Creating a Special Place for Chess
Today, I want to share with you an idea that I recently learned from chess GM Nöel Studer and his new course. I have always wanted a little corner of my home to be dedicated to chess study, but with 4 kids and limited space in our house it seemed like it was just easier to study at the dinner table, or when I’m tired on the sofa or bed.
According to Studer, this is not the right way to go about it. I need to prime my brain to know when it is chess time. His arguments convinced me that it was about time that I had this space, where I can focus on chess. I also hope it will bring a sense of joy to the practice process.
Here are some pictures of how I turned this idea into a reality today.
I located an empty corner in our house (Okay, the first step of the plan was of course to convince my wife that we really needed a chess corner)
We went out and bought a desk, a bookshelf, and a lamp. I was lucky that my daughter helped me with the assembly.
The final result:
I’m now looking forward to spending some time here and solving puzzles or going through games.
I would be interested to know if you have a dedicated space in your home for chess. Or where in the house do you most often study chess?
/Martin
Neat idea (and nice setup)! This sounds very similar to other things I've heard about the psychology of study. In particular I think Joseph Campbell said something similar about having a "sacred" room where you always go and disconnect with the world to study (i.e., read myths, think, etc. in his gase). It sounds like it's even better if you can ritualize it with a certain time.
I study at a particular (designated) coffee table at home, but I have actually found the reverse to be helpful to me. I find I am so tired when I get home from work that it is hard to get chess study done. Instead, having chessbase on my laptop, keeping the current book I am reading in my backpack, and taking my puzzle notebook and pictures of the puzzles on my phone are a good way for me to work on chess during my lunch break/afternoon breaks when I get the chance.
this is a great approach & a well established practise in the Eastern world - to get into the flow for an activity, one finds or creates an environment with the right vibrations. Examples are going to a temple, library etc. where the ambience spurs your mental state conducive for that activity, be it meditation, study...