Playing games, in general, brings about plenty of joyful things in life. Playing board games, in particular, offer you several unique life-improving benefits. Playing these games regularly is going to be a major boon to your life. If you’ve been thinking about why you should be playing board games on a regular basis, here are some of the main reasons why:

1.      It Decreases Stress and Brings Laughter

Laughter is a constant when you’re playing board games. It is a big part of enjoyable learning experiences and creativity. Having a good time and laughing, in general, will help you in eliminating stress from your life. Several studies have found that playing board games regularly will help in reducing stress.

2.      Strengthens Relationships and Brings People Closer

No one plays board games all by themselves. The foundation of playing board games is cooperation and it blossoms when you put teamwork in the mix. It helps in bringing about co-workers, strangers, and old friends together. You can make new connections by enjoying a pleasant evening with people close to you or exploring the same hobby together by playing a game that you love. The best thing about board game playing is that it offers you the perfect way to strengthen your bond with others and spend more time together in harmony.

3.      It Improves Brain Function

Playing board games offers great exercise to the brain. This is mainly down to the fact that playing helps to stimulate those areas of the brain which handle memory formation and complex thought in adults and kids. It manages to give the brain practice for important cognitive skills like decision making and problem-solving. Studies have found that individuals who play board games regularly are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease since the activity helps sharpen the mind. This also makes board games great for the elderly.

4.      Leads to Increased Happiness

When you’re playing board games, endorphins are released in the body. Endorphins are naturally occurring chemicals in the body that are responsible for making you feel good. They are responsible for invoking positive emotions in the body and improve the unconscious and conscious mind functions that will leave you content, compassionate, and cheerful.

5.      Reduces Blood Pressure

Apart from decreasing stress, releasing happy hormones, and laughing, board games are also great at managing blood pressure. When endorphins are released in the body, they help the muscles to relax and blood manages to circulate easily which helps in reducing blood pressure.

6.      They Improve Self-Confidence and Creativity

When you’re playing board games, you have the perfect opportunity to open up and connect with other people. The activity also helps adults that are timid or children that are shy to bring out their creative side. Playing board games regularly helps them to build a strong sense of individuality and creativity. This results in better self-esteem and establishing the feeling of being included and noticed.

When learning how to play chess a lot of players get stuck when trying to master the game. That isn’t uncommon, because it takes time and effort to learn how to win at chess every time. Even the best players in the world don’t win at chess every time they play, but you can learn how to win at chess fast. There are numerous chess tricks to win fast but mastering them isn’t easy or advisable for beginners. If you’re sick and tired of losing a game of chess every time you play, then you have come to the right place as we are going to highlight the best tips and tricks of chess here.

The first thing you must do when it comes to mastering how to win at chess every time is to forget about learning how to win at chess fast. You must first analyze all the pieces on the board and learn which moves can be made before you can go ahead and attack your opponent. The goal is to devise a strategy that works for you and allows you to defeat your opponent. You don’t need to master the game of chess to beat your opponent, because you can defeat your opponent by learning the basics of the game. So, without further ado, let’s get into the best tips you should know for winning at chess every time you play the game:

1. Make a Good Opening Move

The tone of the entire game is set by the first couple of moves. Hence, ensure that you make a good first move to gain control over the board. The crucial part of the board is the center and if you control the center of the board you will control the tempo of the game. When trying to beat your opponent, you must realize the value of controlling the center of the board so ensure that your first moves are suited towards giving you an advantage in the middle of the board.

2. Understand the Value of Your Pieces

When you’re playing chess, you will be trading pieces with your opponent as that is part of the game. However, you shouldn’t lose control of the game at any time. That happens when you start trading pieces that are not of equal value. A lot of players lose the game because they end up giving away their pieces and pawns for absolutely nothing of value on the board.

3. Plan an Attack on the King

You won’t manage to checkmate the king with only a single piece, because it requires a lot of other pieces working together to checkmate the king. The best strategy to checkmate the king is to have one piece defending the checking piece so that the king can’t take it. You will need to learn the art of sacrificing your pieces to break down enemy defenses.

4. Defend Your Kind at All Costs

One of the main mistakes that a lot of rookie chess players make is forgetting about defending their own king. They place all the attention on their opponent’s king and forget that they have a king that must be defended as well. You should always be on the lookout for an opponent attempting an attack on your king and the best way to defend your king is to keep it behind defensive pawns.

