Chess. The generations-old game of strategy, cunning, and skill. Of maneuvering pieces with intent and strategy with a goal of achieving a key objective: checkmating your opponent. And yet, even if I put it like this game of masterful skill testing the very limits of your brain and strategy on the battlefield, you still wouldn’t play it. Why? Ask yourself for a bit. Think about it… Ready? Well, may it be the stories of the inglorious and slow victory, or the linking of it to nerdiness, there is always more to chess than it seems. Much much more. So, without further ado, let’s dive in. To start off, we need to understand the history of chess. Every great game has a special origin story to go with it. Chess is no exception. Historians mostly believe that the ancestor of the chess we know today is a game called Chaturanga, which was developed in India. The game was brought to Europe around 1000 A.D by Persian traders. It was then slowly modified. First, the piece’s names were created, and movements were outlined and fixed. Then, the game evolved to incorporate a series of moves that together, would form a gambit, a simple sacrifice to gain a positional advantage. The game in the early 1800s incorporated an attack-centered strategy, with sacrifices and the bloodshed of pieces considered as normal, adding excitement to the game. However, as the game progressed to the late nineteenth century, the strategies switched to much more subtle and conservative versions that we widely see today. So? Why should I play chess then? Well, chess has a lot of benefits. And one of them, the first and foremost most important one, is that chess is fun. Addictively so. Why? Well, partially because it combines the element of anticipation with your intense drive to win, and your mistakes only make the game better, with even more suspense involving if the opponent will see your intent or even dreaded openings in your defense that could potentially lead to disaster. Also, you will find out if you introduce your close friends to chess, and kind of secretly boast a little, they will be pressured to join in, and soon you will be racing to get the highest rating or make a brilliant move. This will pull more people in and make you feel more connected. Another strong reason is that chess improves your cognitive skills. However, it isn’t as related to IQ as you think. That is a common misconception. Rather, chess focuses on improving your concentration, pattern recognition, algebraic and geometric thinking, problem-solving, spatial reasoning, and critical thinking. It also boosts your confidence and improves your memory. After a while, when you get used to the game, you can match patterns you see could potentially turn the tide of. Also, if you are really into chess, you may memorize dozens of chess openings and a slurry of variations. However, if you are more on the casual side, like me, chess improves your critical thinking and reasoning skills as well as your problem-solving skills. You will learn how to gain the upper hand in a relatively even game, or get out of bad situations and emerge victorious. Either way, chess will heavily benefit your cognitive thinking and reasoning by quite a lot, and will show its worth in the short and long term. Finally, chess will ultimately result as a positive hobby because it teaches you how to handle victories and losses and that there are consequences for every action you take. In some games you may come out with a smashing victory, but in others, you may be humbled by a stunning loss. Either way, chess will teach you that there is a silver lining for either path, too. If you win, then you win! Congratulations! However, if you lose, there is always something to learn about it. Your loss may be caused by anything from a one-move blunder to a gradual loss in positions and pieces. Chess will show you that singular moves, no matter how trivial, can save entire games, whether for the good for you, or the bad. One good way you can learn from your mistakes in games is from chess.com analysis. Once you make an account, it will let you see your move’s effectiveness and what it did to your position through both a virtual coach sending feedback to you and a 1-7 move rating. Also, a chess engine, the best in the world, will also review your game with a bar at the side determining your chance of winning every move of the game. However, nothing is perfect, and chess has huge downsides too. Playing such a competitive game can be fun, but it can also be extremely frustrating and stressful. Some describe chess as “mental torture,” which may be true in some cases and positions. However, let’s not even go that far. If you lose a few times in a row when you start out, you might feel quite embarrassed and even stop playing the game. One person I know said he even quit chess after losing the state championship! However, in a different scenario, let’s say that you catch on to chess quickly and are a natural at it. There is another problem here. You might become too fixated to chess, addicted to it, obsessed with it. You may start to detach from the other parts of your life, such as family or school or homework. You might feel anxiety and be snappy and irritable. When you feel like you are thinking about chess more than about school, your family, or your social life, it should be time to take a break. That being said, chess is a magnificent game of strategy with a long history. It is a world-renowned game and one that will benefit you, from anything from improving your cognitive skills to teaching you the value of small moves and how to handle winning and losing. And most
