Playing chess taught me important life lessons about patience, resilience | Opinion

With the closure of the doors of the tournament room, the pressure mounted. It appeared that my first opponent had already thought of the next few moves.

Seeing that I was feeling the pressure, my mom got closer to me. “You know what to do,” she whispered. But the truth is, I was already struggling with too many possibilities available on the board.

“Start your clocks!” shouted the tournament organizer.

Growing up in Riverside, I first became interested in puzzles at a very young age, and I have always been able to find solutions to them. But as I grew older, I understood that there is something common for all of them: Just one definite answer. I expected life to be like that.

However, one day, I came across a perfect embodiment of life: the game of chess.

It is common to associate the game of chess with the quiet playing of two people against each other. People move their pieces, think about what they should do next and wait for their opponent’s move. From the outside, it looks boring.

What actually happens during a game of chess is strategies running through each person’s head. Each move is a combination of calculation and planning. This is a game that teaches you to look into the future. And this habit can be applied off the board.

In 2014, when I was only 7, I was first introduced to the game of chess when my mom gave me a small-page chess book. However, it was not until I entered the esports team of my high school, California Virtual Academies, that I began competing against other students and got hooked.

Since then, I have been involved in several tournaments and won several open championships.

Playing with opponents who are several decades older than I am makes me realize that the rewards of chess manifest through preparation and concentration. In this game, age is only a number.

Though I like winning tournaments, the actual value of the game is something else. Chess forces players to consider the consequences of each move. It is necessary to evaluate each opponents’ response and analyze further developments that could arise several moves down the line.

I found this sort of thinking applicable to other areas of life. Making plans for assignments, preparing for an exam and managing my schedule all require similar methods of decision-making.

Through chess, I have learned about the importance of accepting mistakes. No player can ever claim they never made a mistake while playing chess. But just because a person makes a mistake, that does not mean they should give up. In fact, there’s a famous saying in chess: “Never, ever resign.”

Patience, discipline and mental stamina improve as one plays chess. In tournaments, games may last for several hours, and players need to stay focused while evaluating different possibilities. After hard games, it is inevitable for one’s mind to become tired, which is why staying concentrated is important.

Learning this has enabled me to stay calm during times of pressure, make rational decisions and be patient when things get tough.

Right now, my aim is to obtain the national master title, a prestigious award given by the U.S. Chess Federation. I would also like to build my own chess school, to help engage people of all ages in this beautiful 64-squared game.

Life is a game of chess: Both have highs and lows, but you must remember to celebrate the little victories along the way, avoid repeating mistakes and pick yourself up after failing.

Jon Cristoff “JC” Abadesco recently graduated as valedictorian from California Virtual Academies and is a competitive chess player who has won several national chess championships.