What People Don’t Know About Chess

CHESS is like an unknown painting on the wall that everyone would ignore because they don’t know its beauty and importance. Only a few people who knew the painting would stop and appreciate its beauty examining every detail of it. 

Chess is a sport that is always left behind from other sports. Others don’t pay attention to it and even find it boring. Aside from everyone being quiet, people cannot cheer for the players. They would ask, “what’s so good about it when it’s just two people playing on a board?” 

It is an indoor game. This caused chess to appear like a lonely game away from crowd’s cheering like basketball and volleyball. They have no idea what’s happening inside the room. But there’s more into chess that others don’t know about. Chess is a game that could help someone in different ways. It also teaches a lesson that could be used in real life situations. 

Bea Larosa, 22, who is a non-player, knew some interesting facts about chess. “It is a board game only for two people. Alam ko rin na when they are playing, you’re not allowed to distract them whether you’re an audience or opponent. Tapos timed din yung game. What I only learned recently from a close friend is that every move pala, nililista rin.”

Chess is a board game only for two people in which each of the players take turns to move a chess piece. One player will play as white and the other will play as black. White has to play the first move according to the rule. White is known to be the attacker and sets the direction of the game. While black is known for defense that responds to the initial move of white. 

Distraction or any unnecessary noise is not allowed in real games. Some chess players are easily distracted by noise when playing which affects their concentration. Chess is a game that needs deep concentration to find the best moves. It can be a form of violation if the opponent makes unnecessary noise.

Chess can be played with or without a timer. But in real games and tournaments, using chess clocks is required. The player has to punch the clock after their move. The player can win when the opponent runs out of time. Chess can be played as short as a minute which is known as a bullet game. While a long game lasts for a few hours or even a day. 

Some games require players to record their moves especially in provincial, regional, and national games. This is done usually to look back on the moves of each player. It is used in verifying legal moves, claiming draws, and analyzing after the game. 

Misconceptions About Chess

Jao Lumalang, 21, who is also a non-player, defined chess as a strategy game that requires critical thinking and quick problem solving skills. “Everytime I see a person playing chess, I am amazed and in awe because I know that it is a game designed for smart people.”

One of the misconceptions about chess is that the players need to be smart to play it. While it is true that chess requires critical thinking and uses the mind to play, it does not necessarily mean that chess is designed for smart people. Everyone can play chess. Like other games, people just have to learn the basic rules of chess. The development will depend on the player’s effort.

Moreover, for 20-year old chess player Ralph John San Juan, it is not entirely true that all chess players are super intellectuals. “The difference lies in the creativity and tactical awareness of the person involved. I’ve played with people that play chess well but are not the brightest tools in the shed, but can beat me to it,” he said.

Likewise, Mark, 24, doesn’t consider all chess players as intelligent individuals. “There are some but not in general. The game doesn’t define someone being totally smart if they played it,” he said.

Another misconception about chess is that it is a game for men only. Mark said that chess can be played by both genders. “Judith Polgar and lots of female players around the world who played at elite level are the living proof.”

Leanne said that like other sports, chess is a game that is also applicable for women. “It does not need physical strength to play. It just needs a mind to think of possible moves. Women could win against men in playing chess based on their own chess experiences. It is not about gender.”

For Lance, chess is a board game and it is for everyone. “Even blind people play chess. It is not a physical sport where men get an advantage for their physique.”

Another misconception is that great chess players have natural born talent. Lance said that being good at chess is not a natural born talent. “Although it is a given that having a natural talent is an edge, being consistent and putting in the time also make great chess players. Everyone starts from zero.”

Likewise, Leanne agreed. “I think that chess is practiced and it is not a natural born talent. Great chess players are not some kind of genius or lucky. I believe that the skills that they have at the moment, they learned piece by piece which requires discipline. It is not god-given.”

Ianna Mae Sorrosa, 22, who is also a chess player, said that everyone has equal potential to excel in chess. “It does not run in the blood nor is it coded in the DNA. While some families may have a tradition of strong chess players, greatness is not inherited—it is earned through dedication, study, and practice. True mastery comes from effort, not just natural talent, proving that anyone, regardless of gender, can rise to the top with hard work and determination.”

