Chess in Therapy Chess As Therapy

Chess in Therapy
Chess as Therapy
A sequel to Chess Therapy
JOSE A. FADUL
and
REYNALDO Q. CANLAS
Raleigh London Toronto Bangalore

Copyright©2011 by Jose A. Fadul
and Lulu Press
A sequel to the book Chess Therapy originally published in 2009 with second
edition in 2010. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
the prior written permission of the author and publisher.
Published by
Lulu Press Inc.

860 Aviation Pkwy Suite 300
Morrisville, North Carolina 27560
United States of America
http://www.lulu.com
ISBN 978-1-257-10772-8
Cover: Photomosaic of the authors’ activities involving chess therapy,

chess games at the counselors’ lounge, adjacent to the counselors’
office at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, etc.
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Contents
A Review of Chess Therapy …. v
by Rick Kennedy
Part 1
Introduction …. 1
Forms of Therapy …. 1
Psychotherapy Systems
& Chess …. 3
History of the Employment of
Chess in Therapy .… 7
General Concerns
in Therapy …. 11
Specific Schools of Thoughts
and Approaches .… 13
Criticisms and Questions regarding
Effectiveness of Games in Therapy …. 21
Part 2
Eight Case Studies .… 27
Discussion with Recommendations .… 69
References …. 77
Index …. 83
Appendices …. 87
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iv
A Review of Chess Therapy
by
Rick Kennedy
Social worker doing family counseling at
Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio;
clinician for over 30 years and a chess player for over 50 years
Lately, chess seems to have been rehabilitated, at least in

the public perception. Once considered to be the refuge of
the odd, the overly passionate or the likely mad, it is now
seen as good for young students (“chess makes you
smart!”), protective of adolescents (“push pawns, not
drugs!”), and possibly even of benefit to aging adults
(keeping the mind sharp and possibly putting off the onset
of Alzheimer’s disease).
So it should not be too surprising to encounter the title

Chess Therapy by Fadul and Canlas of the De La Salle-
College of Saint Benilde, Manila, the Philippines.
True, the royal game has always had its “chess is good for
you” cheerleaders. Recall Benjamin Franklin’s The Morals
of Chess (1786) wherein he opined:
The game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several

very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of
human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to
become habits ready on all occasions...
More than 150 years before Franklin, the scholar Albert

Burton (prone to depression himself) had already written in
his The Anatomy of Melancholy, What it is: With all the
Kinds, Causes, Symptomes, Prognostickes, and Several
Cures of it. In Three Maine Partitions with their several
Sections, Members, and Subsections. Philosophically,
Medicinally, Historically, Opened and Cut Up:
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Chesse-play is a good and wittie exercise for the mind of some
kind of men, and fit for such melancholy persons as are idle
and have impertinent thoughts, or troubled with cares, nothing
better to distract their minde and alter their meditations.
In fact, the authors of Chess Therapy inform us that the 9th-

Century Persian physician Rhazes (Abu Bakr Mohammad
Ibn Zakariya al-Razi), played shatranj (a precursor to
chess), “and counseled his patients and students
according to metaphors and applications of board game
configurations in real life situations.”
However, the majority of intersections between psychology

and chess have not included chess-in-therapy or chess-as-
therapy, but, rather, examinations of the unconscious
motivations of chess players:
as illustrated by Ernest Jones’ “The Problem of Paul Morphy –

A Contribution to the Psycho-Analysis of Chess” (1931),
Norman Reider’s “Chess, Oedipus and the Mater Dolorosa”
(1959); Reuben Fine’s The Psychology of the Chess Player
(1967) and Bobby Fischer’s Conquest of the World’s Chess
Championship: The Psychology and Tactics of the Title Match
(1973),
or their thinking processes in arriving at a plan or move:
from Alfred Binet’s “Psychologie des Grand Calculateurs et

des Jouers d’Echecs” (1894) through Adriaan de Groot’s “Het
denken van den schaker” (1946), to Alexander Kotov’s Think
Like A Grandmaster (1971), to Dennis Holding’s The
Psychology of Chess Skill (1985), and a return to the neo-de
Grootians such as Jan Przewoznik and Mark Soszynski’s How
to Think in Chess (2001), Amatzia Avni’s The Grandmaster’s
Mind (2004), and even Dan Heisman’s The Improving Chess
Thinker (2009).
So, we can approach Chess Therapy with an increasing

sense of expectation.
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After all, as Jill Bellinson wrote in her 2002 book,
Children’s Use of Board Games in Psychotherapy,
As flooded as the literature is with articles describing the uses

