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Anyone who knows me, knows that I have backup plans for my backup plans. As a result I am rarely caught off guard.

Where did this skill come from?

Last night I realized that this viewpoint came from chess. When you play many games, and you care if you win or lose (which I do), you tend to create backup plans on the board.

For instance, it’s a good idea to not leave your pieces unprotected. If a bishop is out in the middle of the board and there are no pieces guarding it, it’s open to attack.

Now you might say, “Well, no one is attacking it now. Why worry about it?”

What often happens in a game is an opponent can make use of that potential weakness and attack it while also attacking another piece. It’s difficult to defend two things at once.

So if you try to keep all your pieces connected, making sure they are protecting each other, you have a built in backup plan. It’s like bringing that umbrella when the sky is blue.

Life is like a chess board, full of lots of activity. Each position has a lot happening, different threats and battles. You must get used to looking at it all at the same time, evaluating it as a whole. And then creating safeguards to make sure all areas are not only safe, but flourishing!

Chess gives children so much self-confidence.  In a world where they are often ignored, their viewpoints and opinions are overridden by adults on a regular basis, it is wonderfully exhilarating for them to have an area where they are king or queen.

You may think that a child needs to be a champion in order to feel great about themselves.  Actually I have found that children just need to start playing.  They get an almost cocky edge when they know a bit about the game.  It’s the slightly crooked smile that is the dead give away.

When we teach at schools we are often greeted with an enthusiastic “CHESS!!!” when we enter the room.  Some days we come in and volunteer time in order to give the children a chance to just play.

Last Wednesday we went to Delphi and I entered a lower school class of 8 year olds.  Their teacher had given us permission to take them to the library to play a little.  It was open to anyone who was interested.  We were all amazed when every single student jumped up and formed a line.  They all wanted to play.

They love to play and learn.  They love to show off their skills and try new things.

Consider teaching your children to play chess.  Allow them to be proud of every step they take, praise them and watch their self-confidence soar.

Photo: Sent in from John Sy of the Philippines

We want our children to have the best advantages in life. We want them to find and select solutions that will benefit them and others for the long term. The chess board is an excellent training field to learn problem solving skills.

Some people wait for others around them to solve their problems. They lack the confidence and courage to implement their ideas, their solutions. As a result they become far too dependent on other people.

On the chess board, you are alone. No one is there, by your side, feeding you answers or solutions to the problems that you face. You either solve the problems put to you, or you lose.

Recently an eight-year-old student asked me, “Will this position ever come up in another game?” He wanted to know how he could use the lessons learned from one game, in future ones. It was a valid concern, for most likely that exact position would never resurface. So how does one learn and improve?

The answer is that even though that one position will never come up again, you could very well see similar patterns, segments from it again and again. Once you know how to handle these, the game becomes much easier. I began showing this eight-year-old boy common themes that he’d probably seen before and would see again.

He immediately recognized the patterns and became excited. Once I showed him the best responses, he realized that he could beat other players with this knowledge. At that moment he said, “You know if I practice some of these techniques at home, I bet I could win more!”

I have to tell you that this was one of the most exciting moments for me as a chess coach. He was embracing doing chess homework and could see the benefits it would bring.

Ideally your child can go over their games with someone who is more experienced, someone who can help them spot weaknesses and strengths in their play. However, if that is not an option, they will improve simply by playing (as long as they are playing people that challenge them).

Once one knows what works and doesn’t work, one can begin to build from that and solve more difficult problems on the chess board. It gets to a point where you can look at a position and say, “Ah, there are really only three moves to consider here.” Then when you look at the choices more carefully, one move will pop out as the obvious solution. This ability to analyze is priceless.

Ever since I was a child problem solving was fun for me. It was a game that sparked a challenge deep within me, one that I relished. I wish to share that joy with the next generation.

Image by Zach Klein via Flickr

Ever sat there with your head in your hands wondering what went wrong in your business? Could it be that you just missed “the right move”?

When you play many games of chess you learn to look ahead into the future and plan several moves deep. You learn to predict outcomes. Yes, the over-the-board lessons do translate to life.

I learned to play chess when I was a little girl. I loved the game, but hated losing. I was usually the youngest person at any tournament or club event I entered and was often the only girl there. As a result other participants would gather around my table and watch my games, interested to see what I could do.

Because of the added attention I played every game to the best of my ability, treating each battle as if everything was on the line. I spent a lot of energy on each move, making sure it was the best possible move I could make in the time allotted.

And if I made a mistake in one game you’d better believe that I did everything I could to learn from that error, making sure I didn’t make it again.

I developed intricate plans and strategies, which had back-up plans in case I had missed something. Each move I made had more than one idea behind it, more than one tactic to ensure success and ultimately victory.

Now you might think with all this caution that I was a timid player. Not so! I was actually very aggressive and attacked my opponent’s king with gusto each game.

I wasn’t afraid to sacrifice a couple of pawns or even a piece to get a glorious attack. I learned which sacrifices worked and which did not lead to a win, but I enjoyed the living-on-the-edge type games the most.

When you become experienced at chess and you care about the outcome, you develop good habits in life. Today I love a challenge and will take on mammoth tasks, but will think through every step carefully.

I create back-up plans for my back-up plans and even some of those will have back-up plans. When it comes to business and marketing you can’t be shy.

Put yourself out there – live on the edge. And it isn’t that I never make mistakes, but when I do, you’d better believe that I learn from them!

