THE INDOOR GAME I LIKE THE BEST

THE INDOOR GAME I LIKE THE BEST:

There are many indoor games. Some are ancient like chess and draught and some modern inventions like ludo, tiddlywinks and ping-pong. Some are games of pure chance like some card games and some are games of skill, like chess. All such games are meant as amusement to pass the time but some of them while giving amusement give something more.

I do not much like card games for i think that any game that depends mostly on chance very soon loses its interest. Of course there is a good deal of skill or at any rate memory ans shrewd guessing required in some card games like bridges. But after all luck has a great deal to do with winning for even the best player cannot do much with a bad hand of cards and even the worst must do something with a good hand. And whether we have a good hand or a bad hand is entirely a matter of chance. That is why i suppose people do not as rule care for card game unless they can play for money. Only gambling can keep up an interest in cards.

 My favorite indoor game is chess. Practically no chances come into chess it is nearly all pure skill. And this is what gives chess its chief interest. To be a good chess player one must have great patience must be able to look ahead and calculate what the result of every movement will be and one must have great power of concentration. A game of chess is a battle a wresting match between two minds. Although the two player sit perfectly still, and scarcely  speak a word they are engaged in an exciting mental combat. And the cleverest man wins. Chess does not need gambling to make it interesting.

So chess is not a mere amusement though it is very amusing. It is a fine from of mind exercise. It teaches one to think to calculate to look ahead to read other people's thoughts and intentions. Before he dare move a piece the player had to ask himself if i move my knight there, what will be the result? Will my opponent move up his bishop or withdraw his queen or play a pawn? If he does the first will that put my king in danger? If he does the second can i check king? If he does the third will he spoil my attack? and whatever he does what shall i do next? and so on and so on.

So for real excitement and interest and for real mental recreation give me a game of chess. When ever a get a chance. I love to play it...