Chess is one of the most popular board games in the world. Today many people play chess not just as a hobby but also as a serious tournament-level chess player. Now if you are new to chess then you might be skeptical about why so many people love chess. Why is chess so fun?
Chess is so fun because it is easy to learn but hard to master, which makes it more interesting and challenging. Hardly any luck is involved in it and chances of the same game getting repeated twice is highly unlikely.
Want more clarification on this! Plus the reasons that make chess so fun then, continue reading till the end!
Table of Contents
What Makes A Game Fun?
Before we discuss why chess is so fun, it is important to know what actually makes any game fun.
A game that is easy to learn will surely attract lots of people. But only being easy doesn’t make it fun. It also has to be interesting and little bit challenging. Chess is the perfect example of this concept.
Here’s a video by Big Think, which explains the actual reasons for what makes a game fun. Watching this video you would be able to correlate them with chess.
Now let’s discuss the reasons one by one, which makes chess so fun.
Here are the reasons why is chess so fun.
1. Chess Is Easy To Learn And Challenging
Even a small kid can learn the basic rules of chess and start playing chess. To start a chess game all you require is a chess set.
Read More: Recommended Best Chess Sets For Beginners
Also, you can also play online against a computer or a real opponent. So chess is definitely an easy to learn and easy-to-start game.
At the same time chess is a challenging game.
With every move, you have to think, you have to make a plan to trap your opponent, to attack, to defend yourself, and a lot more things. Finally, reaching the ultimate goal of checkmating your opponent.
Moreover, as you go deeper and deeper it starts to become complex.
If you want to master chess it takes lots of time. Becoming a Chess Grandmaster (yes, you guessed it right, the highest chess title) takes lots of years of practice and dedication.
In my article Is Chess Difficult To Learn? (All You Need To Know) I have clarified whether it is easy or hard to learn chess along with giving a complete overview of it. So you can check that out if interested.
Thus, chess, being an easy to learn but challenging and hard to master game, makes it fun to play.
Also Read: Can Chess Increase IQ?
2. Hardly Any Luck Is Involved In Chess
In general, (apart from the first-move advantage) there is no luck involved in chess because nothing is hidden. You have the chess boards, the chess pieces right in front of you and it now depends on you how you play the game.
It depends on your skills how you evaluate the positions, how you make better move selection.
In simple words, when we say luck that means the result of the game doesn’t depend on you. The winning and losing become a probability. Right?
The best example is games involving rolling of dice. There is no such things in chess.
However, as we dig in deeper, analyzing things in a more complex way then some luck can be noticed.
There is the first-move advantage in chess which means the player who gets the chance of making the first move gets the chance of playing with white.
As per Wikipedia, the white’s winning percentage is 52-56, over the black.
So stats show that players with white pieces have slightly more winning percentages than the player with black pieces.
But this kind of luck involvement doesn’t affect the game so much. Still, your playing skill matters and becomes the deciding factor. So it can be said that hardly any luck is involved in chess!
3. Chances Of The Same Game Getting Repeated Twice Is Highly Unlikely
This is the fact that I will reveal now that might blow your mind.
There is a total of 10^120 possible chess games. The number of atoms in the observable universe is roughly around 10^78 to 10^82.
The universe is so vast and the atoms are so tiny. So you can just imagine how many atoms it would require to fill this whole universe.
But the number of possible chess games is way more than that! (isn’t it a mind blowing fact?)
Now just think that you and your opponent start playing chess then what are the chances of the same game getting repeated twice? Almost negligible, isn’t it? (unless you both deliberately try to do so!).
So this fact also makes chess so fun.
Each game in chess is unique and on top of that, it doesn’t mean that all of them are totally different. The patterns often repeated.
So it is also easier for you to relate and remember the things and play accordingly. Really speaking, while I am writing all these I am also fascinated by the beauty of chess.
4. You Can Play Chess Anywhere And Anytime
For playing chess you only require your mind and the internet. Online chess games are more popular then it was before.
The ability to play chess anywhere and anytime is really great fun. You can share the link of the online chess platforms with your friends and then just play together even if you both are a wide distance apart.
