Many things are ostensibly out of human control, making it easy to perceive that external factors entirely influence your fate in life.
But…
Sometimes you’re in total control of your actions and the master of your destiny. With related positive emotions, you can develop a sense of exhilaration, escapism, and enjoyment. These markers can define life to you.
This is the flow state or optimal experience in which you function at your optimal attention, capacity, and focus. In such a state, boredom and fatigue don’t disrupt your functions. The enjoyable experience makes it easy to embark on your tasks just for the sake of it.
When you’re in the flow state, you lose yourself in the action of the moment. Your abilities, focus, and energy are matched to the activity you’re working on. The immediate environment becomes quiet, and you’re able to do things you may have perceived as difficult or impossible to do.
You become a better chess player in the flow state.
Chess players, according to an article published on The Conversation, exhibit superior cognitive abilities to their non-chess playing counterparts. Chess-playing skills have also been linked to intelligence measures such as memory, reasoning, and processing speed.
Other reasons for and benefits of playing chess include:
- Improves problem-solving skills
- Prevents Alzheimer’s disease
- Improves the memory of kids
- Improves creativity in kids
- Exercises the brain and improves focus
Whichever is your reason for playing chess or deciding to learn how to play it, you can improve your gaming skills in various ways. Here’re a few ways you can boost your chess playing skills using fun games and activities:
6 Interesting Ways to Improve Your Chess-Playing Skills
- Dancing to the beats of your favorite music
According to a study published in the Guardian, dancing can positively affect your neural processing. It can promote the development of new neural pathways running through areas of your brain experiencing dopamine-depleted blockages.
Structured dances such as ballet can promote convergent thinking, meaning you can easily find one proper answer to your problem.
However, more improvised dances such as tap or hip-hop improve divergent thinking. This is when you’re able to find several answers or solutions to a single problem.
- Play logic games or puzzles to work out your brain
Work problems backward when playing a brain-enhancing game such as:
- Rubik’s Cube
- Sudoku
- Chess, etc.
This winning strategy applies to realistic situations when engaging in strategic thinking.
Logic games or puzzles build brain muscle to help you develop new techniques for solving problems. Such games are ideal for kids aged two to eight years.
However, the entire family can have a great time playing puzzles. Designed for brain development in kids, puzzles can help develop the following skills in your kids:
- Coordination
- Spatial perception
- Problem-solving skills
- Fine motor skills
- Cognitive skills
Some puzzles to consider include:
- Board puzzles and tangrams for younger kids
- Sudoku
- Scrabble
- Crosswords
- Rubik’s cubes
- Logic puzzles
Acting as brain teasers, puzzles work for people of all ages.
- Watch or take part in cosplays
Cosplays are fun ways to engage the mind and keep yourself entertained doing something you love. The best crossbow can help you boost your chess skills. It trains the brain for better focus and performance.
- Play some soccer or football
Studies have shown that there’s a link between sports and your brain’s “executive functions.”
The brain multitasks across anticipating, moving, reacting, strategizing, and performing when in action. It takes lots of brain activity to embark on all these tasks simultaneously.
For instance, you can plan, monitor, reason, and work out problems at the same time when working in the real world. Playing a fast-moving sport such as soccer rewires your brain for faster thoughts, processing, and reactions to problems.
- Classic games such as I Spy Games
Your 5 or 12-year-old would enjoy playing the I Spy Games.
Classic games are fun games designed to sharpen your brain. They support brain development in kids, helping them to:
- Develop language
- Follow instructions
- Improve spatial awareness
- Boost focus
A book like “Where’s Waldo” is designed to help both kids and adults to find a specific item in a noisy, cluttered environment. The games boost kids’ cognitive skills and abilities.
You can also customize scavenger hunts to keep your kids or yourself engaged for hours. For instance, a themed nature scavenger hunt can involve finding the following:
- A green leaf
- A flower
- Grass
- Water
- A pink flower
- Rock
- A brown leaf
- Improvised and end games
Designed for older kids aged 6 to 12 years, improvised games are fun. They support the brain and thus helps achieve the following:
- Refine brainstorming abilities
- Improve confidence
- Enhance spontaneity and decision-making
- Enhance observation and learning abilities
Improvised games work for the entire family. What’s more, you can play them on the go, anywhere and anytime. As an example, you can improvise a one-word story to engage the entire family.
On the other hand, end games teach the power of the pieces in a game. With a proper understanding of your destination, you’re able to know where you’re going.
Endgame doesn’t necessarily translate to the end of an exciting or fun experience. The game gives room for drama and creativity, including techniques such as zugzwang and shouldering.
Study and practice to boost your endgame. Together with a guide or book on endgame tactics, you can use your chessboard to improve your playing skills.
Setup the right positions on your board to enhance retention and visualization to practice. Make sure you find a worthy opponent to begin with the endgame.