of dramatic play, there is a drought of information about board
games; there must be fewer than a dozen articles, most of
them derogatory.
Ah, if only Sigmund Freud had played chess!
Actually, he did, as his biographer Ernest Jones noted:
Freud played a good deal of chess in coffee houses in the

earlier years, but he came to find the concentration more of a
strain than an enjoyment, and after 1901 he gave it up
altogether.
As for the utility of chess in therapy (and a caveat), here

are two perspectives from the field, the first from Charles
E. Schaefer and Kevin J. O’Connor’s Handbook of Play
Therapy Volume Two: Advances and Innovations and the
second from Stella Chess and Alexander Thomas’
Temperament in Clinical Practice:
Much can be learned from analyzing the play of adults in

chess, for example. The play therapist can learn how the client
engages in problem solving, how he or she reacts to success
or failure, and how the client engages in conflict management–
there are adult clients who will argue extensively about the
rules of chess; who try to manipulate the play therapist through
chess play; who succumb to defeat long before the play is over
and during the time they could still win; who blatantly or
covertly cheat; who are relentless at reminding everyone
around them that they won the game; who make a particular
non-legal chess move appear to be an accident when it was
actually intended to assist the client in winning. Those are just
a few examples of the many ways people reveal themselves
during chess play…
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…[I]f the youngster is interested in checkers or chess, and the
therapist has some competence with these games, a game of
checkers or chess may illuminate issues of competitiveness,
specific temperamental attributes such as intensity,
persistence, or distractibility, self-defeating responses to
failure, patterns of communication, or some cognitive
disturbance in approaching a challenging task. However, the
therapist must be wary of incorporating such a game into the
routines of therapy itself. A game that permits or even requires
periods of silent contemplation while the youngster figures out
stratagems of play, may easily become the central occupation
of the therapeutic session. If this becomes part of the regular
schedule of treatment, then the game loses its therapeutic
value, and rather sidetracks the opportunities for active and
direct discussions of the child’s real-life problems.
So, on to Chess Therapy.
After a “Table of Contents” and a short “Foreword” by FIDE

Master Fernie Donguines (coach of the De La Salle-
College of Saint Benilde chess team), “Part 1” consists of
twenty-six pages (three of which are blank) that primarily
provide an introduction (clearly for a lay audience) to
psychotherapy and the various related systems or schools
of thought and practice (psychoanalytic, cognitive
behavioral, existential, etc.).
Often a description will be accompanied by a chess-related

sentence or two. For example:
Existential–is based on the existential belief that human beings

are alone in the world. This aloneness leads to feelings of
meaninglessness, which can be overcome only by creating
one’s own values and meanings. The therapist may have
several post-game analyses with the client and discuss the
pins, forks, sacrifices, tactics and strategies, etc., as
metaphors of certain situations in real life.
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“Part 1” has some tantalizing chess references, including
“two cases wherein the therapist employed hypnosis in the
middle of a chess game with the client” and “team chess
games have been explored for group therapy,” but for the
most part it reads like a psychology primer with occasional
chess content tucked in.
For example, the sub-section “Criticisms and Questions

regarding Effectiveness of Games in Therapy” is three-
and-a-half pages long and is mostly about the efficacy of
therapy, containing only one paragraph on chess in
therapy and simply one sentence referring to “games and
social contact”.
As Dickens’ character Oliver Twist once intoned, “Please,

sir, I want some more.”
Luckily for the inquisitive reader, “Part 2, Application of

Chess into Therapy, Eight Case Studies” contains 45
pages in which the authors present eight clients with whom
chess was used in a therapeutic manner, followed by an
enlightening “Discussion”.
Confidentiality, crucial to any counseling relationship, was

maintained throughout the book’s discussions. This led to
some inadvertent humor, however, as four pictures of an
ongoing chess game between one of the authors and a
client have clearly been cropped to show mostly arms,
hands, chess pieces and the board.
Of particular interest in the case studies is the use of an

online chess site–in this case, Chess.com–as a way for the
client and therapist to interact, play a game, and make use
of the available computer analysis. I guess it’s time to add
“online chess therapy” to the current, on-going discussions
of the virtues and pitfalls of “internet therapy.”
The book itself, a product of the print-on-demand publisher