So, there you have it, all the best tips that you should follow if you want to win at chess every time.

When it comes to finding reasons to play chess you will come across several of them online. There is an endless list of reasons for why you should encourage your kids to play chess, and what benefits they will end up gaining from them. It stems from better grades, enhanced life skills, improved problem-solving skills, to better cognitive functioning, better memory, and improved social skills. The reasons keep on piling up, but have you seriously thought about WHY you should play chess with your children?

This is something that most parents don’t give a second thought because they think they are only playing for their kids. However, this is where they don’t see the complete picture, because when you’re playing chess you’re not just playing against your kids, but also against yourself as well. Most parents avoid playing with their kids because they don’t want to lose against them, and if you’re one of them, then this article is for you. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should play chess with your kids:

1.      Build Self-confidence

It doesn’t matter what age you’re learning to play chess; the game is known for building self-esteem and confidence in individuals. When you’re playing chess, there is no one by your side and when you lose, you must analyze the game and find out what went wrong. Analyzing the game after you have won or lost enhances your mental strength and gives you self-confidence in your abilities beyond the game.

2.      Improved Relationship with Kids

One of the main reasons why you should play chess with your kids is to develop strong bonds with them. You may think that children need time to play by themselves or with other kids, but they also need time to play with their parents as well. Sharing fun and laughter with your kids will bring you closer to them, and will also teach them basic social skills, like playing nicely with others and socializing in groups.

3.      Relieve Stress

As adults, we get tightly wound up as we must focus on every single thing and look out for our kids. That hardly leaves anytime for anything else but making time for a game of chess can provide you with the ultimate stress relief. Playing is fun and helps trigger the release of endorphins, which promote a feeling of well-being in the body and relieves stress.

4.      Prevent Alzheimer’s and Improved Brain Function

Your brain is a muscle and it works like one as well. You need to exercise the brain just like any other muscle, and a game of chess offers you with the ultimate opportunity for a workout. Numerous studies have found links of playing chess preventing Alzheimer’s in old patients and that is why you must make it a point to play a round of chess with your kids every day.

5.      Improve Recovery from a Disability or a Stroke

Chess is well-known for developing motor skills in individuals that have suffered a stroke or have a disability. The game is played as a form of rehabilitation, as moving the pieces on the board in different directions refines the motor skills of a patient and the mental effort needed for playing the game helps in improving communication and cognitive skills. So, there you have it, the top 5 reasons and benefits of playing chess with your kids daily. X

When it comes to entertainment there are few things in life that are better than games. Anyone who has played any board games will tell you that the best ones are those that give your brain a workout in a fun way. A lot of people may not know this, but board games make you smarter as they train the mind and improve cognitive functioning. There are a lot of brain games that you can play for improving your cognitive ability and we are going to highlight some of the best ones.

If your main goal is to have fun and give your mind a workout, then here are the best board games you can play to exercise your brain and for becoming smarter:

1.      Risk

Risk is a game that imitates warfare. As a player, you are in charge of making important decisions immediately. Players will take turns to form their army units and have them attack one another to take over each other’s territory while safeguarding their own. The great thing about the game is that players can form alliances with one another to increase their occupation of territories in the game.

It can be hard to decide the winner of the game because it is based on luck and strategy. The only way to find out the winner is to play till the end. The game will provide your mind with a great workout because it requires critical thinking and strategy building. It will also target your decision-making and logical thinking skills, since all your actions will have consequences. The gameplay is great for improving your intelligence as well.

2.      Ticket to Ride

Another great game that will make you smarter is ‘Ticket to Ride’ where players must collect train car cards to take over railway routes on the map. The rules of the game aren’t complicated which makes it fun to play with your friends and family. The goal of the game is to occupy longer routes so you earn more points, and you can earn points by completing destination tickets and connecting distant cities with one another. The exciting thing about the game is that it has several editions available for different parts of the world.

Ticket to Ride is a game that is designed to train the logical thinking and strategic skills of an individual. Most of the maps in the game are historical, so you will also need to use your geography knowledge to play the game and increase your chances of winning.

