Chess for adults

Chess for adults
The use of creativity in chess and in life
Translation from Ukrainian
I apologize for any defects in the translation
Original article (constantly updated) on http://shaman64chess.blogspot.com



What I want to say no pornographic or other ugliness. However, this article is not for children, as it requires for its understanding of wisdom and sobriety, and a child's psyche talk about death, for example, can injure and prevent develop a harmonious personality.
The article consists of three parts. In the first I describe his philosophy of life, in the second - the basis of my theories and methods of self-knowledge, in the third part given some examples of their practical application. "Some" because the projects still under research, and some should not be published because they are too personal.
Since each can only improve its own way, this article is not some textbooks. In most cases it is only a hint and example of how to try to change their lives. And more and do not have; to perform some unusual things we just have to understand how to start. And then she starts right conduct and prompt.
I wish everyone to find their own ways and methods of self-improvement. Chess - a wonderful testing ground, where you can try these methods for further application in real life.
By publishing this article, I will not pursue commercial objectives. I just want to contribute to the development of the human spirit in general and chess in particular art.
1. Life is like chess, chess as life.
Why all this
This article is about the benefits of chess in real life. Whatever engaged man, the only important thing that really changes her daily life.
That chess trained mind knows everything, or almost everything. I would say about the philosophical aspect of chess. After all, chess is a simplified model of human life. Realizing this, the game of chess can be trained not only the mind but also the emotional sphere of control and creativity that will be useful in real life.
Then compare concepts and phenomena of life and chess. In his philosophical outlook I rely on the works of Arthur Schopenhauer and Carlos Castaneda; in fact, most philosophical ideas I borrowed from there. That, of course, does not mean that other philosophical belief or doctrine may not reflect the essence of life and chess. They can, for sure. I teach his outlook only as an example.
The purpose of this article is to bring chess game to practical application in everyday life. And the chess game of life and need to develop thinking. Ideally, this should be a single process: testing new methods of thinking on the model of life (in chess) and then use them in real life.