Lulu, has an attractive cover and is generally well laid out
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(although I have trouble at times with the white spaces and
blank pages–perhaps this is an artifact of the size or
number of signatures used in the book’s production).
Computer screen shots have been reproduced clearly, if at

times with tiny print; photographs have fared less well, and
have certain fuzziness. Occasional grammar errors occur,
which may indicate that English is not the authors’ first
language–but these should have been tidied up for this,
the second edition.
More troublesome are a few instances of repetition of

content, or too-close-paraphrasing, which in places give
the text a cobbled-together feel.
In more ways than one Chess Therapy is a maddening

read. Too often it teases the reader with something
fascinating, and then runs away, leaving mostly the same
old same old. From such path-breakers, I expect a super
highway, not a foot trail. As just one suggestion, I’d love to
see “Part 2” of the book expanded ten-fold, with more in-
depth notes on the clinical interactions, focusing upon
revealing the underlying theories that the authors use to
guide their work.
It is clear to me that something very interesting is going on

in Dr. Fadul’s practice. It is clear that the authors have a
fascinating story to tell, one that should interest chess
players and clinicians alike. Trust me––I’ve been a
clinician for over 30 years, and a chess player for over 50
years, and I’m ready to join Oliver: “Please, sir, I want
some more.”
(Abridged from http://www.chessville.com/reviews/ChessTherapy.htm

accessed 14 Jan 2011 22:34:50 GMT.)
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To our wives and children
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Chess in Therapy, Chess as Therapy
Fadul and Canlas
Part 1
Introduction
Psychotherapy or simply therapy is an intentional
interpersonal relationship used by trained psychotherapists to aid
a client in problems of living. It aims to increase the individual’s
sense of well-being and reduce their subjective sense of
discomfort. Psychotherapists employ a range of techniques based
on experiential relationship building, dialogue, communication
and behavior change and that are designed to improve the mental
health of a client or patient, or to improve group relationships
(such as in a family). Psychotherapy may be performed by
practitioners with a number of different qualifications, including
psychologists, family therapists, occupational therapists, licensed
clinical social workers, counselors, psychiatric nurses,
psychoanalysts, and psychiatrists. In this book, we will discuss
how some of these practitioners have used chess games.
The word psychotherapy comes from the Ancient Greek

words psychē, meaning breath, spirit, or soul and therapeia or
therapeuein, to nurse or cure. Its use was first noted around
1890. Another, using an approach based on a particular theory or
paradigm, defines it as the relief of distress or disability in a one
person and that the agent performing the therapy has had some
form of training in delivering this. It is these latter two points,
which distinguish psychotherapy from other forms of counseling
or care giving.
Forms of Therapy
Most forms of therapy use spoken conversation. Some also
use various other forms of communication such as the written
word, artwork, drama, narrative story, music or play. With the
advent of the internet, many counselors have been explored on-
line counseling and therapy and employed it with more-or-less
success. Psychotherapy occurs within a structured encounter
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between a trained therapist and client(s). Purposeful,

theoretically based psychotherapy ceremoniously began in the
19th century with psychoanalysis; since then, scores of other
approaches have been developed and continue to be created by
professionals and academics.
Therapists generally employ therapy in response to a variety

of specific or non-specific manifestations of clinically
diagnosable and/or existential crises. Textbooks often refer to the
treatment of everyday problems as counseling (a distinction
originally adopted by Carl Rogers). However, we sometimes use
the term counseling interchangeably with “therapy”. For
instance, a recent website
mentioned that “chess as therapy
was explored by Alexian Center
For Mental Health at the South
Elgin Rehabilitation Center in
Elgin, Illinois. Chess Without
Borders students were invited by
Alexian Center for Mental Health to
teach chess to the residents at the
Rehabilitation Center.” Most
likely, counseling was meant for that event, and not therapy.
While some psychotherapeutic interventions are designed to

treat the patient employing the medical model, many
psychotherapeutic approaches do not adhere to the symptom-
based model of “illness/cure”. Some practitioners, such as
humanistic therapists, see themselves more in a
facilitative/helper role. Sensitive and deeply personal topics are
often discussed during psychotherapy, therefore therapists are
expected, and usually legally bound, to respect client or patient
confidentiality. The critical importance of confidentiality and
privacy is enshrined in the regulatory psychotherapeutic
organizations’ codes of ethical practice in almost all countries
where psychotherapy is practiced as a profession. It is in this
light that in the second part of this book that most pictures have
been cropped and the names in the case studies have been
changed or modified to conceal identity.
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Psychotherapy Systems and Chess

There are several main broad systems of psychotherapy.
Interestingly, chess games may be employed in any of these
eight broad systems. Chess may be used simply to gain rapport,
or to determine the client’s risk-taking tendencies, behavior
under pressure, use of tactics and strategies, etc. In some of these
systems, chess may be carefully employed for building
confidence and sportsmanship. The eight broad systems are:
• Psychoanalytic - is the practice to be first called

psychotherapy in literature as early as 1900. It
encourages the verbalization of all the patient’s thoughts,
including free associations, fantasies, and dreams, from
which the analyst formulates the nature of the
unconscious conflicts, which are causing the patient’s
symptoms and character problems. When a chess game
with the client is employed in this system, the therapist
focuses on the verbalization of the client’s thoughts
while they both play the game, such as one’s fears and
apprehensions to attacks, gambits, etc., and one’s desire
to “mate the opponent’s king”.
• Psychodynamic –is a form of depth psychology, the

primary focus of which is to reveal the unconscious
content of a client’s psyche in an effort to alleviate
psychic tension. Although it has its roots in
psychoanalysis, psychodynamic therapy tends to be
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briefer and less intensive than traditional psychoanalysis.