3.      Dixit

Dixit is a great board game that requires turns being taken by players to become the storyteller. The players will make up a sentence about the cards they are holding in their hands. The other players need to choose cards from their hands that best matches the sentence. All the cards are then shuffled and placed facing up, while the players must decide which card was the Storyteller’s. The game is a lot of fun to play and requires players to be original and creative with their explanations and their card choices. You will be using both the left and right sides of your brain during the game, while you must also learn how to read other people which builds emotional intelligence. ked0 toc

Everyone agrees that board games are a lot of fun, but did you know that they have other surprising benefits as well? Yes, board games tend to bring families together, and when you’re playing with your kids it teaches them a lot of valuable lessons about life as well. Children get to have fun moments and make memories with their friends and family while playing games. Board games provide these in abundance.

Perhaps the best thing about board games is that they provide a lot of learning opportunities for children. There are some social benefits of board games as they teach children about competition while playing games in a competitive and healthy environment. Children also learn about winning and losing gracefully from these board games. Board games teach both non-educational and educational social skills, like taking turns, sharing, negotiating, communicating and enjoying time with others. They improve attention span, ability to focus, and make individuals playing the game more accepting and patient. Here are some more surprising benefits of board games:

1.      Decreasing the risk of mental diseases

One of the biggest benefits of board games is that they decrease the risk of cognitive disorders and reduce the risk of mental diseases. When there is a decline in the cognitive functioning of an individual, it leads to mental health issues like Alzheimer’s and Dementia. The great thing about playing board games regularly is that it keeps the mind active which lessens the threat of mental diseases in old age.

2.      Increased cognitive functioning and memory

Most board games are associated with cognitive functions like information retention, complex situations, problem-solving and memory. When it comes to board games, these are the aspects associated with sharpening the memory and developing the mind. An increase in cognitive ability leads to improved IQ and enhances learning ability and capacity. The great thing about board games is that they build the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, which oversee complex functions. The brain becomes healthier when it is involved in activities that help it exercise muscles and acquire new skills.

3.      Decreased stress levels

A lot of people play games for stress relief purposes and to relax. Board games provide healthy distractions that are great for unwinding and helping work the muscles in the mind. Playing board games is a great social activity which encourages development and learning, and leads to increased motivation and confidence in a person.

4.      Helping build the immune system

Numerous studies have shown that mental health problems, negativity, and stress affect the ability of the brain to fight diseases. Board games provide stress relief and lead to a release of endorphins that are crucial in building immunity through healthy emotions and positive thinking. They also help improve the ability of the brain in recognizing risk and fighting it which helps the body fight diseases.

5.      Child development

One of the biggest benefits of board games is that they play a vital role in the development and growth of a child. They promote brain development by training it to reason and use logic, spatial reasoning and critical thinking. Apart from that board games also teach vital social and communication skills that help children focus and concentrate for longer periods.

Chess is renowned as a sport that is for the intellectually gifted, since it exercises the brain by developing your concentration skills and improving thinking levels. There are few sports that compare with chess, considering there are infinite benefits of playing chess daily. The sport is widely played all over the world by people of all ages throughout the year. If you’re thinking about picking up a new sport or a new hobby, you should give chess a shot. There are countless benefits of playing chess by yourself. Here are some of them.

1. Helps promote brain growth.

One of the biggest benefits of playing chess is that it increases the growth of dendrites in the brain, which send out signals from the neurons. Playing chess makes the brain function faster and improves neural communication.

2. Teaches independence.

Another reason to play chess is because it is an individual sport. So, the more you are going to be playing chess, the more you will be learning from it. The great thing about the sport is that you will become more independent playing chess as you go to different chess clubs. It will teach you to be more responsible and build self-confidence within you as well.

3. Exercise for the brain.

It was found in a study that when chess players were questioned about recognizing the shapes and positions of a chessboard, their left and right parts of the brain became active. The reaction times were the same, but the chess players were using their whole brain when responding to questions related to chess positions. So, when you’re playing chess you are exercising both parts of your brain.

4. Encourages studying.

Chess is a sport that is like studying, so the more you practice it, the better you will start getting at playing the sport. You need to constantly practice chess to improve your possibilities of winning against other opponents and making it into a habit will only benefit you in the long run. Chess players can also apply their strategies to other things in life and adapt to changes much better.

5. Improves memory

The one thing everyone can agree about chess is that it is an incredibly complex sport and requires great memory prowess so that you can store and obtain information. There are thousands of different moves and variations for every game, and the players that remember them are the ones that benefit. You must devise certain strategies to gain an advantage, which will help to boost your memory.

