| People, particularly chess players themselves, say | | | | some experts think, computers are gaining 20 - |
| the darnedest things about chess and about chess | | | | 30 rating points per year, the moment will soon |
| players. Here are some of our favorite | | | | arrive when humans have no chance against the |
| misconceptions about the royal game. Some of | | | | best machines. It should not be overlooked that |
| these sayings are unquestionably off-target, some | | | | computers are always trained by teams of |
| of them are uneducated impression, and some of | | | | human specialists who program them in |
| them are controversies that might or might not | | | | psychological areas like opening repertoire. |
| be valid. 1 ) Chess is difficult to grasp. Chess may | | | | Removing this benefit would eliminate their |
| not be the easiest game to pick up, but it is far | | | | excellence. 5 ) Chess is a sport. Here we run the |
| from the most prohibitive. You have to know the | | | | peril of upsetting the many meritorious chess |
| moves of the six pieces, where the object with | | | | organizers who have spent years trying to prevail |
| the slightest significance, the Pawn, has the most | | | | upon the International Olympic Committee (IOC) |
| complex moves. Then you have to memorize the | | | | that chess should be included as an Olympic sport. |
| rules about attacking and defending the King, | | | | Lifting light pieces of wood or clicking rapidly on a |
| including castling. Then there are a few rules about | | | | computer monitor is not physically challenging |
| games where neither player wins. One side of this | | | | work. As any quantity of photos from foregone |
| myth is legitimate - - it is difficult, very difficult, to | | | | high level chess events will demonstrate, chess |
| learn to play chess well. One player in a hundred | | | | players don't always cut a lean, trim, muscular |
| achieves supremacy. 2 ) You have to be brainy | | | | profile. 6 ) Chess isn't a sport. Here we try to |
| to play chess. There is some link between chess | | | | make amends with those very same organizers |
| talent and general intelligence. Minimum smarts are | | | | who nearly convinced the IOC that chess is a |
| required. Cats and dogs will never make out the | | | | sport. Chess has been included as a medal sport |
| basics; no one has tried giving lessons to dolphins | | | | for the 2006 Asian Games. A game between two |
| and chimpanzees. Chess does involve, after all, | | | | extraordinary chess masters is full of tension, |
| using numerous advanced compartments of the | | | | where superior nerves can make the difference |
| brain as skillfully as applicable. People from all walks | | | | between a winner and an also-ran. Grandmasters |
| of life have fun playing chess, several attaining | | | | have been acknowledged to lose a lot of weight |
| mastery. Some very clever people delight in | | | | during the action of a month - long contest. 7 ) |
| playing but never progress beyond novice. 3 ) | | | | Women can't play chess as well as men. To date |
| Chess is for nerds. In fact, this isn't a | | | | it is unquestionable that women have not |
| misstatement, since chess is for everyone. It is | | | | performed as well as men in chess events. There |
| for nerds, geeks, eggheads, and boffins, as usually | | | | are many possible reasons for this. One may be |
| as it is for anyone else. People who want to call | | | | that male players are often expert at making |
| other people unpleasant names should better say, | | | | female players feel uncomfortable at chess |
| ' chess is only for nerds ', but this is plainly untrue. | | | | events. The Polgar sisters have gone a long way |
| Even if it was on target, so what? Intelligent, | | | | to convince the chess world that women can play |
| awkward, quirky people have made more | | | | very well. Perhaps one day we will discover that |
| contributions to the evolution of society than have | | | | women can even play better than men. No one |
| the rest. If they want to play chess, that ' s their | | | | really knows. |
| business. 4 ) Computers play chess better than | | | | Azlan Irda is a co-founder of for the best sports |
| people. In 2006, the finest computers play chess | | | | equipment at the best prices. Visit us for all your |
| better than 99.99% of people, but are evenly | | | | sports equipment needs. |
| leveled in games against the top humans. If, as | | | | |