What is life and what his chess model?
Life is a fight to the death. That is, without the threat of death to life was not a phenomenon. Imagine for a moment that death does not exist. Planet took to primitive, but the prolific bugs and worms. And people (at least 99.9%) failed to be the usual entertainment - from alcoholism to of computer games or something else "not to work." Indeed, why strain and "rise above themselves," if there are no obstacles to the endless carnival?
Same thing in chess; change the rules, introducing a ban on the mat and beating other people (and their) figures. Such a party can continue indefinitely (here it is, eternal life!). But who would be interested in such a game?
Now we shall deal with the phenomenon of man. What is man? The life of the physical body with the software in the form of mind is just playing something more, but not manifested in our world. It is called differently: soul, will, subject atman, awareness, intuition or subconscious. Without this player hidden life becomes a mechanical existence, which can be seen in the degradation of some representatives of humanity (complete junkies, for example). This "avatar" like a character in a computer game, he deaf to the teams playing as deaf to the voice of his soul alcoholic that fell through the floor.
Analogues of soul and life in a particular chess and chess player will present his party. Chess players, like the soul controls the position (each specific "here and now") pursuing game goal - survival of your character. The goal is playing. The true goal of playing chess - exercise your thinking. What is the true purpose of the soul is not known. This goal is basically incomprehensible for who play; Left can assume that it exists.
Here, incidentally, you can also clarify the question of the irreversibility of death. Is it disappears forever that died? Yes and no, as played party. You can write-played the party, then you can even fully analyze it - and here it is, this particular incarnation of everything in front of you at a glance. The only thing you can not - it again exactly the same way to play it with the same opponent in the same circumstances tournament meeting. But new parties and new implementation is likely to be.
Awareness of mortality
Many sages urged to remember their mortality ("memento mori", etc.). A normal modern man is still unclear - and why? Meanwhile, the realization that your life is fraught with unexpected finale is the only thing that can clean life of all unnecessary and exhausting.
In chess this axiom: try to find the strongest move, even if you feel that your position is strong and there is nothing you can threaten. It is quite skilled opponent can always surprise you trouble creating what is called "the blue". The same in life: cemetery full of people who are caught up with sudden death. You can die, poorly cleaned his nose (and he carried the infection), played enough video games (playing all night, morning asleep at the wheel); again, slow, creeping, but sudden death as a stroke due to improper nutrition. And so on. In theory (and practice) any action is deadly.
All this must be remembered (realize) not to overtake constantly over terror. If you are not strong enough - forget about death, it will be easier to live and if you are interested in life as a struggle, and we must treat it as a struggle. Not for a moment forget that the enemy (your death) strong and nasty. This discipline and mobilize as a party with a strong contender. Play without a fight - is it interesting? But at least try to create a decent resistance to the master or grand master - that really adrenaline attraction. Of course, if you chess really interested in the game.
Thus, the only known target for identity - it is survival. But the chances of survival can be improved by accumulating small advantages; call their well-being. Welfare should help survival, otherwise it turns into another pawns of death. For example, good nutrition helps to survive, providing health and activity. But eating without measure you on the contrary, will reduce their chances. Same thing with the car, when used correctly, it can improve the well-being, especially keeping your time. However, if the car is too expensive for you to purchase and maintain, it becomes a threat to survival, for example, if you have the funds due to lack of hard work two jobs.
The content and essence of chess and life
The content of the game of chess is to attack the weaknesses of rival positions and protect their weaknesses. If weaknesses not, or insufficiently, first shunting is a struggle to ensure that a weakness in the opponent's position, and avoid creating them in their positions.
And in essence, the game of chess is a struggle of ideas that try to be embodied in virtual reality chess match. Chess players are the leaders with ideas; winner is the one who embodies the idea of a stronger more effectively.
The essence of life is the same. Man held in life (represents) a huge mass of ideas. From idea to cook a pasta dinner the idea to build a skyscraper (combining their efforts with those of others). That embodying ideas man fighting for survival; unprincipled struggle the way to defeat, even in life, even in chess.
Contents of life is much more complex than the scheme "attack-defense maneuvers" in chess. The main complication in what appears - this availability society. For example, the life of Robinson Crusoe is very similar to a chess party. Want to survive - protect the body from the weather, attacks the flora and fauna of the island on food, protect territory from outsiders-cannibals, but in a society increasingly difficult due to across-the specialization of its members. For normal human society is a cooperative mutual assistance in case of survival. This cooperative decided to change benefits. Who is rich, that he and other offers on the exchange. While that is similar to one of the varieties of chess, this is "Swedish" chess. (Who does not know this game two by two on two boards with different color of teammates, they pass each other beaten figure of the enemy and they can then enter the game in a special course.) So, here sharing whipped figures are models primitive society. But modern society is also significantly complicated by all sorts of mechanisms of redistribution of wealth, which are also often controlled by selfish people who are even more confusing situation. However, under the camouflage layers inspirational ideology and bureaucratic offices, the principle of attack and defense dominates in society. Suffice it to folk wisdom "give - take, beat - run."
Another significant difference between the life of a chess game consists in fragmentation. Life is too diverse and more like a game on many boards simultaneously. We have to solve a lot of specific problems, constantly switching from one "board" on the other. Indeed, happy is he who can live in a single stream, not torn between home and work, and not constantly digesting your busy schedule.
2. Know thyself
In this part I'll post his views on human nature and methods of self-improvement. It is necessary to understand the content of techniques described in Part 3. All text not claim to truth, but only my private view of things, an example of one way to say, what to say is often difficult or even impossible. The following picture and texts is the fruit of my interpretations books Castaneda and result of communication with some wonderful users of Castaneda forums. Respect them all for interesting ideas and inspiration on a quest.
The structure of human consciousness

This scheme is described (but only verbally) in the books of Carlos Castaneda. All eight points symbolize or type of perception, or something associated with it.
On Point "tonal" and "nagual" I do not say, because it is prohibitive area available everyday consciousness.
Point "will" embodies the same mysterious force that creates man in the flesh and in the circumstances of his life. This force is secretly directs human action, thus creating a unique pattern of his life. The impact of it on the same powerful, as a secret; will effect can be seen only in situations of real mortal danger. There it acts as a "guardian angel" to help shuffle out of seemingly hopeless situations. (I was "lucky" to visit one such adventure).
On the point of "vision" I know only from books. That vision - a direct perception of energy, more about it until I have nothing to say.
Point "dream" corresponds to the perception of his dream just like a dream. It must be said that, first, the reality of daily life is also a dream; although very special dream. Second, in a normal person the fact of a dream slipping out of sight, any dream is perceived as something real is happening. Attention also allows dreams to realize the illusory nature of dream and even see the mechanisms for creating illusions. Unfortunately, lucid dreaming is infrequent guests in my life.
To get the idea, that is the point of "feeling" you need to do a little experiment. Imagine, for example, orange. Imagine the visual image of it, the taste, the smell, the feeling in the hands (if you take the orange in hand). Then remove all these images to mind, and see what is left. It remains indescribable feeling kind of sad that you accurately define as "orange", if you decide to re-dress this feeling in words and images.
This is the "feeling". It is important to understand that, as it turns out, we think and act, is based on feeling. Words and images are add-on is already feeling. Moreover, the superstructure is not always required. This add-in is designed for communication and that it is a point of "talk". Yes, everything you can imagine, describe or pass word, picture or other means of communication - all this talk; moreover, one of the functions of talk in modern humans - a maintenance of a particular set of feeling through fixing his talk with itself (internal dialogue).
All modern life is a tight weave a feeling of the talk. Some people even believe that thinking in words. In fact, thinking without words possible and it is easy to see, doing some simple work. Thinking how best to nail a nail, a person does not use the word, even if while chatting with herself for nailing, it helps a little nail.
What is the point of "mind"? I believe traps mind sense. This is something that is able to find meaning in a strange conversation and then implement these ideas in their conversation, or design a new structure talk using previously understood meaning ideas. If the new element of the conversation quite worked out, it can direct the flow of feeling so that actions (which also relate to the feeling) bring some expected result. For example, create drawings will be designing the new structure of the conversation. While the action of making a product the drawing will have a set of feelings. However aimed talk constantly updates the image goals and seeking ways to achieve it.