This fact is such a cool thing, isn’t it? Yes playing on the table with the chess pieces has a different kind of feeling. And if you don’t like online chess then don’t worry.
There are handy travel chess sets available which you can take anywhere and play even while travelling.
Since the board is of magnetic nature the pieces won’t fall off. These chess sets are called magnetic chess sets.
Moreover don’t have chess sets neither have internet connection, then also don’t worry because chess is such a game that you can even play it blindfold.
Obviously for playing that you would need to know the procedure but once you learn then you can also play with friends and family members.
You can also play chess with yourself even if you don’t have your opponent. So there are lots of options and that’s why chess is so fun.
5. There Is No Age, Gender, Or Language Barrier In Chess
Whether you are a kid or an adult, male or a female, whether you and your opponent speak the same language or different, it doesn’t matter.
You only need to know the basic chess rule and that’s it. You can play chess with anyone. That is also one of the reasons why chess is so popular worldwide.
Also Read: How Is Chess Related To Life?
6. Chess Takes Your Mind Away from Your Problems
Chess is such a game that once you get into it you forget about the rest of everything around you. Only the chessboard, the pieces, and their movement come into your mind.
I can tell you this because not just me but many other chess players have experienced this while playing the game.
This feeling of being taken away from the world also contributes to make chess so fun.
In daily life we face so many problems and issues. We spend our whole day in solving them.
But just imagine a thing that could give you a quick mental break from this world and give a great sort of enjoyment. Then wouldn’t you crave for that? Yes! absolutely.
Chess does exactly that. It helps you take your mind off for few moments while you play and not just that it also exercises your mind.
Chess is just like solving a puzzle and you already know that the mind likes to solve challenges that are neither too easy nor too hard to accomplish.
You can just open a chess game app or log in online and start playing in a few seconds. As soon as we win the game a reward mechanism comes into action.
I have discussed this in a bit more detail in my article Is Chess Addictive? (Why? And How to Get Rid Of It!). Check that out for further information.
7. Playing Chess Makes You Feel Special
Chess is a two-player game. You play with your opponent and find tricks and tips to win the chess game by checkmating your opponent.
You make plans, calculate your opponent’s move beforehand and make the moves accordingly.
Ultimately, doing all these when you win the game you feel great satisfaction and a feeling of being special.
This is because since you win the game your confidence level rises.
Apart from there is a general stereotype that chess is generally played by intelligent peoples or chess players smart and like that which is also true up to some extent.
Chess does really improve your thinking skills, creativity, and foresight. Since playing chess is like solving some puzzles so by doing so the brain gets a lot of exercises and that proves to be beneficial.
You may also like to read my article, What Does playing Chess Say About You? (11+ Qualities).
As per Wikipedia, by the 7th century AD, chess first originated.
During that time it was played by the kings. Then gradually it spread worldwide. Even after so many years still, chess is so popular.
Many movies like Queen’s Gambit, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, highlight the game of chess so much.
Knowing all these facts when you play chess you really feel that you are playing an awesome game. Isn’t it?
Conclusion
Chess is definitely an amazing game to learn. Whether you are a kid or an adult you will always enjoy playing this awesome game.
Related Questions:
Is Chess Boring?
No, chess is not boring. For newbies, it might seem boring compared to other games since it is played silently by the chess players. But once you understand how to play the game properly and start winning some games, you will start getting interested in it.
Why Is Chess So Great?
Chess has many brain benefits and there is no gender, age, language, caste, or any other barrier in chess. It only requires your skill and it also maintains the sportsmanship spirit among the players. Due to all these factors, chess is so great.
Does Being Good At Chess Mean Anything?
According to several studies, there are many positive effects of chess on the brain. So if you are a good chess player then it means you have better memory, better problem-solving skills, creativity, and intelligence than others.
Final Thoughts
So what are waiting for? Get started with your first chess game! You can also take the help of these beginner chess books:
And for more, you can check out my detailed guide on recommended best chess books for beginners.
That’s it! Hope you enjoyed reading this article.
Please share with your friends if you found this interesting. Till then, Thanks and have a nice day! 🙂
