WP1: Life on 64 Squares
I’ve been playing chess for as long as I can remember. Starting from when I learned from my parents as a young child, stemming through my domination of my elementary and middle school tournaments, and flowing through my current position as an unremarkable chess hobbyist, the game has always been a place of personal reflection, learning, and development.
Every game that I play, I learn and grow. What was once a debilitating fear of failure has become a drive to never repeat mistakes and a strong desire to prove myself that only grows with each failure. Now, I see the idea of not trying for fear of failure in any aspect of life to be absurd, as there’s far more to be gained by learning from mistakes than by staying in one’s comfort zone. Fear of failure can be debilitating and often compounds with itself to create tragic spirals of learned helplessness and anxiety, but chess has the ability to provide individuals with the tools to reflect on, experience, understand, and welcome failure. (Martin & Marsh, Junthula)
I’ve learned to set goals, identify obstacles between myself and my goals, and eliminate these obstacles systematically until there is nothing stopping me. I’ve learned to not let initial plans blind me from new opportunities. Chess has taught me to lean on my strengths while still tending to my weaknesses. Lessons learned on the chess board bring about tremendous growth in life. (Bader)
The following annotated game is an exploration of the thought process within a game, involving the plans that are made and shattered, the arduous hours of study spent preparing, the triumphant victories, and the tragic defeats. This thought process and introspection within each game is the foundation for chess as a platform of reflection and growth. (Sala)
https://lichess.org/study/nUZ015ap
Works cited:
Sala G, Foley JP, Gobet F. The Effects of Chess Instruction on Pupils’ Cognitive and Academic Skills: State of the Art and Theoretical Challenges. Front Psychol. 2017 Feb 23;8:238. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00238. PMID: 28280476; PMCID: PMC5322219.
Andrew J. Martin & Herbert W. Marsh (2003) Fear of failure: Friend or foe?, Australian Psychologist, 38:1, 31–38, DOI: 10.1080/00050060310001706997
Junuthula, S. (2022) Effect of Fear of Failure on Teen Decision Making. Advances in Applied Sociology, 12, 439–469. doi: 10.4236/aasoci.2022.129035.
Bader, Zachary. Interview. Conducted by Daven Kashyap. 21 September 2023.
