How Chess Helps Athletes
Judit Polgár was one of the chess grandmasters playing at the tournament in July — she and Williams actually won the Head & Hand competition. Polgár, who was a trailblazer for women in chess, was impressed with the level of the NBA players and agreed it could help their game.
“I think chess can be pretty good for empowering your concentration skills. It is also very good on how you adjust your brain with the different situations,” she tells CNN Sports.
“Also to learn resilience, to never give up, because you fight on and anything can happen. Your opponent can also make a mistake, and then you’re bouncing back and catching the opportunity.”
Rose seemed destined for greatness when he came into the NBA. He was named Rookie of the Year in 2008-09, crowned league MVP in 2011 and made three All-Star teams before an ACL injury suffered in the 2012 playoffs began a series of injuries that altered his career trajectory.
Rose still went on to have a solid career, going on to play in front of millions of fans during his time in the league for the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies before retiring last year.
But sit the Chicago native in front of a chess board and the 6-foot-3-inch former point guard still gets nervous, even if he’s just playing with friends.
He now plays whenever he can, be it online or on the numerous boards he owns.
Perhaps surprisingly, Rose says that losing in chess hurts a little more than failing to win on the basketball court used to.
“It’s heartbreaking when you do lose in person,” he says. “Losing in chess is a lot harder than losing in basketball. It’s crazy for me to say that, but I feel like chess is more intimate, I don’t know why.
“With my friends, whenever I lose early on, or whenever I lose a game, it just gets to me.”
Chess Can Save Lives
So while chess for Rose has been an avenue to scratch his competitive itch since retiring, the 36-year-old says it can help everyone in their day-to-day lives.
He has encouraged his own children to learn the sport and is happy to open the game up to audiences that might not have had access to it before.
He’s confident that the game of chess can help children from less privileged areas get out of trouble — even to the point where it could save lives.
“Most kids now, they’re reacting instead of thinking, from the areas that I grew up in. That decision may cost them their life depending on the situation that they’re in,” he says.
“So I always want them to be patient, be mindful, and to know that you have to think moves down the line. Your first initial thought, or your first move may not be your best thought right away. So it’s always thinking past that moment.
“I want kids to know how precious their life is, and I think the game of chess teaches you a lot about life, a lot about being strategic and organizing yourself as a young man growing up in these harsh environments.”
Article Appeared @https://news.wttw.com/2025/09/19/harder-losing-basketball-nba-legend-derrick-rose-his-chess-obsession-and-how-it-could