My methods of self-discovery
There are only two, but they are so versatile, allowing you to move in any desired direction. The first relates to the use of conventional (non-lucid) dreams. Bedtime can formulate a question that interests you and hold while falling asleep only his feelings. Dreams without dreams and dreams with dreams guided by the will, it is one of those areas and comes her answer: either you wake up, is simply knowing what interested or see dream story which says something to you, or the answer is in the form of a phrase in sleep (usually before awakening). This method is suitable for solving global issues. In particular, it is a dream I found out what style of chess is better for me (in the plot of sleep has been shown one of the grand masters), and even that debut select (seen in a dream position, and thus the name sounded system).
For issues without falling asleep I use "capture ideas." You also need to formulate questions, then keep in mind only the sensory component, and then remove it. Tuning in silence (no conversation in the form of words or images), I will certainly catch some ideas on a given topic. Then formulating their conversation (in the form of words, images, drawings, charts or series of moves) I appreciate the applicability of ideas at feeling (in making specific decisions and actions).

3. The experiments in their own skin
The use shamanic techniques in chess and in life
What the...???
You ask ... and it's not surprising. What is relevant to the chess dancing with a tambourine? The correct answer is - almost nothing. Hereinafter the "shamanic" "technology" I mean different ways to change their perception that some anthropologists prefer to relate with shamanic practices. Just specify that changes the perception of any psychotropic drugs and I did not apply in this article do not discuss their use.
Here are the results of different techniques and their application. All this is on trial or in chess tournaments, or life battles. But I deliberately did not give specifics and details, readers not to put extra templates for action; if the reader wants to use similar technology, the whole must be fully specifics of it: the original and authentic.
However, call it "technicians" have due to the lack of the word. Change your perception is not some trivial technique, having mastered that, you can use it anytime, anywhere. The successful shift to another state requires free energy, perfection and intention to do so. Intention - this is not the desire and willingness to merge with the force that will lead you. It is a force external to seeing shifts it into a new mode of perception. And the result is always different. Therefore, the following descriptions are rather reports the same practice, but from different angles.
Domestication
Sense technology to inhibit, such as your own, but do not allow it to grow into a panic. "Be afraid, but not terrified." This is the credo of all truly valiant men. They are afraid, like all normal people, but are not succumbing to fear; they even used fear as a source of energy in the fight. Fear breeds aggression, which, combined with the most paradoxical fear helps to create the mood of "cautious courage." This sentiment is very convenient to operate in an inevitable risk.
It seems to be easier to suppress your own powerful effort of "pull yourself together", "be man" and so on. It is easier, but better. Suppress part of yourself, fight for its natural manifestations means to lose energy and suffer from stress. "The fear of fear" can devastate and bring to a heart attack. Letting go is your own, or even being able to tame it, we find some of its integrity and become stronger.
This method of "taming" applies not only fear, but also to all other feelings, emotions, habits; termination battles within themselves - the only way to inner peace.
Mood warrior
Mood perfection, operate best "here and now", and the rest does not matter. In chess, this means making the best progress, not thinking about the chances of a particular outcome Party. Indeed, it does not matter, because sooner or later will end, be it life or a chess match. And even it does not matter in the long run than it will end. All social carrots and sticks designed to obscure this fact to the importance of each of nonsense in my life. "You wear unfashionable? What a shame! You must break a cake, but earn money on an expensive suit, even to old age; yeah, that you buried in a posh suit. Or, again, well, who cares who won the party at the fourth table in the fifth round of the championship quarterfinals village Zadryhaylivka? Even for players in this party is not much difference unless we ignore the social suggestion that that person X has won an important victory, but lost person Y chance to enter the top five players in the village. In the face of imminent death, all things are all unimportant.
Never mind all the concrete; all that can be described as the result and to fix in the mind. So there are only abstract values like perfection. Perfection - the only thing to aspire warrior. Do bring a victory or defeat - no matter; an important than the result, and the class play.
Ironically, warrior spirit can achieve better results in life and in chess, compared with the usual mood concern obtaining desired. What was going on? Probably the result of freedom from concerns saves energy and installation "look for the best solution in spite of that" directs energy savings on track: in case of survival.
In my life I have observed the same effect: the greatest success I could achieve without thinking about the result or thinking that does not work, but doing the necessary steps maximum quality.
I drive to perfection easy and freedom. Easy - is simplicity and clarity of perception, the minimum necessary and sufficient current meanings of "here and now". Freedom is a separation from everything. That separation (the same detachment) is freedom. For example, if you "forever and ever" gave up smoking, you are not free of this habit, because they are forced to expend energy to support a ban smoking. Freedom from smoking - when it is "near " and readily available, but you now is just not necessary.