Island of Thieves, Reviewed by Jeremy Lim, 10
I plucked Island of Thieves off the shelf absentmindedly when I visited the library on a borrowing-spree, and admittedly, I wasn’t expecting anything much. In fact, I had borrowed it for my little brother, who is an eight-year-old. However, our paths crossed sooner than I expected, as before a piano lesson I glanced at the relatively interesting cover and decided to bring it along. A decision that I both would and wouldn’t regret. This mild thriller and mystery by Josh Lacey, though a little off my age and reading level, was enjoyable from the start. From the perspective of twelve-year-old Tom Trelawney, the pace is set quite early in the book, with the story quickly jumping from place to place as the adventure progresses to the more exciting parts. Reminiscent of Gordan Korman’s action-packed novels, the story brings unknowing Tom into a world of gang leaders, fake painting sellers, and long lost treasure. The action and plot are relatively simple and understandable and the mystery is mostly laid out in front of you. However, with the addition of a few complicated parts here and there, this is still an intriguing story to read. Similar to the likes of Spy School and The 39 Clues, this book packs adventure and a treasure-hunt-style mystery together in one package. This book is a great stepping stone to see if you like the genre, from which you can progress to more intense and deeper stories in the young adult section, or prominent series such as City Spies. However, for younger readers, this book will be action and adventure at its best. The mystery is also so-so, but is also the reason I like it, because it can be cracked quite easily, at least compared to most other books in this genre. However, it still is quite interesting and fun to read the clues and figure it out as the story goes on, imagining yourself in the position of the main character and his uncle, relying on the mystery to keep themselves alive. They will have to follow the clues to find the treasure within an afternoon—or else get ditched by the gang leader. So all in all? What did I think? Well… For me, the book wasn’t extremely special in its category, with so many other great books, but was ultimately worth a read. However, as I have said multiple times before, the book is highly recommended for readers ages 5-8 as it is a relatively rare thriller for that age group. So, if you are looking for a random read, nab this book and in the comments below, tell me what you think! Island of Thieves by Josh Lacey. Clarion Books, 2013. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
Furyborn, Reviewed by Jeremy Lim, 10
“The world will fall. Two queens will rise.” These are the chilling words written on the cover of Furyborn. The first of the Empirium trilogy, written by Claire Legrand, this intense book will take your breath away. The words on the back cover perfectly sum it all up. “Two young women, living centuries apart, have the power to either save the world — or doom it.” Rielle, from the past, and Elaina, 1,020 years in the future. The two queens. Each shaping her own world. And separated by the impossible gap of a thousand years. Or are they really? This novel, set in the medieval age, stretches the limit of dual character connections with a narrative that switches perspectives between these two characters. It is impressive how the character developments are separate yet somehow linked in subtle ways. So as the book progresses, more connections are revealed between the characters. And the story ramps up, ending with surprising, climatic cliffhangers, which will lead you to crave more. A thing that I loved about this book is that romance is a huge part of the story, influencing each character, especially Rielle. There is an awkward love triangle between her, the prince of the Kingdom of Celedria, Audric, and the luring presence of the angel Corien, who Rielle doesn’t want to be, but is hopelessly attracted to. Audric and Corien are the two forces who determine which side Rielle is on, which future to believe in. For Elaina, her path is not determined by allegiances of love, but rather her own moral compass. As her perception of the world quickly changes as the story moves on, she finds herself struggling to choose between working for the empire she has served her entire life, or switching over to the resistance group, the Red Crown. As she struggles to decide, switching sides again and again, both sides bear the consequences of her actions. All in all, Furyborn is a book that older readers should enjoy, with the romantic moments making it a little unsuitable for younger readers. However, if you are up for it, you should definitely read it. It is a must read for ages 10 and above. If you like fantasy or realistic fiction, this is the book for you. I know it sounds weird putting both genres together, but its plot and descriptions are undeniably versatile. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and read it! Furyborn by Claire Legrand. Sourcebooks fire, 2019. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
