Jim Eade's Chess  Journal

I think the main appeal golf holds for me is the aspect of personal accountability.  Just as in the game of chess, you are responsible for your performance.  The element of luck, although not absent, is minimized.

As a long time chess master, I expected to be able to handle the mental challenges of golf fairly easily.  I was in for a surprise.  I found it very difficult to maintain my concentration on every shot for 18 holes.  I also discovered that, if you don't concentrate, you screw up.

The physical fatigue I feel after a golf tournament, is much healthier, I believe, than the fatigue I would feel after a chess tournament.  Tournament chess requires you to expend an enourmous amount of nervous energy, which is really quite draining.

People laugh at the notion that chess can be physically demanding, but I can assure you that I have much more energy after a four hour round of golf than after a four hour game of chess.  They are both demanding games, but at least you get to hit something once in awhile in golf.

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