How did the 29-year-old super talented Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky lose his life? There is concrete proof of only one thing: acute trauma. What contributed to that trauma is open to both speculation and investigation.
When parents take their child for swimming classes, they know ear infection would be a risk. They know knee injury would be a risk in a martial arts dojo. But what about chess? Do we know the risks?
Here is an attempt to create a greater understanding of the sport of chess for all newbie parents.
1 - Game result not a measure of self worth
In chess, we are dealing with raw, fragile emotions and thoughts. A punch in boxing may result in immediate visible injury to the jaw. A punch in chess leaves no clues except in the mind and heart of the victim who, most often, cannot express his pain which may last years or forever. The opponent sits barely a foot away crushing you mentally. It's not easy to play. This can build a child's self-confidence and resilience but it can also backfire. Winning is tough in chess. Losing is tougher. Psychological harm begins if self worth is attached to victories. Visit any chess tournament and you will find at least one child crying. Allowing children the freedom to lose and learn with fun is vital.
2 - Scholastic tool or professional sport
After a few levels, chess is all about studying plus practice. Chess is not a measure of intelligence. Playing well is just another ability like playing an instrument. Indian kids are already in the race for marks at school. When chess becomes another subject to study with a pass and fail parameter, the smartest of kids quit. It is best to let children avail the benefits of scholastic chess and continue playing through school years without attempting professional training unless they want to.
Chess is also a sport where the young are known to beat the older most often. This can come as a big shock to the sense of self. It also contributes to the very high dropout rate in chess. Many children quit after a few years of playing when they start losing to kids younger than them. Chess as a scholastic tool is similar to learning to drive. Professional chess is similar to Formula 1 racing. A realistic approach vis a vis goals, abilities, training and choice of tournaments is important.
3 - Child-adult interactions in chess
Open tournaments have people of all age-groups. Many children cannot cope with playing an adult in a tournament. Moreover, just like any other profession, the chess ecosystem is also driven by financial interests in relation to coaching, tournaments, educational material, etc. This can create a false idea about easy success in chess.
Neither is someone's rating or chess title a character certificate. Navigating all this requires a calm and steady approach which a chess kid is not mature enough to handle even if he becomes a Grandmaster at 13 years of age. Parents must make well-informed choices about who they themselves and their kids interact with at tournaments and in the chess world.
4 - Online exposure
The Covid-19 pandemic brought a boom in online chess. Overnight, an entire chess universe bloomed with websites for playing, training and tournaments; streaming platforms, whatsapp groups, chatrooms, social media channels, reels and videos. There is a 24x7 consumption of this chess content. Online chess addiction is a reality with youngsters playing round the clock without a break. Continuous online play pays havoc with physical health and mental balance. Falling prey to scamsters when personal financial and identity information is shared is also quite common. Drugs or continuous online playing are both equally destructive addiction.
5 - Cheating
Cheating is a monster the chess world is grappling with. Some young cheaters are not even aware that using help from an engine or AI is wrong. On the other hand, victims of cheating feel devastated with no consolation. In case, a player gets wrongly accused, it's worse. But online cheating is very difficult to prove. There is continuous effort to build stronger security systems online. OTB (over the board) players now play under continuous camera scrutiny. Tournaments have become high-security zones. The pressure is tremendous. Keeping the conversation going about cheating within the chess community can help all players even as the world body explores and implements solutions.
Parents are encouraged to interact with coaches and other chess parents to explore what is best for their child in terms of
- psychological and emotional impact of chess on individual kids
- gender biases and bullying
- pushing limits for professional success
- scholastic benefits of chess
- emotional and physical protection
- encouraging children to build strong friendships outside chess as a buffer
- online exposure in terms of both addiction to continuous playing and social media interactions
- parents are encouraged to play tournaments themselves with their children
Chess is a fantastic game and sport. Chess players of all ages walk the fragile line between sanity and insanity. On one side is magic. On the other, the deep dark abyss of delusion, depression, self-doubt and self-harm. Let's help each other and our children find and sustain the joy of chess.
(The writer is a journalist and chess player with a Masters in Child Psychology. As founder-director of Chess Club Black & White - Lucknow, her research papers are on developing analytical and lifeskills in children through chess and screen detox through board games for children.)
For response to the article, email editor@blackandwhiteindia.com.
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