50 hours of chess in the pocket
Chess is great, for many reasons. One of them being that my bruised and battered body can be engaged in it for hours on end, without breaking down to dust. Inspired by Dan McLaughlin – who is aiming to become a pro golfer in 10,000 hours – I’ve decided to try my luck with chess, becoming a chess master in 10,000 hours. Had I chosen something more physically demanding, my body would have dictated the pace, and there would have been a ceiling to how many hours I could put in weekly. Not so with chess! Since I was a kid I’ve had an obsession with reading. I can read for ten-fifteen hours straight, without a single break. Only the burning sensation in my stomach now and then triggers me to head to the kitchen for something quick to throw down the hatch, while continuing reading. And with chess there is plenty of reading to be done, as well as playing of course, something I can also do without compromising my fragile body.
Within the last month or so, I’ve played some few games with a friend of mine, but it wasn’t until August 21 I got serious about chess, and opened an account at Chess.com. Since then, in 6 days, I’ve been entangled in this wonderful game of kings and their servants for 50 hours, including the approximately 10 hours of friendly games in the previous three-four weeks. In other words, I’ve been able to be in chess land for 6-7 hours daily, far more than would be possible with something taking a toll on my body, and not just my brain.
At this rate I should reach my 10,000 hours in about five years, if I push it a little more, I could reach 10,000 hours before I turn forty. Now that’s an intriguing idea!