Capture ideas and implementation
The basis of this technique is described in paragraph 2. Applying it to the mood of a warrior during a chess matches can significantly increase the strength and richness of his game.
In real life, I used this technique long before his return to chess. In particular, this technique is very good in writing and in finding solutions to problematic situations.
However, the successful capture and implementation of ideas requires an understanding of key positions (if in chess) and possible situations (in life). Must possess the art of fast and accurate assessment of provisions that may arise in the course of a plan, I realized this when faced with what seems ideologically played, but still lost the party. Analysis showed that I saw all the main features of the party, but had problems with the choice: continued strong underestimated and overestimated weak.
You must also be able to catch different ideas for the same situation for the competition of ideas and you could choose the best.
Yet it is important to be able to move from concrete ideas to abstract and back. This is strategic thinking. For example, seeing a weak fields near enemy king, you can outline a plan to capture and use for matte decisive attack. Here we see a shift from specific observations weakness points to the abstract idea of their capture and use. The second step in finding ways to implement this plan; reverse transition from abstract concept to find concrete ways of its implementation. Here again need specific tactical thinking and calculation variants. The value of strategic thinking is that it directs tactical thinking. While the "blind" search through all consecutive variants do not always have the time in terms of tournament party or of a bad situation in life.
Energy savings
Despite the boring title, the topic most important issue in life. I'm not kidding. All that we can, we determined the level of available energy. I think every chess player found himself in a situation where during the party chairman "is not cooking," admitted blunders and foolish mistakes. You know it, but do nothing with it can not; trying to force yourself to "think better" only killing the remnants of mental energy. This is usually explained by "I was in bad shape" and that is true. But the cause of poor form can be either illness or nervous exhaustion. With complex diseases, but nervous exhaustion should be avoided, whether you're a chess player or a baker.
You need to remember that exhausts you and avoid it. Well, avoided - without fanaticism, without prohibiting tightly, just stop abuse (free from this). Personally, I try not to abuse alcohol, especially computer and Internet. TV and do not watch too long ago. But most importantly, how it can be abused - this is constant intrusive thoughts. This may be of concern to the future or imaginary chatter with himself about anything. Contents of opinion does not matter for talk, are used to fill a void any and any silence.
Here is this habit you need to get rid of first. The normal state of consciousness unoccupied nothing should not talk, and silent thoughts at all levels: verbal, figurative and feeling; achieved a state of contemplation of the current set of feelings. If you just focus attention on it, it stops haphazardly jump "from branch to branch." And because the feeling is the basis of verbal and figurative levels of internal dialogue, rested they are.
If you're doing some necessary work, that it is not exhausted you need to follow the principle of ease (see section on the mood of a warrior). Everything is conscious in the present moment (thoughts, feelings, automatism) all this should be a minimum. Nomenclature and quantity should be necessary and sufficient for the given case.
The reward for such austerity is high effectiveness of any action. But the mind can not cleanse itself of unnecessary processes. You must remember that you can. Awareness of the constant threat of sudden troubles, so, do your must background as state alert.
Alert (in my understanding) - it is relaxed vigilance; it is relaxed, otherwise it will be a neurosis that quickly exhaust you. And that vigilance, or relax turn into carelessness and laziness. Alert - a vigilant sense the danger and relaxed cat, ready at any moment turn into a fast beast.

I read it, but not closely.

you should summarize important point as simple sentences if you want to make it easy to read. 

I can categorically agree stuff like controlling your mood, and avoiding time wasting distractions is a good thing.

TLTR. Is this about topless queens? Knights and bishops doing the dirty? Pawns getting 'promoted' to larger pawns? 

Brevity is the soul of wit.