Learning chess is • page 1/2 • General Chess Discussion • lichess.org

Not a waste of time correct? LoL It makes you think. DONT THINK YOU"RE WASTING TIME LEARNING IT. You are if you just keep playing mindlessly however. It's not bad, but it can be if you play too much of it for no apparent reason.

AsDaGo

#2

The ability to play chess is the sign of a gentleman. The ability to play chess well is the sign of a wasted life.
-- Paul Morphy
[And the ability to watch Stockfish make your moves for you is a sign of no life. --Ed.]

> The ability to play chess is the sign of a gentleman. The ability to play chess well is the sign of a wasted life. -- Paul Morphy [And the ability to watch Stockfish make your moves for you is a sign of no life. --Ed.]

kindaspongey

#3

@AsDaGo said in #2:

["The ability to play chess is the sign of a gentleman. The ability
to play chess well is the sign of a wasted life."] -- Paul Morphy
That is just it. Morphy did NOT spend his life on chess. Indeed, he essentially discontinued participation in serious chess competition after 1858 (the year of his 21st birthday). I do not think that the supposed Morphy quote is authentic. I have never seen anyone identify a nineteenth century source for the supposed quote. It does not make sense that Morphy would have believed that a life (wasted or otherwise) was required to "play chess well". With most of his life (nearly all of his adult life) left to go, he had already managed to be widely recognized as the best player in the world. Morphy is reported to have thought Anderssen was a "master". Does it seem at all likely that Morphy believed that Anderssen had wasted his life?

There is a somewhat similar comment about billiards that has sometimes been attributed to Herbert Spencer. "Moderate skill in billiards implies a certain amount of mental capacity, but such skill as you have displayed is clear evidence of a misspent youth."
If I remember correctly, Spencer, in his writings, reported that someone had made a comment along those lines (about billiards), but denied that he himself had ever expressed agreement with such a sentiment.

@AsDaGo said in #2: > ["The ability to play chess is the sign of a gentleman. The ability > to play chess well is the sign of a wasted life."] -- Paul Morphy That is just it. Morphy did NOT spend his life on chess. Indeed, he essentially discontinued participation in serious chess competition after 1858 (the year of his 21st birthday). I do not think that the supposed Morphy quote is authentic. I have never seen anyone identify a nineteenth century source for the supposed quote. It does not make sense that Morphy would have believed that a life (wasted or otherwise) was required to "play chess well". With most of his life (nearly all of his adult life) left to go, he had already managed to be widely recognized as the best player in the world. Morphy is reported to have thought Anderssen was a "master". Does it seem at all likely that Morphy believed that Anderssen had wasted his life? There is a somewhat similar comment about billiards that has sometimes been attributed to Herbert Spencer. "Moderate skill in billiards implies a certain amount of mental capacity, but such skill as you have displayed is clear evidence of a misspent youth." If I remember correctly, Spencer, in his writings, reported that someone had made a comment along those lines (about billiards), but denied that he himself had ever expressed agreement with such a sentiment.

FreeGlobalMarkets

#4

I have no idea what you are saying OP. Its like a bunch of statements not properly punctuated. Can you rephrase?

kindaspongey edited

#5

I think that GrandGardenHose's message was intended (approximately) to be that "too much" "playing mindlessly ... can be" "bad", but you are not "WASTING TIME" if "LEARNING" "makes you think."

NM MrPushwood

#6

If you're learning chess so you can enjoy chess, then you're not wasting your time. If however you're learning chess because it "helps you in real life" or "improves your decision-making ability" or some other such specious nonsense...then yeah, I think you are wasting your time (or not using it very efficiently, at any rate).

drSabrotna

#7

Good for bad weather days and socializing with reasonable humans. Good for family bonding.

AsDaGo

#8

@kindaspongey said in #3:

It does not make sense that Morphy would have believed that a life (wasted or otherwise) was required to "play chess well".

Well, it could've just been a self-deprecating joke. I have no evidence that he said it, though.

@kindaspongey said in #3: > It does not make sense that Morphy would have believed that a life (wasted or otherwise) was required to "play chess well". Well, it could've just been a self-deprecating joke. I have no evidence that he said it, though.

kindaspongey edited

#9

"... wasted life" doesn't sound like an attempted joke to me, but perhaps the important point is that it seems extremely unlikely that Morphy believed the supposed quote.

Superdweil edited

#10

At the very least it has taught me to solve the captcha so I can comment here.

The comment of MrPushwood hits close to home. I suspect that the skills you develop from the game will not transfer well to other aspects of life. Then again I assume it can have positive influences on a person by nurturing patience, focus and learning from mistakes.

There are many mirrors in life and chess can provide one. That seems to have its use for me. Though it won't be a substitution for life itself.

(edit: spelling....)

At the very least it has taught me to solve the captcha so I can comment here. The comment of MrPushwood hits close to home. I suspect that the skills you develop from the game will not transfer well to other aspects of life. Then again I assume it can have positive influences on a person by nurturing patience, focus and learning from mistakes. There are many mirrors in life and chess can provide one. That seems to have its use for me. Though it won't be a substitution for life itself. (edit: spelling....)