Posted in Bookshelf

Chess for Success: Using an Old Game to Build New Strengths in Children and Teens by Maurice Ashley

“To me… chess was everywhere.  Its many strategic insights proved useful when applied to life, and the discipline it demanded strengthened the minds of the young people who played it.” 

My boys have finished their first year of being on the chess team and while the experience was wonderful, I thought that we would try to even out the win/loose ratio since we were on the loose/loose ratio - lol.  I knew that I my chess game had to improve in order to teach them:  opening moves, end game strategies, middle game tactics and traps.  I thought the title of this book looked promising; additionally, I thought it would give me some life applications I could apply in relation to chess.  This was it:

“…you know people who are suffering the consequences of wrong moves, poor choices and bad decisions.  You mess up and you loose.  Winning demands a tiger’s mentality.  Some poor moves can be redeemed if you keep your cool and bolster all the tenacity you can muster to turn the tables on an overconfident opponent.  There is always a redemptive quality to failure.  A fatal blunder in chess only costs one game.  The error could be analyzed, poked, prodded and discussed even laughed at.  Mistakes are not sins – they are to learn from.  After a loss, one could wipe the slate clean, set up the pieces and play again, this time with greater wisdom.”

This was an interesting read but not what I was looking for.  I don't often have time for an "interesting" read.  I was already seeing the benefits of chess and how wonderful it is for my boys to play, so I didn't need to read 4 chapters to tell me that.  What I did need that was quite helpful was Chapter 5:  “Keeping Kids Involved” which gave some great practical activities to use.  That along with “Appendix D: Recommended Books” were the only chapters that I would recommend reading, unless of course you are sitting by a pool somewhere with extra time on your hands.  Even better than reading this book would be to just play a game of chess with your kid. 

My Review:  Disappointing