Chess proves its value

Vast array of games proof of their value
Saturday, July 18, 2009 3:11 AM
By SHELBY LYMAN

A generation ago, the availability of popular games was limited.

I recall bridge and other card games, chess, checkers, backgammon, Scrabble, pool, billiards and Monopoly as domi-nating the scene.

Today, astonishingly, half of the billion downloads from the App store for the iPhone and iPod Touch are games, according to an Apple spokesman. They include about 10,000 video-game programs.

Convenience is the key for the casual player who might engage in a game a few times a day for several minutes.

But why stop to play a game in the middle of a busy day?

I recall the insight of a Moscow schoolteacher who allowed children a recess for playing chess. They returned to their schoolwork refreshed, she explained.

Games such as chess can offer a window of freedom and self-expression during a day full of more constrained and stressful activities.

The games are democratic. Neither age, wealth nor gender are essential factors.

As a protagonist, we enjoy another incarnation or alter ego of sorts.

For the moment, at least, we can control our — and our adversary’s — destiny.

Source: http://www.columbusdispatch.com