by Anne Penny

Created on: August 30, 2009   Last Updated: September 05, 2009

Living wisely can only result from planning wisely, making correct choices in life and accepting and acknowledging when you have made a mistake. When that happens, you have to re-think your position, plan a new way forward and set off on a different path that will lead to the attainment of your goal.

The foregoing paragraph may be adapted to describe a game of chess: playing chess successfully can only result from planning your moves wisely, making thoughtful choices of movement and accepting graciously when you have made a mistake. When that happens, you have to consider your present position and plan a new stratagem to attain your goal.

So - does chess imitate life? Or does life imitate chess? The game began many centuries ago, possibly in India which was named in a Persian poem as being the first home of chess. Since about 500AD the basic rules and the manner in which the main pieces move have remained unchanged. Through the centuries, chess has demonstrated the power to develop its players in their ability to make balanced decisions in their lives; this transfer of skills from game to life is accessible to everyone.

The person who is seeking a way of living wisely would be wise to take a close look at this ancient game and consider how much help and training for life he, or she, could gain. Chess can be viewed simply as a board game, a harmless metaphor for war with opposing kings and their retinue battling for supremacy until one of them submits to the more powerful force.

However, there are other ways of looking at chess, particularly for the person who is seeking to strengthen his character in order to make living wisely a conscious option. Chess can be viewed as a tool, a powerful tool that can be the means of opening the mind to show new ways ahead. From the game a player can develop many life skills: making balanced judgments; developing analytical abilities; clear thinking; concentration; responsibility; humility; logical thought processes; forward planning. These among many other positive attributes that will help the individual in his wish to live wisely and more contentedly.

In chess and in life, when you are aiming for self-improvement, watch others and try to analyze how it is that they achieve their aims, whether it is winning at chess or realizing ambitions in their lives. One of the first things to do is to step back and look coolly and dispassionately at what you are heading towards. The basic rules are known: only the knight can jump

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