Image by acpl via Flickr

Being a chess coach allows me a chance to talk to many parents around the world about how chess affects their children. I hear amazing stories from parents of children with behavioral challenges. Chess helps their kids to concentrate!

I witnessed an amazing success with one of our young students. When I started with him in one of our group classes I wasn’t sure how I would cope.

He could not sit in his seat for more than a minute. He would literally lie across his chair and drape his body across the table or just get up and disrupt the class.

Working with him in the group setting wasn’t working out. He was fast getting far behind the rest of his classmates. One day I took him aside, asking my husband to run the rest of the class and I worked with him one on one.

I had to continually direct his attention to the board and what I was teaching him. His attention would wander and I would firmly bring it back.

By the end of that class period I saw incredible improvement. He had aptitude for the game!

I was surprised to discover that he understood more than I had realized. He was actually very bright and able.

I told him that I saw this, that he was good. I let him know that I was impressed and that I expected him to learn and pay attention in class, that he could get chess and excel at it.

It wasn’t an overnight transformation, but after that class I knew that he could do it and that made a big difference.

If he acted up I would just remind him that I knew he was good at chess and then I’d get him to refocus his attention on the board. He improved rapidly and soon after he no longer disrupted the class.

Plus I could tell that he really enjoyed the classes.

I am proud to say that he sat through a tournament of ours lasting over an hour. He was very interested in each game and enjoyed himself a lot. I didn’t have to ask him to sit back in his seat once.

Chess requires a lot of imagination and creativity. The pieces only become animated when the player moves them.

There is something captivating about the game, something that draws people in and settles them down. Plus it puts the child in the driver’s seat. They are in control of those 16 pieces and 64 squares.

Parents with children with autism or Asperger’s have told me that chess made a huge difference for their children. The pride and satisfaction these children achieved were very meaningful. They could excel in chess and earn the respect of everyone around them. What an accomplishment!

The room is silent. You can literally hear the people breathing around you while you study the sixty-four checkered squares in front of you.

Glancing over at the chess clock you see you have plenty of time left in your game. A move cries out to be made, but you bide your time and check for others. You know that a move made in haste could cost your dearly.

Finally, confident that your initial idea is sound, you reach out a hand and grasp your knight, hopping it to its intended destination. There is an audible gasp from a few behind you.

You hit your clock signaling your opponent’s turn. Only then do you steal a glance at him. He meets your eyes with a look that speaks defeat. You see that he knows it is just a matter of time.

He shakes his head and stares at the hopeless position. You lean back in your chair and watch him study the board for possible flaws to your plan. There are none. It is hard to stifle the grin that threatens to spread across your face.

You glance around at your spectators. Some recognize your opponent’s fate, while others wear puzzled expressions. Two whisper to each other and finally nod their heads in understanding. One winks at you in admiration and turns to observe a game with a less determined outcome.

The fact that you are only ten years old, playing in an adult tournament, might have intimidated some, but not you. No, you know that your dedicated study and eagerness to learn the game has paid off.

You continue to improve each time you play.

Your teachers at school notice a difference, writing glowing praise home to your parents on a regular basis now. You know that you can do whatever you put your mind to do and it shows in various aspects of your life.

Your opponent shakes his head, stops the clock and reaches out his hand to you, signaling his resignation. You shake his hand, smile and offer to analyze the game with him, a ritual amongst players. He returns your smile and nods.

You know he doesn’t care about your age, because he knows your analysis will help him improve. How many activities are there where an adult would be eager to hear the thoughts of a child?

As you set up in the next room to go over the game you notice other adults have followed. They too want to hear what you have to say. There is no better feeling.

Chess develops a sense of teamwork amongst children.  After all they are the general in charge of 16 chess pieces, marshalling them all toward the enemy king’s defeat.

On the chess board, if you pick one piece to play with solely, you will discover the limits of that piece’s abilities.  Even the queen needs the other pieces to really do anything.

When you combine the forces of the chess pieces, you discover how well they work together.  For instance when you use rooks together, channeling their forces on the same rank or file (a row or column of a chess board), they are often a force to be reckoned with.

In life, teamwork is essential.  Even running a family is all about teamwork.  As a mom of three young children, I can attest that things don’t run well if there is no concept of the Sherman team.

Our children will use these skills again and again.  In school they will play sports, create science projects, conduct experiments and do all sorts of team activities.  Through chess they will see how the members work together, balancing their skills to accomplish goals.

Chess teaches patience.  There is no doubt about it.  When you play chess you must invest yourself into the game, keep your attention on the plan, the goal.  If you play well for two hours and then let your mind wander, make a poor move, you will probably lose.  Most chess players learn that lesson early.

Children have a strong desire to win.  They really don’t like to lose.

Through chess children learn to keep their focus on their goals, becoming more patient in life.  This opens new worlds for them, new interests, new ways to win in many areas.

My husband and I have seen a number of children learn patience over the chess board.  One boy’s mother excitedly pulled me aside one day and shared with me that her son played his father for over an hour after a few lessons with us.  Before that time he would make careless moves and lose interest quickly in the game.  She and her husband were amazed that their seven-year-old son could sit and play well for so long.

Another young boy, about the same age, came to us very fidgety.  He would have trouble sitting still for five minutes, let alone playing an entire game of chess.  However, after a few months, he played consistently well and for an hour or more.  I was so proud when he played in our tournaments!