WHY CHESS AND OTHER PUZZLES?

Why Chess/Sudoku  and other puzzles, etc.?

Chess is a beautiful game where one comes across following scenarios/challenges:

·         One has to work within certain rules, and resources and constraint, in order to plan a winning campaign.  There are spatial and rule based relationships one had to factor in. One has to foresee patterns and calculate moves.

·         In addition, there is an opposing scenario on the same board, and one has to plan a strategy using prediction of a moving scenario.

·         Some positions prove simple to solve for certain players, while others become blind to the solution, simply because they are so different in mind. One has to accurately identify and value the strengths and weaknesses.

·         It is a beautiful truth that the player who understands well and does not endeavor to memorize his moves, can hold his position against anyone. Therefore, to think of a game in which a difficult move is needed to be found, is to see that those who create the moves in their minds and play over the board are most suited to finding the solutions.

·         To add to it, one has to be emotionally ready to absorb losses, plan sacrifices based on value to the outcome (and not piece value) and keep focus and concentration under stress.

·         In this process, a person becomes ready to handle any subject, analyse her weaknesses and plan competitively. To help further, chess also imparts more IQ (dendrites) and thinking pattern and concentration habits.

·         Chess, then, is a single game that can teach all higher concepts of human thought: time, continuity, planning, space, conception, imagination, even psychology!  Since it is designed like a game, and not a academic subject, it becomes easier to get child involved with interest.

Our work then becomes developing ability to transfer the intelligence to other subjects (called Transference).

Similarly, Sudoku is a math based pattern game. Unlike chess, it has a fixed solution but it tests and builds multiple types of logic. In addition, we use other pattern based or logic based puzzles to develop Logic and Analytical ability.