Ben Franklin knew value of royal game
Saturday, January 2, 2010 3:00 AM
By SHELBY LYMAN
Chess has an appeal with seemingly deep roots in the human situation.
In his late-18th-century essay "The Morals of Chess," Benjamin Franklin declared that life is a variation of the game.
"We learn by chess the habit of not being discouraged by present appearances in the state of our affairs, the habit of hoping for a favourable change, and that of persevering in the search of resources," he said.
"The game is so full of events, . . . and one so frequently, after long contemplation, discovers the means of extricating one's self from a supposed insurmountable difficulty."
Janice and Don Hawkins of Windsor, N.Y., a couple in their 60s who are infrequent players, recently dusted off their chess set and began to play after a long furlough from the board.
Janice e-mailed me a few days later with the following observation:
"Chess truly is so much like life," she said. "Just when you think life is going in the right direction, 'something' comes up to throw you a curve, and you have to formulate your life plan all over again."
Her words will never appear in an anthology, but -- more than 200 years later -- they are clearly in the spirit of old Ben's.
Here is the full article.
