Why Strategic Theory Comes First

It is necessary to teach the strategic principles that govern sound play before students fully understand why they are necessary and effective at an experiential level. Otherwise, students tend to develop bad habits and a haphazard style of play that has no foundation upon the strategic realities inherent to the game, even if they have developed a relative, tactical proficiency. For example, teaching students to recognize tactical patterns without also providing them with a sound framework for understanding how to utilize small advantages to create a long-term, strategic plan of attack leaves them ill-prepared to counter best play. It would be analogous to teaching someone how to operate a car without teaching them the rules of the road: they might be a technically proficient operator of the motor vehicle, but they wouldn’t possess the knowledge necessary to arrive safely at their intended destination.

Indisputably, there are strategic realities inherent to the game of chess that simply must be acknowledged, regardless of native, tactical ability: for tournament play is designed to pit players of equal ability against one another; and strategy remains an essential component of effectual play. All tactical opportunities stem from sound, positional play. Therefore, finding squares that magnify the influence and mobility of one’s pieces and better coordinate their ability to flexibly shift to defend and attack is a primary strategic goal and an important weapon in a player’s arsenal of skills. King security is vital. The value of space if premier. These are important facts to remember when determining how to resolve tactical concerns. An opinion (however imperfect) based upon some well-established, strategic facts is naturally superior to an opinion based upon false assumptions devoid of strategic understanding.

Here's an example: a player is certain to lose a minor piece (knight or bishop) and figures to at least capture a pawn in exchange. His logic is indisputable, tactically--for going down 2 points is infinitely preferable to going down 3 points! Unfortunately, he neglects to consider the strategic implications of his choice--for in so capturing the pawn, he opens a file (attacking alley) that his opponent gains control of--and eventually loses the game due to this loss of space. At the highest level of chess today, computers reign tactically, but the intuitive understanding of positional play remains the province of human beings.

Finally, the grand theme of strategic theory is that, for every situation we face, there is an appropriate and effectual strategy. This notion, once ingrained, provokes an intellectually conditioned (as opposed to emotional) response to life’s many adversities. Chess teaches us about life.

Why Play Chess?

No other game mirrors life as perfectly as chess: for success is dependent upon a strong work ethic, a persevering and resilient mind set, and the ability to solve complex problems independently. Full of nuance and awash in deception, competitive play humbles the proud, teaches restraint to the impulsive, and provides ample evidence to every player that a studious, purposeful, and resilient disposition is necessary for much success. Its primary benefit as an educational tool is that it lends itself to self-mastery--for mature play is characterized by the ability to manage multiple processes at once--and to bring focus and unity to the intellectual, emotional, and psychological domains. Of course, young people develop higher order thinking skills by engaging mentors in personally meaningful conversations about concrete and abstract ideas; and this type of meta-cognition ('thinking about thinking') is necessary in order for them to learn how to correctly interpret and communicate complex ideas. Chess play inspires just such a discourse in an authentic, student-centered context: for those who love the game naturally desire to play well!

Perhaps, no better tool is available to educators to help students teach themselves about the importance of monitoring and accepting responsibility for their own choices: for in chess, the consequence of choice is immediate; and this fact alone requires students to develop emotional self-control and learn to adapt successfully to unexpected outcomes. Moreover, improved playing prowess is invariably accompanied by a growing self-confidence. In this sense, chess not only inspires critical inquiry, it teaches students to embrace adversity and view failure as a temporary but necessary stage of growth. The dedicated student quickly learns that sound play is a consequence of methodical, purposeful learning, just as sound teaching is a product of methodical, purposeful instruction.

Certainly the old adage, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him forever," suggests that teaching students how to learn (manage their own learning processes) is equally important as teaching specific skills and imparting specific knowledge. Therefore, the principal task of the chess instructor is to introduce chess as a legitimate course of academic study--to convince students that a structured and studious approach to the game results in inspired play--and that effective preparation is as much a consequence of learning the right things in the right order as playing winning chess is about making the right moves in the right order. Mature play is a product of mature cognitive function: those fully self-aware, intellectual acts that are the product of a complex mental process involving the faculties of perception, imagination, logic, and judgment.

Simply put, chess study and play improves cognitive function.