Why do people take chess so seriously?

[ryan711]

If you love or enjoy a hobby, you don't mind spending money. An art collector and vintage car enthusiast spends much more.

[stegemma]

I mean it's just a rather stupid game....

Yes, it's true: chess is a stupid game. The same is for any other game you can mention. Any game have something stupid in it: the game itself serves to nothing at all. The scope for playing any game is just playing and nothing else. This is very "stupid" but if there were a sense (in games) then we have not to call them "games" but "jobs".

So, stupidity is what makes a game interesting to play and not-stupidity is what make a job to be remunerated for "playing" it... and sometime very less interesting to "play".

[Albert Silver]

I mean it's just a rather stupid game.

People really spend a lot of money on this game. I mean people buy very expensive computer hardware and quite expensive programs just to be able to defeat others at chess.

But when you think about it, why spend tons of money on a game?

Well, obviously it is a trolling question, and I'll ignore the qualification of it. If you are sick of it, then by all means stop. I know GMs who stopped playing, old and new, and they had a lot more time invested in it.

As to money, I don't get it at all. Perhaps some people do spend a lot, but it is uncommon, unless you include things such as tourneys, travel, etc. But these are incidental, and not a direct cost of the game itself. Many like to choose a tournament in a nice place, and spend a week mixing tourism and chess. Can be a lot of fun.

Hobbies that tend to genuinely cost real money would be golf or photography. Photography is a lot like computer chess in one sense: many people pour money into the most expensive equipment and lenses, blaming them for their lack of skill.

[Kingghidorah]

I spent $2300 on metal detectors,some of the best in the world. What is the difference. To each his own, end of argument.

PS) And when I do have the $$ and I will I will acquire a super fast computer with ALL the programs and play against them and use it for analysis. Your understanding of human behavior baffles me. You can not be an adult with these statements.

[Kingghidorah]

I mean it's just a rather stupid game.

Hobbies that tend to genuinely cost real money would be golf or photography. Photography is a lot like computer chess in one sense: many people pour money into the most expensive equipment and lenses, blaming them for their lack of skill.

now golf is a nice sport but very expensive. You could pay $400 easily just for a driving wood. I only played once on a Par 3 and we were stoned, I got like 24 over,heehee. I used to caddy for my grandfather. Those were some of the best times of my life. I miss my grandfather very much.

[S.Taylor]

I mean it's just a rather stupid game.

People really spend a lot of money on this game. I mean people buy very expensive computer hardware and quite expensive programs just to be able to defeat others at chess.

I personally always thought that chess was one of the best tests of artificial intelligence which can be obtained through a computer brain.

I has taken mankind a very long time to get it computerized to what it has come to now. It is almost emotional, or a step up towards being spiritual, which is a great achievement for a machine.

A computer which can compose music in style of Mozart, is also a great thing, if done well. A Mozart clone in your own living room, would be quite an expensive comodoty.

[tjfroh]

Zlatnik, Everything you say is true. Fortunately, there are fools who buy chessmen,boards,computers and programs. How else would the Schwartz be able to buy Jaguar automobiles and fancy homes?

Uncle Timbo

[Uri]

Chess is too addictive and this is why I think the game is not good for your health is you take it too seriously. Chess is very addictive because you always want to play better and you are always curious about how the game will look like at perfect-play level. It is the curiosity which is addictive.

There was an article on this in Chessbase discussing addiction to the game and why it's unhealthy for you.

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7761

Also constantly playing chess has been known to mess up people's lives. I'm not sure, but I'll bet the divorce rate among addicted chess players is pretty high. It might be worth it to check on the statistics on this form of addiction and it's affect on marriage.

Some addicted chess players suffer almost a mental breakdown when they lose a game of chess. They spend unlimited hours analyzing the game and lose sleep trying to figure out where they went wrong.

http://www.chess-sets-and-more.com/chess-addiction.html

[Terry McCracken]

Chess is too addictive and this is why I think the game is not good for your health is you take it too seriously. Chess is very addictive because you always want to play better and you are always curious about how the game will look like at perfect-play level. It is the curiosity which is addictive.

There was an article on this in Chessbase discussing addiction to the game and why it's unhealthy for you.

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7761

Also constantly playing chess has been known to mess up people's lives. I'm not sure, but I'll bet the divorce rate among addicted chess players is pretty high. It might be worth it to check on the statistics on this form of addiction and it's affect on marriage.

Some addicted chess players suffer almost a mental breakdown when they lose a game of chess. They spend unlimited hours analyzing the game and lose sleep trying to figure out where they went wrong.

http://www.chess-sets-and-more.com/chess-addiction.html

I don't think this is scientific at all...infact I know it isn't.
Everyone is different. Look at Dr. Max Ewue, accomplished in many areas, boxing, fencing, aviation, chess and more and still made time for his family.

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

Chess is too addictive and this is why I think the game is not good for your health is you take it too seriously. Chess is very addictive because you always want to play better and you are always curious about how the game will look like at perfect-play level. It is the curiosity which is addictive.

There was an article on this in Chessbase discussing addiction to the game and why it's unhealthy for you.

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7761

Also constantly playing chess has been known to mess up people's lives. I'm not sure, but I'll bet the divorce rate among addicted chess players is pretty high. It might be worth it to check on the statistics on this form of addiction and it's affect on marriage.

Some addicted chess players suffer almost a mental breakdown when they lose a game of chess. They spend unlimited hours analyzing the game and lose sleep trying to figure out where they went wrong.

http://www.chess-sets-and-more.com/chess-addiction.html

I don't think this is scientific at all...infact I know it isn't.
Everyone is different. Look at Dr. Max Ewue, accomplished in many areas, boxing, fencing, aviation, chess and more and still made time for his family.

Totally agreed Terry....

I play chess all the time against all types of chess engines and I do play serious games when I have the time.....

One thing I can tell you that playing and testing the chess engines charges me with enormous amount of positive energy,both mentally and physically....

And btw,I still married regards,
Dr.D