Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Playing Chess With Women

According to Dr. Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis, there is, in males especially, the psychological “unconscious conflict” of “murdering the father.” In chess therapy, the game is believed to serve a defensive containment purpose to better manage the said unconscious tendency. While playing, the therapist may then use chess metaphors to provide fitting intervention to the internal distresses of the patient.
Chess is generally dominated by males. But nowadays, there is an increasing number of excellent or world-class female chess players and grandmasters like the Polgar sisters of Hungary. Can the “murdering the father” theory from the chess unconscious apply to women players too? Personally, I believe there could be other factors (e.g. art) involved on why women would play chess or how they’d view the King in the chess play space.
I tried chess with my daughter, Angel, when she was younger. After teaching her the basics, I eventually enrolled her in a chess tournament where she surprisingly won a medal. I noticed that, when she played chess with me, our conversations turned to fun and she’d play impulsively unable to tolerate waiting. That became an avenue for me then to teach her an important life lesson in the atmosphere and metaphors of play therapy.
Possibly, chess can be used as an adjunct to women psychotherapy. If a troubled woman is comfortable in expressing her self and her issues in playing chess, then the game could be incorporated in the sessions.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Mike Tyson Plays Chess With Muhammad Ali

World boxing champs Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali in a chess duel?  Uhmm, here's proof:

http://youtu.be/CJY8YQKFjfo

Mike Tyson, amidst his fame and luxuries in life, once confessed, "I'm bored."  Recently, he launched a TV program entitled "Being: Mike Tyson."

Sunday, October 6, 2013

A Life Lesson

Often, to learn from His moves.

Chess as Mood Therapy in Hospital

Associated Press reported that chess is being used at Siteman Cancer Center and Washington University School of Medicine.


Here's its short news article, 2009:

"A chess-playing program designed to brighten the lives of cancer patients and their caregivers will be offered soon in St. Louis. The Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine will offer 'Chess for Life' beginning Oct. 9. The program was developed in conjunction with the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.

'Chess for Life' was inspired by Siteman Cancer Center patient Jim Corbett, who found that his mood improved when he began playing chess. Corbett died last December. The program is a tribute to him."


Saturday, October 5, 2013

Chess Therapy for A Young Intellectual

One time, Mark, an Italian university-educated young man visited me in the hospital. He's hungry for chess practices and wanting to inquire about chess therapy. When he arrived, I asked him to join my group session and share a bit about himself. After a short conversation, he's truly a "philosopher" guy immersed in heady ideas and abstract concepts... But, most of all, he was seeing me for therapy. Chess therapy, in particular. Chess did fit him well. As author Ken Younos put it, "It is good therapy for philosophers to play chess."

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Life Is A Kind Of Chess



If you've read my previous posts, you'll observe that I tend to compare life to a game of chess. In chess, it's important to understand that it is you who control the pieces - how they move or what happens to them.

Rather than blaming your opponent or thinking of genes, noise, or other distractions, you're the one called to be in control and responsible for your moves to reach your goals.

This is so in real life. Our psychological and emotional well being depends on how much we understand that we're the ones responsible to control our own feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.

"Nonresponsibility" by blaming or passing on to others the moves we need to make is a favorite pastime! I believe, if one who is in therapy or great distress can establish the thinking that he's responsible for anything that happens or does not happen in his life, then he begins to go far on his journey.

Study how you move, how you feel and think, and what you do. See every defeat as an opportunity for growth. Focus on things that will help you win and reach your goals for balance and well being.