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Revised by on Tuesday, 22 January, 2008
Chess The front cover of the August 2006 issue of Scientific American (Volume 295, Number 2) highlights an informative psychology and brain science section titled Secrets of the Expert Mind (pp. 64-71). There, author and chess player Philip E. Ross makes three (3) interesting comments: (1) the key to chess success lies in effortful study, (2) We can become good at any thing, and (3) It is motivation, not innate ability that is a more important factor for success.
Ross continues by stating, and I quote him directly: "K. Anders Ericsson of Florida State University and [Neil] Charness [argue] that there must be some other mechanism that enables experts to employ long-term memory as if it, too, were a scratch pad. Says Ericsson: "The mere demonstration that highly skilled players can play at almost their normal strength under blindfold conditions is almost impossible for chunking theory to explain because you have to know the position, then you have to explore it in your memory." Such manipulation involves changing the stored chunks, at least in some ways, a task that may be likened to reciting "Mary had a little lamb" backward. It can be done, but not easily, and certainly not without many false starts and errors. Yet grandmaster games played quickly and under blindfold conditions tend to be of surprisingly high quality."
To sum up, the goal of the game of chess is to checkmate your opponent's King. Checkmate, or just "mate", occurs when the King is attacked and unable to escape capture on the next move. As a teacher, I often included this oldest skill game in the world as one of my regular classroom subjects. In my opinion, this first-rate board game teaches the following seventeen (17) important life skills:
Analyzing a situation
Appreciating the intelligences of others
Acquiring a spirit of true sportsmanship
Best usage of computer skills
Changing one's view to find solutions
Concentration skills
Controlling various variables at the same time
Drawing conclusions
Using common sense, as often, common sense is not all that common
Expressing a viewpoint
Long-range planning
Practicing being patient
Predicting outcomes
Problem-finding and problem-solving skills
The significance of body language in communication
Using short-term and long-term memory skills, i.e., the use of memory strategies (grouping and rehearsal) and the degree of chess information that could be held in short-term memory
Working quietly ... yes, a silent board activity away from blackberries, picture phones, computers and television can be fun
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education | expertise | home | human intelligences | journal of human intelligences | journals/newspapers | learning styles | ottawa | reviews | sayings | sports & education
author index a b c d e f g h ij k l m no p qr s t uv w xyz | home | name index a b c d e f g h ij k l m no p qr s t uv w xyz
Revised by on Tuesday, 22 January, 2008