@Toadofsky said in #30:
> I think NM ZugAddict did that already; but also Lichess has a "pentatonic" sound theme.
cool, we are gonna challenge each other in concerts rather than games!
I don't think chess is a waste of time. It is like a hobby, and it grows your brain.
I am inspired by chess. When I'm improvising; piano or poetry, suddenly, an idea in the Nd2 French might pop into my head! One might view this as a distraction. After all, my conscious concentration certainly goes to chess, but a pattern from the game might work its way into my piano.
This might seem weird. I don't think it is. I think that I perceive any art in a similar way - the way my brain processes beauty is the same. I find patterns everywhere. I use them in art. They find a place.
I think that if chess is good or bad within itself, the concentration I use comes from practice can be applied everywhere. Thinking hard is key to a lot of things; finding patterns is part of a lot of things. I find ways to look at patterns and things in chess. This process is fun. This, I believe is why chess is fun.
Whether something is or isn't a waste of time is largely up to the individual. I'd argue that anything you enjoy is not a waste to pursue. I mean what's the point of life if not living it?
I've seen numerous arguments as to what one "should" do with their life like pushing up certain careers over others that they deem to be more "useful" such as plumbing, construction, programming, etc... But when you boil things down, basically nothing you do matters in the grand scheme of things as benefits will be temporary.
-Pipes are going to spring a leak again.
-Buildings crumble or get torn down.
-Technology is rapidly outdated.
Etc...
Even the typical so-called "useless" careers have their benefits.
-Sports/games inspire others to better themselves and have health benefits, including mental health.
-TV/animation production is an art in itself which inspires others and people can relax/bond over them.
-Repairs can save people money and reduce waste (All too often many people have deemed everything expendable and replaceable).
etc...
(I'm purposefully stereotyping here of course because these three are a few common things people label as pointless.)
So nothing is a waste of time, nor is anything the lasting benefit people envision. That's not to say everything is ultimately going to be grim either. It's just that life is what you make of it and there's no right or wrong answers.
What I bet Morphy felt was more like a "career regret" sort of thing where he got bored of Chess and wished he did something else long before that thinking it would've been a satisfyingly lasting career. But really it's not unheard of for people to switch careers multiple times. Like assuming he took up being a lawyer instead of chess and the firm took off, what's to say that he wouldn't have wished he played chess later instead?
This is why I'm so desperate to try to stop playing, but its addictive as all hell. When I just want to rest for a moment, playing a 2:1 is always there. But objectively speaking, I could be doing far more important work.
It feels as silly as an addiction to poker, except there are no cash prizes. And every day you obsess about all the ways you can be better at a card game. There should be far more fulfilling tasks and things we can do than to confine it to 64 squares. How could it be that finding solutions to fundamental problems in mathematics and science, having real world impacts, is less important than how good you are in a boardgame?
I understand the common argument that, if you love something its not a waste of time. But I think chess has an addictive quality to it, and its not really clear whether its love or just a failure of the brain to realize its true potential instead of wasting it on chess.
Chess as a hobby though? That you play once in a while? Yes, I think that's okay. Just be careful it doesn't turn into more than that, unless you are one of those rare professionals who literally can only imagine playing chess with their lives.
Paul Morphy did a blunder to quit chess. { ?? } Chess is a great game. Chess is an art, which is misunderstood by most of the chess players.
"Choose your move carefully, in chess as in life."
https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=047438eba240de8dJmltdHM9MTY3ODE0NzIwMCZpZ3VpZD0zNTc5YTM0OC1kODk4LTY5MTgtMTYzZi1iMjY5ZDk4NjY4NWQmaW5zaWQ9NTQ5MA&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=3579a348-d898-6918-163f-b269d986685d&u=a1L2ltYWdlcy9zZWFyY2g_cT1EcmF3aW5ncyUyMG9uJTIwQ2hlc3MmRk9STT1JUUZSQkEmaWQ9NUFEMUZDRDZDMDI2MEJFQkFGOTFFQzJBNjE5OTFDMjZFQzVFMzk5MA&ntb=1
Enjoyed the article. I would like to add that despite popular belief, not all of Einstein's monumental work was done in 1905 (in a single year). Mainly, his greatest work (GR) was completed by 1917, which, in my opinion, deserves more praise than all of his 1905 work combined. Further, his end of life regrets are not a result of the choices he made (to pursue a career in physics) but more because he believed that fame is an evil thing and that it makes its recipients dumb. He seriously believed that he didn't deserve the fame he received but he would've thought the same for any other individual / profession.
Uhh, no, no, I don't think that chess is a waste of time, it is just a beautiful way to waste your lives!
I agree with you
@Kirutesh_Sekar, because chess is a beautiful way to waste your lives. And Paul Morphy was also a great player..
yes