6. Stimulates your creativity

When playing chess, the right side of the brain, the side linked with creativity, is activated. Hence, playing the sport sparks originality in a person. A 4-year study was conducted involving students from the 7th to the 9th grade. They were asked to use computers, play chess, and do other activities for a period of 32 weeks. The study aimed to find out which activity increased creative thinking. It was the group that played chess that scored the highest in creativity and originality.

So, there you have it, all the many reasons why you should play chess daily.

High-definition video games reign supreme in this digital age. However, board games have managed to make a comeback. It may seem strange that people still want to play classic board games that they all grew up playing. We can all recall the fun times we had with a roll of a dice before PlayStation and Xbox became the undisputed rulers of our free time. Nowadays, you can hardly find kids spending time outdoors. They would much rather play “Call of Duty” or “Fortnite” with their friends, while sitting in front of a giant screen.

The good news is that there are classic board games that refuse to go out of style, and all of us loved playing them in our childhoods. Today, we will be reviewing the classic board games that have stuck around for decades and discuss why they are still loved to this day. So, here is list of classic board games that were loved before the video game revolution:

1. Monopoly

Monopoly is hated and loved by millions of people and is a true classic board game. It has been played by more than 750 million people all over the world and is one of the first board games that was included in the National Toy Hall of Fame. There have been countless families that have fought over this popular board game. The reason it’s still popular is because it is incredibly easy to learn and fun to play.

2. Scrabble

Created in 1948, Scrabble is the quintessential word game. It has simple rules and a simple set up. While playing the game, you get to build your critical thinking skills and your vocabulary at the same time. The difficulty level of the game is based on the players. This adds to the fun element.

3. Clue

Clue is a popular detective game where players will need to use clues to determine the outcome of the game. This board game has been updated numerous times with new additions to rooms and weapons, while some characters have also undergone a makeover. The game is simple, and players can have a lot of fun figuring out the different clues to solve the mystery.

4. Trivial Pursuit

Trivial Pursuit is a classic trivia game and one of the most loved board games of all times. Players need to answer questions in various categories to win and collect ‘pieces of pie’. The game can be played by several players at the same time. Allowing players to form teams, it is a classic holiday game that the entire family can play together.

5. Risk

Risk is another popular classic game and is a strategy game that is neither hard nor too easy. It is a war game that doesn’t have any army guys, plastic tanks, or guns. It is a throwback to when boardgames used to be fun and required the use of your mental abilities to win.

The great thing about these board games is that all of them are still around to this day and are still considered classics. So, put down those gaming controllers and pick up one of these classic board games everyone should own to play with your family.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been playing chess for years or you are new to the game. everyone should always be striving to improve their game as that is how you develop your skills. Even players at elite levels of chess are looking for ways to improve their chess game. If you have been searching for some new ways to make your chess game stronger, then you have come to the right place. We are going to share 4 simple tips and tricks that will help develop your chess game.

1. Practice Problem Solving

The only way you can truly develop your chess game is through repeatedly practicing the game, but that doesn’t mean you keep playing game after game. Your priority should be to fine-tune your problem-solving skills, which will allow you to learn new tactics. A lot of players find that analyzing games of chess also helps them improve. You can try out a new chess puzzle every day, and sharpen your problem-solving skills. This will allow you to develop new tactics in your game.

2. Look at the Complete Board Before Making a Move

A lot of players know about this tip but very few manage to use it when they are embroiled in a chess game. Most players are always thinking a couple of steps ahead of the game, but you should always take a deep and hard look at all the pieces on the board before making a move. An easy mistake to make in chess is being over-confident and assuming that you have the other person figured out. However, that is how you fall into traps, so make it a habit to glance around the board before making a move.

3. Watch out for Sacrifices

You should be looking at the chances you get to sacrifice your own pieces so that you can make bigger moves. Your opponent will also look to make a lot of sacrifices in the hopes of something big, so you should be careful when making moves. Chess is a game of capturing your opponent’s pieces, so be wary of sacrifices that your opponent is making. You should understand that the worth of the pieces you capture and be wary of falling into a trap.

4. Look for Forced Moves First

The goal of forced moves is to ensure that you force your opponent to respond, which could be like an attack on the opponent’s piece, a capture, or a check. You should always keep an eye out for moves like these, because they can change the game at any moment. When you’re moving a piece, make sure that you are forcing your opponent to respond in the manner that you want. You should also be wary of your opponent using the same tactic on you as that will give them the advantage. It is important that you keep them focused on defending their pieces, so that they can’t launch attacks on your pieces.

