As a Chess player from my early years while growing up in Eastern Europe, I often get asked why I have moved towards playing Go. There is often so much comparison between the two strategic board games, that sometimes there could be a sense of rivalry between these two excellent games.
My opinion is that each one has its unique qualities and values for each player, which bring similar sense of satisfaction, improve logical thinking and offer the chance to use wood and stones, which help us to get away from digital saturation. Both games improve focused thinking and sustained concentration, which are some of the super-powers in our modern distracted world.
There are also some district differences between the games – mainly in size, number of variants, rules as well as way of thinking. As Chess is more widely popular in the West, it is more likely to find another Chess player around family gathering or the dinner table, so it also offers more opportunities to practice. Go players, on the other side are often excited when they find another Go players, because there are not so many in the West (yet).
Also, as a Go player, I firmly believe that we have a lot to learn from others. Playing Go can make you a better Chess player, because it gives you a perspective of longer-term vision, sacrifice and balanced approach. Playing Chess can teach you more about closed-space fights, survival and short-term strategies.
Because of this, I also offer Chess classes and we offer Chess boards. Chess can be a wonderful family activity any time of the year.
Check the shop page to book a Chess package .