David's Story: From Beginner to Chess Olympiad Participant
I didn’t always know how to play chess, even though to some who know me it may seem that way, because I've played the game for so long now. When I first started playing chess many years ago, before making Milford, Connecticut our family home in the USA, I was a beginner, and this is where my story starts—at the beginning. I had just started high school after doing poorly academically. I had trouble learning how to read. I was adapting to a new environment, having moved from England to Barbados, and making new friends was a challenge. I had to build confidence. In England, I’d often get into fights. One day, though, I saw chess on television. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but I fell in love with the pieces. Many years later, when I found out it was the game of chess, I finally learned to play at 13 years old—and by 17, I was a National Champion. A few short years later, I attended my first Chess Olympiad. I've traveled the world playing chess. To name a few, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Trinidad, Jamaica, Antigua, Martinique, Puerto Rico, the United States, Russia, playing many tournaments, including challenging computers and simultaneous chess which is where I’d play ten or more people at a time!
Why Chess?
So, why chess? Out of all the games in the world, why did I choose chess? When I saw it on television all those years ago, something about it just spoke to me. Maybe it was the way the pieces moved, or the level of strategy involved—I’m not sure. All I know is that from the moment I saw it, I knew that chess was the game for me.
Of course, starting out as a beginner can be frustrating. There are many rules and regulations to learn, and it can feel like you’ll never get the hang of it. But trust me—if you stick with it, it will start to click eventually. And when it does, you’ll be hooked for life like me. Nowadays, chess is more than just a game to me—it’s a passion. It’s something that brings me joy and satisfaction, even on my darkest days. It helps me think critically and sharpen my problem-solving skills–skills that come in handy in every aspect of my life whether at work or at home.
The Benefits of Chess
There are so many benefits that come with playing chess regularly. For one thing, as we aim to improve cognition and quality of life as we age, it's a great way to exercise our brain and brainpower so to speak, in a way that other activities, physical or mental, don’t necessarily do. In addition, playing chess has been shown to improve reading comprehension and memory recall—skills that certainly came in handy for me when I finally learned how to read! And speaking of school kids, studies have shown that students who play chess regularly tend to have better grades than those who don’t because chess develops critical thinking skills and concentration levels–two things that are essential for academic success.
Chess has been a huge part of my life ever since that fateful day when I first saw it on television all those years ago. It may seem like a daunting task for beginners—and make no mistake about it; starting out as a beginner can be frustrating—but trust me when I say that if you stick with it long enough, it will start to click eventually. Once you get the hang of it (and trust me; you will--especially if we work together), you’ll be hooked for life like me! Not only does playing chess provide countless benefits such as
improving cognition and quality of life or improving memory recall and reading comprehension skills—but it’s also just plain fun! So, what are you waiting for? Pick up a board today and give it a try; you might just surprise yourself at how much you enjoy it! And come
join us in person for a group chess coaching session. It's not every day that you get to be coached by a Chess Olympiad participant in person. We can be found at the Margaret Egan Recreation Center at 35 Matthew St. Room 155 on Mondays, except when closed for holidays or days off, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Click here to let us know you’re coming so we can reserve a space and a chess board for you, because space is limited.
