Chess can Unwittingly Improve your Concentration Skills even if you only play for fun.

Chess is the big brother or big sister of checkers. The biggest difference between chess and checkers is that the various pieces on a chess set move differently from one another, and that is where chess elevates into a class of it's own. You anticipate what your opponent's strategy may be as you decide how many moves ahead you want to analyze and which combination of your pieces to move.

Chess can either be played as a board game or as a computer video game. I prefer the actual board game because of the 3rd dimensional nature and the personal interaction that is always part of the game. However playing against a computer or online against someone halfway across the world can be fun as well.

There are no dice in chess. When a board game has no dice in it has more of a chance of becoming a game of skill, achievement, chase and pursuit. Many present day video games that incorporate skill, achievement, chase and pursuit usually involve shooting, maiming, bloodletting and gore. Thankfully, chess uses none of those elements even though both sides pursue each other throughout the entire game.

Chess incorporates some classically heroic concepts. Chess pieces that have less power and mobility still have the ability to vanquish a more powerful & mobile piece. Another classic chess concept is being able to come back and win a game even when one is behind by a sizeable margin. Just as David slayed Goliath with only a slingshot, the lowest valued piece on the board, the pawn, can sometimes make it all the way to the other side of the board and instantly become equal to the highest valued piece on the board. The pawn can also guard and shield all other pieces on the board, once again setting up classic storytelling concepts such as the Mouse that removed the thorn from the Lion's paw. The interdependence between the mighty chess pieces and the less powerful ones keeps the game of chess interesting.

All chess pieces have a twin, except for the king & queen who are each one of a kind. As players learn the game they seem to develop a favorite pair of twins. Some like to hold onto their pair of rooks as long as possible, others love the power of keeping both bishops, others still love the unpredictableness of having both knights, and still others like keeping one each of the bishop and the knight. As the game progresses pieces are sacrificed for the greater goal of checkmating the opposing players king. Inevitably the favored pair may have to be individually sacrificed as each player applies pressure to the opposing players king.

"Hidden checks" in chess are the equivalent to watching someone slip on a banana peel, the opponent didn't see the hidden check coming as they lose a piece of value while being forced to move their king to safety. Speaking of Kings and Queens, women will be happy to know that the queen is the HIGHEST VALUE and MOST POWERFUL piece on the board!

A check mate means the opposing king remains under attack no matter which adjoining square they move to. Getting the opposing king into a check mate is something that is a challenge as you battle the kings supporting pieces.

Women make up a very small fraction of those who participate in chess. I find it a lost opportunity that so few women learn to play chess. Playing chess is probably one of the best ways to get to know somebody! Compared to other more acknowledged ways of socializing in public places that usually include glamming up, being bombarded by way too loud music, 5 dollar latte's, eating, getting drunk, or sitting in silence in the dark as others do all the entertaining, chess is an alternative method for finding out about a prospective friend, associate, or future mate while having low cost fun. Maybe that's why the victor gets to say "Check Mate" when they trap the opposing king. (ha ha). Besides the potential socially interactive aspects, chess is also a way to exercise your mind and civilly compete against someone else without physical confrontation.

In case you're wondering why chess is not more popular than it currently is, I can answer that. Have you ever seen an advertisement on television or radio for the game of chess? The answer is most likely no. Once the gameboard and pieces are purchased, the buyer might never buy another game of chess. Once you own a chess set you are basically playing for free, and that won't feed our corporate giants that rely on you always buying the latest and greatest version of the same product every few years. Some chess players do purchase multiple chess sets, they may also buy the chess timers used for competitive chess, or purchase and play against the computer, or purchase chess books on how to play chess or how to improve at chess. But compared to what it costs to own an X-box and all the different available games, chess is just is not a big moneymaker for a corporation so it is never hyped.

For parents who dislike watching their children text message during dinner or family time, consider learning chess yourself before encouraging your children to play. Because mom doesn't play, dad doesn't play, so the children never get to see what a great game chess is. It's up to moms to learn the game. Chess is a family activity that promotes quality time together.

A word of caution, I don't recommend chess be played between adults and underage children unless parental supervision is around. Chess can be a highly social and wonderful game, but beware that there will always be a very small percentage of the population that will use a wonderful game such as chess to gain access to underage kids.

For you teachers out there, the educational value of teaching Chess to your students may not be measureable but it probably will be a positive way for kids to learn to make decisions based on how well they have prepared. If you reward your students by occasionally treating them to a DVD movie during class, please consider teaching them to play chess as well.

Designer Chess Pieces! A chess game and it's pieces are sometimes left on display when not being used. Chess pieces and Chess Boards come in a huge variety of styles. Wood, Ceramic, Glass, Metal, Marble & Stone Chess Pieces, each in their own unique color and texture and accompanied by just as a diverse chess board enables the chess enthusiast to keep their Chess Board within easy reach at all times. Just remember to not keep the chess board and pieces within reach of the family pet or child as they may mistakenly think the chess pieces are edible. People Interested in Learning about Chess are Special People who leave positive feedback. Once my review rating reached the top 5,000 (I was 38 out of 38 at one point) my guides were spammed with bad praise, that is why I have two negatives for this review.