Today I’m celebrating my mother’s beautiful life. So of course I found the perfect photos to honor her and National Chess Day. Very mindful, very classy.
It’s funny I had forgotten how much I used to love chess until I saw a news story about a 4th grade chess player. My parents told me as a 9-year-old I once beat a chess master. I vaguely remember as a kid playing some old guy that claims he absolutely did not “let” me win. I’ll never really know but it’s cool if I did do it on my own! Maybe I was a 4th grade chess prodigy too. But that kid in the news would beat me soundly today.
A tribute to Mama
The giant chess set is at Bougainvillea Barbados on Maxwell Beach. I first saw it on a solo trip to Barbados. I took this photo during a special vacation with my mother. We were visiting to meet some of her family members that still lived on the island. She wasn’t the other chess player in the family (that was Daddy). But, she was a Black Queen who loved games and puzzles and the person I played them the most with.
Benefits of playing chess
Here are just a few ways you might improve your health and your life just by playing this fun game:
- Boosts planning skills
- Builds social and relationship skills
- Deepens focus
- Develops perspective
- Elevates creativity
- Enhances problem-solving skills
- Helps ADHD
- Improves memory
- Increases self-awareness
- Protects against dementia
- Reduces panic attack symptoms
Source: Healthline
Chess resources
You don’t have to travel as far to play chess of course. My father taught me how to play and I kept improving by playing classmates. I found a lot of online resources to learn chess but it’s so much better playing IRL. Try to find local players near you using an app. Or simply search online “find local chess players near me.”
Let’s play a game! ♟️
Comment where I can find other life-sized chess boards to play on in the United States and around the world.
Pinkpodster Ponders 