Decision Making

Chess or Education

Growing up in a place where people give a lot of importance to education, choosing chess as a career over education seems like a road to madness. Indeed, it's a tough decision to make. Since the majority of people consider chess as a mere time pass. The only question remains whether it's worth it or not. 

When I was a devout beginner carrying chess set and challenging every local tough guys, I was firmly convinced by non chess players that I was simply crazy. As time goes on, chess had given me something back which I was highly indebted. Even though it didn't give me as well as education, it's my passion and I derive enormous pleasure and satisfaction from it.

Now the crossroad arrived. Should I continue or go back to education? To go back to education? I don't like education very much. Chess is not doing much good either. So the question is, ??. 

I arrived in chess.com. Had a few games with Grandmasters, derived enormous interests in the game, at least beaten a few games. The truth is, it's a bullet game.  Some unfair guys took away few rating points from me. They are engines if not impersonator. In either case, it was a personal disaster for me.

The question is, is it worth it. My brain screwed and gave me a suggestion to get chess.com diamond membership. The idea simply is of course listening a lot of video lectures from GM's and IM's thinking it would automatically raise 200 elo points. The weakness always remains a weakness unless and until you do something about it. I had a preference for blitz which is a disease in itself. Seriousness is a thing of the past and enjoyment the heat of the moment.

The last tournament was below elo 2000 which I had a fair chance of lifting the trophy but some stupid prodigies partially stopped me on the way not by beating me of course but by holding draws. And a draw sometimes had serious consequence which I failed to believe it. Yours truly played those games thinking it was another blitz game on the internet but alas! it was 60 minutes plus 30 seconds increment per move. Anyway in the end I saw with my own two eyes my opponent making blunders in time trouble.

The world championship match 2012 did me a lot of good things which I will not mention here for obvious reasons. I feared once again thinking Mr. Anand, the champ would lose the match to Gelfand which simply would mean a goodbye to chess once and for all. That didn't happen cos Anand or Vishy beat Boris or Gelfand who is a little older than him in the rapid playoff. 

I saw Anand very happy and was rightly so. Curiosity heightened as a result of my own thought that the next challenger would give Anand a taste of his own medicine. But and but who knows. Anand's still the champ and someone has to take that title from him cos he won't give that to anyone.  He love that title very much. Suppose Luke Mcshane ask Anand to give him his title, what do you think? Let your imaginations roar like a free lion in the jungle. Or you can simply imagine a mere 2600 grandmaster negotiating him for the title giving false promises. These are all in the mind which will probably never happen in real life.

Anyway again, chess is in no way a comparison to the supreme all rounder ie education who has been considered by young and all as the backbone to modern society. So, when somebody choose chess over anything else, he/she knows something deeper. Therefore, it's commonsense just to give respect to them. Who knows what is best today might be worse tomorrow and vice versa. The door's always open.