Conclusion

These were just some of the simple tips and tricks that can help develop your chess game and destroy your opponent at the same time.

Socializing is a phenomenon that has gone from something physical to digital. Facebook completely changed the way we interact with each other, and a plethora of other platforms followed. The revolution was so great that today an average human spends one third of all the time that they are awake on their smartphones, and a bulk of this time is spent browsing social media. The concept of social gaming is something that emerged out of the love that audiences have for social media apps. In order to learn more about this trend, it is beneficial to start from the basics.

What is the concept of social gaming?

Emerging from the growth and penetration of social media, game developers identified the need for new ways to connect audiences that were separated by physical distances. Once Facebook and other related applications had taken off, there was a need for different variations to be brought to these systems. Thus, the concept of social gaming was born. Basically, social gaming refers to players connecting and playing a game over social media. It makes them free of any physical boundaries and allows them to play with whoever they find to be their best match from anywhere across the world.

Which board games are being played socially?

Board games owe a lot of their relevance to digital and social versions that are being introduced. Today, almost every board game has a social version where players compete with others from around the world. Chess, backgammon, monopoly, checkers, puzzles, etc., are all available in digital versions. Although real life strategy games are more popular in terms of market share, the enthusiasts of board games continue to hold strong towards their beloved.

The benefits of social gaming

Experts debate about the merits and demerits of social games, and the truth is that there is no real definitive answer to whether they are good or bad. However, what is important is that social board games have done a lot towards helping the revival and spread of this type of play. Had board games been limited to physical versions, players would have drifted away from them because it is not always convenient to carry a board and all other pieces with you. A smartphone, on the other hand, is always in your pocket and this gives you the liberty to start playing whenever and wherever.

Besides this, social gaming also helps players learn more by competing with people of diverse skill sets, making it an interesting and educational experience altogether.

Conclusion

All in all, social gaming has done more good for the industry than harm. So, it is safe to say that their benefits outweigh the demerits. Hence, promoting social board games helps people remember them for long periods of time. The convenience and experience are unparalleled. At the end of the day, social board games increase the chances of people buying physical boards and playing with friends face to face. ;\lsdsemihidde

The World Chess Championship 2018 was originally being touted as one of the most boring tournaments in history, but now that the reigning World Champion since 2013, Magnus Carlsen, has won it again, the views have changed. Numerous views were expressed regarding the tournament over the course of all the games played. Some commented on how the tournament was drawing on longer than needed, others drew comparisons on how computers could have replicated the games being played and even made them better. However, when the dust settled, most of the major influencers were all praises for the competitors and the tournament.

The Results

The 2018 version of the tournament was played in London from November 9th to 28th. It was the first time in the history of the championships that all 12 games ended in a draw. Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian who has held the World Champion title since 2013, was challenged by Fabiano Caruana from America. At the end, rapid chess was used to determine the winner. Here Carlsen proved his mettle by winning three games in a row to retain his title for the fifth time. Carlsen is currently the World No. 1, with 2835 rating points.

Opinions

Different observers have had contradicting views on the games and how they were played. The Guardian noted how some experts revered the rare moment when two competitors were so equally matched that they played 12 consecutive draws. Others appreciated the defensive tactics employed by each side, highlighting that the championship would have been done and dusted during the first few games had the players been any less protective of their positions. Had the rapid fire tiebreaker also ended in a draw, the tournament would have gone to the Armageddon game, and this would have rewritten history.

Comparisons

Chess was much simpler before Deep Blue came along. There was no debate of whether a machine could decipher or even be as good as a human at a game like chess. However, ever since that match was lost, technology has advanced at an amazing pace and today supercomputers are able to find what Grandmasters call the ‘truth’ of a position. As a result, comparisons are drawn between computers and humans. There are discussions about how a program could have been a better opponent and how the use of technology could make these matches more exciting and even shorter.

Conclusion

Despite what people say, the World Chess Championship was a closely fought battle amongst the best of the best. Magnus Carlsen emerged victorious yet again, proving his supremacy over the others. Computers might make chess faster and more entertaining, but they can never bring in the suspense and anticipation that comes with the human element. Chess is a game that pits the greatest geniuses on the planet against each other and it really brings out what we are capable of achieving. The display of this alone is something that computers could never replicate, thus rendering them useless at the game anyway.