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Why is Chess Cool?
The Importance of Chess Aesthetics

'Chess for me is art.' - Garry Kasparov

Avid chess players will tell you that you should develop an eye for the beauty of the game that is chess. This is known as chess aesthetics. This lesson is based on Genius of Chess. Let's consider 4 ways we can see why chess is awesome:

i) hedonism (pleasure-seeking);

ii) cultural/artistic value;

iii) educational;

iv) practical value. i) Hedonism; Hedonism is the philosophy that pleasure is of the most important, and only, pursuit for a person. Bertrand Russell once wrote that strawberries, in themselves, were neither good nor bad. He went on to argue that, all other things being equal, the man who likes strawberries is at an advantage over the man who does not. He concluded: "But the man who likes them has a pleasure which the other does not have; to that extent his life is more enjoyable and he is better adapted to the world in which both must live."

As it is with strawberries, so it is with chess problems and studies. They are simply a great source of pleasure and delight to those who develop a taste for them. Quite a refined form of hedonism maybe, but one which, unlike strawberries, is readily available any time, any place. A book like Kasparian's Domination in 2545 Endgame Studies could give you hundreds of hours of entertainment and pleasure - at a price much cheaper, per hour, than strawberries. Seriously!

ii) cultural/artistic value;

What is art? The Mona Lisa is a commonly accepted, valid art form. Paintings and sculptures are considered art forms and rightly so. They exhibit the skill and genius of their makers. In this same way, so too can chess positions show the brilliance, imagination and depth of those of their composers. Some chess compositions require greater technical skill than others - the same way a child's drawing compares to Da Vinci's Vitruvius Man.

It could be argued that paintings are simply pretty, and that alone is sufficient reason for looking at them. Such a limited view of art can also be applied to chess composition. But even within these confines, there is more than enough `justification' for its existence. Problems and studies help brighten up the intellectual world. That is something of great value. The term 'art of chess' can mean two things: either true art (which is the meaning we will be using) or craft. The craft of chess, the skill by which you achieve victory, is something quite different, is it not?

iii) educational;

There is a great educational benefit for the game of chess. Logical thinking and planning ahead are just a few skills learned in the game of chess. Children also learn about feedback they get when playing chess. They can see their own thinking process, and feel responsible for their own decisions. Good problems and pretty studies are a wonderful tool for anyone attempting to teach chess to children. The puzzle aspect captures their concentration - and surprising solutions can capture their imagination.

iv) practical value. Garry Kasparov: 'I am fond of solving chess problems and, particularly, chess studies. Chess problems are full of paradoxes and original ideas.' Endgame studies are composed chess positions which have been set up as a sort of puzzle rather than an actual full game. Practically all world class players have an interest in this side of the game - it is part of what a true love for the game consists of. The correlation is very clear; a sophisticated aesthetic sense and appreciation of chess beauty go hand in hand with top class play. For those not convinced by the empirical evidence, there are several plausible reasons why looking at chess problems and studies will improve your chess:

1) It should enhance powers of chess fantasy by building up the 'vocabulary' of tactical ideas and patterns. As Kasparov put it "Chess problems are full of paradoxes and original ideas".

The Importance of Motivation

Freud once said: "Fantasy is action in rehearsal!"

Perhaps this is true. Many sports psychologists use the following equation when preparing an athlete for success:

2) Solving problems and studies requires very clear, logical, precise, goal-orientated thinking. Such thinking is very valuable, but not exclusively so, when playing chess at any level.

3) Motivation is crucial to competitive success. Developing your aesthetic sense and fantasy will enhance this motivation of yours.

Performance = Knowledge + Motivation

A player's performance in one tournament will vary entirely with his motivation. Knowledge builds up slowly over the years and doesn't vary much in a short time - whereas motivation has massive swings up and down, accounting for good and bad form. This is why you'll hear about top-notch athletes making dire mistakes. Of course, other factors like luck can play a part and the above equation only holds as a rough approximation.

The art of chess, like anything we do in life, has two general forms of motivation:

A) Power, success, glory, money, boosting the ego, winning, point scoring, increasing your ratings, etc.

B) Reasons intrinsic to the nature of chess, love of the game, pleasure from the flow of ideas, satisfaction from playing a good game, etc.

For chess, Motivation Type B is probably more crucial. If it were just a question of winning or losing, then it simply would not be worth it - I suspect many people would not play chess if it were such a difficult game with so few rewards. To make an incredible sacrifice of your queen piece, or to play the occasionally shocking or outrageous move - that is what makes the game worthwhile and exciting.

World-renowned chess player Garry Kasparov, is well aware of both types of motivation:

'I want to win, I want to beat everyone, but I want to do it in style!'

The image credit :Jonathan Levitt's book Genius of Chess, Favspotting, AndreasNilsson, photohop