Chess and Recovery

I have always been interested in strategy.  I have read countless books on the topic of strategy. Included in these books are military history, military strategy, warrior philosophy and chess books. All together I have read somewhere around 50 books to better understand strategy.

I started studying chess at the age of 28. I spent at least an hour a day learning how to play chess for over a year. Studying chess is not done exclusively by reading books. You must study tactics. In other words, you practice things like 3 and 4 move checkmates a lot. Studying chess helped improve my analytical mind tremendously. I am much better about processing and accumulating information for the purposes of making good decisions.

In my experience, to be good at chess you should attempt to excel at two things; the first of these two things is to seek and gain small advantages. The smallest advantages are the most readily conceded by your opponent. The very best players seek advantages that a lesser player would overlook. The lesser player's eye is not as well trained to see the board in the same light as masters and grandmasters do. The other thing you must excel at in chess is turn small advantages into large ones over time.

Many times in playing a game of chess I have seen small oversights in judgment lead to major shifts in the outcome of the game. These shifts can take place in as little as 3 or 4 moves. In these types of situations, what has happened is that an imbalance in the game has been achieved.  A position that would have been considered even quickly becomes one in which a particular player has a decisive advantage.

In recovery there are many small steps you can take to better manage your illness. Steps like taking your meds and getting support from close friends and family. The better you understand your own personal experience with your illness the better you can understand which steps are appropriate for you to take. In time these efforts will accumulate to become a part of major accomplishment in your journey to recovery.