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Chess | Video Games | Strategy | Learning | Education
The Stalemate Debate
Chess vs. Video Games
Chess is often associated with strategy. Mastering chess requires an extensive knowledge of complex tactics and sharp analytical skills, making it the ultimate intellectual challenge among classic games.
While I was pondering possible lessons to be learned from the game of chess in a strategic challenge I am facing, the radio aired a piece of astonishing news: an 8-year-old kid has beaten a chess grandmaster during a tournament, setting a new record as the youngest player ever to defeat a grandmaster.
The announcer remarked that
“the talented kid practices 2 hours a day during schooldays, and 6–7 hours on the weekend — a striking contrast with many kids, whose parents struggle to peel them away from their gaming consoles!”
Well, I beg to differ.
Are we certain that the intellectual challenges, aesthetic stimuli, and social interactions (virtual, but still social) experienced in video games are less valuable than those encountered in chess?
Don’t misunderstand me; I’m not advocating for 6 hours in front of a gaming console as beneficial. I’m merely inviting a comparison of the value of these two activities.
What are your thoughts?
