Chess Software Teaches Life Strategy

Chess is a game my children learned early.  At just 8 and 10, they enjoy playing with each other or against the computer with the software that I’ve purchased.  It’s more of a video game than a straight chess match, so they seem to play it longer.  It just leaves me wondering if they are learning how to better their chess game with the help of this software or if they are only trying to reach the next level.

I’m not an expert chess player myself, but I enjoy the challenge of thinking ahead of my opponent and then luring them in the direction I want.  It can be great tactical information - especially if you find yourself in a business meeting that isn’t quite going the way you saw it. 

Chess is not only a great game; it’s a great analogy for life.  I would love for there to be software (and maybe a curriculum) developed around the strategic concepts involved in chess.  This way I would feel more confident that my children were going to get more than a few hours of entertainment from the game.

For now, I’ll just have to rely on the software I have found and continue to keep my eyes out for something more and better.  I’ll use our one-on-one games to push forward the chess concepts as I know them and to gauge what the computer is teaching them.  Even if it’s only where the pieces can go and when, I know it will be more than most children their ages are getting today.