Life is Like a Chess Game

Life is Like a Chess Game

Dr. Linda Hancock

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Hancock has written a regular weekly column entitled “All Psyched Up” for newspapers in two Canadian provinces for more than a dozen years. Over the years, her readers and clients have said that they have benefited from her common-sense solutions, wisdom, and sense of humour. Dr. Linda Hancock, the author of “Life is An Adventure…every step of the way” and “Open for Business Success” is a Registered Psychologist who has a private practice in Medicine Hat. She can be reached at 403-529-6877 or through email office@drlindahancock.com

Published

December 1 2008

The game of chess is strategic and complex. So is family life! Let us consider the similarities between the two.

The Player - Game pieces and people are unique in their size, shape and abilities. They each have at least one role to play.

Learning the rules - Chess and life are complex activities. It is therefore important to study and learn from others in order to understand what moves can be effective and how to stay out of trouble. The good news is we all have the opportunity to develop skills and improve our game!

Offence - To move forward and make progress we need to know what possibilities are available and then make plans to achieve them.

Defense - Protecting ourselves is vital for survival in chess and in life.

Strategizing - Those who do well tend to plan ahead and be proactive rather than just wait for the move of the other player and be reactive.

Teamwork - Winning in both life and chess requires working with others so the strengths of each will enhance the group effort.

Each game is unique - That's what makes it interesting!

If the parents are represented by the King and Queen; children are represented by the Pawns and adolescents are represented by the Knights, how is your family chess board set up? How would you like the board to be arranged?

The difference between family and chess is that in family, the goal would be to ensure that everyone "wins" whereas in chess only one person wins.