one way or another, particularly when it comes to your mental health.
So, don’t wait longer. Get a chess set and begin enjoying chess.
| Additional Tabletop Game Hobbies | |
|---|---|
| Backgammon | Board Games |
| Bridge | Card Games |
| Checkers | Chess |
| Cribbage | Dominoes |
| Draughts | Gambling |
| Go | Mahjong |
| Poker | Shogi |
| Shuffleboard | Table Football |
| Wargaming |