John Mark Frias, 23, who is also a chess player, heard another misconception about chess, especially from non-players. “Bilang isang manlalaro ng chess, mandalas kong naririnig ang mga salitang ang boring naman nyan. ‘Di ako pwede dyan kasi sobrang inip na laro nyan. Walang cheering, ‘di pwedeng sumigaw at sumuporta sa gusto mong panoodin.” 

But Ianna totally disagreed with this, saying, “The thrill of the game is the beat of the heart. There may be no loud cheers or roaring crowds, but every move carries the weight of intense calculation, silent battles, and unshaken determination. The true excitement lies in the quiet intensity—the prayers, the manifestation, and the silent celebration of a well-executed plan. Chess is a silent party where only the sharpest minds dance if you know how to play it.”

Chess as a Financial Source

Chess is not a game that is played only to pass time, it can also be a financial source. Anyone can join tournaments. These tournaments have prizes and trophies. Leanne said that she sometimes joins tournaments when she has no money. 

“Andami rin kasi nabibigyan ng prizes sa chess. Merong tournament na nagbibigay hanggang 10th place. Pero syempre dapat magpaling ka para mapasama. Kaya nga lagi akong nagpa-practice nang nagpa-practice.”

Grand Master(GM), Women International Master(WIM), FIDE Master(FM), and others compete in different places. They usually placed at the top in these tournaments. They bring home trophies and prizes.

Chess and Memorization

Mark said something interesting about chess that others don’t know about. “They don’t know that  chess is a game of memorization and pattern recognition,” he said. 

That being said, he added that chess improves his memorization and familiarization. One of the ways to practice chess is to solve chess puzzles. Chess puzzles enhance the player’s calculation, not just in chess. When a player plays frequently, the calculation learned from solving chess puzzles can also be used for other things like studying or solving math problems. It’s no wonder why others thought that chess players are good at math.

“Kapag nakita mo na kahit once yung isang math problem and tendency non matatandaan mo na yung pattern nun. Kahit makakita ka pa ulit ng another math problem na related dun sa una mong nakita. Even though clueless ka kung paano yun i-solve, papasok pa rin sa isip mo yung pattern na ginamit mo before at kaya mo na siya i-solve,” he said

Chess as Stress Reliever

Chess can also be a stress reliever. Ianna played chess to relieve her stress. “I play bullet chess when I’m stressed to redirect my focus,” she said. The adrenaline when you play chess, especially bullet chess, makes you feel numb. Being able to guess the opponent’s moves makes you feel good. 

Leanne also played chess when she wanted to clear her mind from school activities. “Last year, when I was doing my thesis. From time to time, I play chess because I feel like I need something to clear my mind. My thesis got so overwhelming.”

Now in chess, the player doesn’t need to look for someone to play with because it has already become an e-sport where a person can play with random people online. “With the rise of online platforms like Chess.com and Lichess.org, the game has gained a massive digital following, allowing players worldwide to compete in real-time tournaments,” Ianna said.

Chess Helps in Planning Ahead

Ralph said that other people don’t know about the beauty of not knowing what will happen or its spontaneity. At the same time, this has helped him to be prepared for whatever may come. 

“Chess has endless possibilities you can play within a single match. With those possibilities, our brain has the potential to create different predictions and creative tactics. This has helped me in planning ahead of everything. Hoping for the best you never overlooked something that could either blunder you in the future,” Ralph added.

Likewise, Ianna said that chess helps her to be more of a tactical thinker, “I’ve developed the habit of planning a few moves ahead and calculating possible consequences.”

The game requires the player to think of the different possible moves and find the best move. Each move can put someone in either a good or bad position. This is the reason why it is important to carefully think about the moves. 

Playing chess is like thinking of our life decisions. There will be happenings in our life where we will have different choices but have to choose the best for us. These choices have their own consequences. Even so, we tend to risk ourselves into something that feels right to do.   

The good thing about chess is we learn from it. When we make a move that makes us lose, we don’t repeat it in the next game. We change the approach until we find the best counter. Losing will not happen again the second time around. Just like when we experience something tragic in our life, we try many ways to get through it. If we’ve done something that didn’t work for us, we try other things that could be better.      

Chess is like a painting on the wall. It’s just there, waiting for people to appreciate its beauty and importance. 

With reports from Lani S. Jagong