Chess games are often viewed as sublimation of the
client’s aggression or displacements of desires and
aspirations in life (Bateman, Brown and Pedder, 2000).
• Cognitive behavioral - generally seeks by different
methods to identify and transcend maladaptive
cognitions, appraisal, beliefs and reactions with the aim
of influencing destructive negative emotions and
problematic dysfunctional behaviors. The therapist will
have to study the clients’ understanding of a series of
chess games with him or with other players.
• Existential - is based on the existential belief that
human beings are alone in the world. This aloneness
leads to feelings of meaninglessness, which can be
overcome only by creating one’s own values and
meanings. The therapist may have several post-game
analyses with the client and discuss the pins, forks,
sacrifices, tactics and strategies, etc., as metaphors of
certain situations in real life.
• Humanistic - emerged in reaction to both behaviorism
and psychoanalysis and is therefore known as the Third
Force in the development of psychology. It is explicitly
concerned with the human context of the development of
the individual with an emphasis on subjective meaning,
a rejection of determinism, and a concern for positive
growth rather than pathology. It posits an inherent
human capacity to maximize potential, ‘the self-
actualizing tendency’. The task of Humanistic therapy is
to create a relational environment where this tendency
might flourish. A chess game between the therapist and
the client is viewed helpful to establish an affinity,
relationship or bond of understanding.
• Brief – “Brief therapy” is an umbrella term for a variety
of approaches to psychotherapy. It differs from other
schools of therapy in that it emphasizes (1) a focus on a
specific problem and (2) direct intervention. It is
solution-based rather than problem-oriented. It is less
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concerned with how a problem arose than with the

current factors sustaining it and preventing change. A
therapist may employ brief therapy if a single or a
couple of chess games with the client yields
unambiguous indicators for a direct intervention.
• Systemic - seeks to address people not at an individual
level, as is often the focus of other forms of therapy, but
as people in relationship, dealing with the interactions of
groups, their patterns and dynamics (includes family
therapy & marriage counseling). The client’s behavior
and attitude in playing chess with his peers or family
members, may aid the therapist in determining the
dynamics in the group where the client belongs. The
client’s ability and behavior in playing as a member of a
team against another team, is explored.
• Transpersonal - Addresses the client in the context of a
spiritual understanding of consciousness. In some case
studies, the principal author saw how some clients
design chess variants that will better reflect life in their
point of view, such as the attempt to integrate win-win
solutions.
According to the American Psychological Association there

are now hundreds of psychotherapeutic approaches or schools of
thought. Many of them may have been integrating chess games
in particular, though their concept of chess therapy was
nebulous, unclear and ill defined. By 1980, there were more than
250. By 1996, there were more than 450. The development of
new and hybrid approaches continues around the wide variety of
theoretical backgrounds. Many practitioners use several
approaches in their work and alter their approach based on client
need, and the client’s knowledge of the chess game.
Innovative therapies are encouraged and chess as therapeutic

intervention is a welcome development. These initial attempts to
employ chess in therapy will expand the range of therapeutic
interventions and several cases will be presented to warrant the
use of chess in therapy.
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History of the Employment of Chess in Therapy

In an informal sense, chess in psychotherapy (not chess for
psychotherapy or chess therapy) can be said to have been
practiced through the ages, as individuals received psychological
counsel and reassurance from others. There are some indications
that focused, theoretically-
based psychotherapy did
develop casually in the Middle
East during the 9th Century
through the Persian physician
and psychological thinker,
Rhazes (AD 852-932), who
was at one time the chief
physician of the Baghdad
hospital. This brilliant Persian
polymath also played the
Persian chess precursor called
shatranj, and counseled his patients and students according to
metaphors and applications of board game configurations in real
life situations.
In the West, however, chess in psychotherapy was only

employed lately. In the past, serious mental disorders were
generally treated as demonic or medical conditions requiring
punishment and confinement until the advent of moral treatment
approaches in the 18th Century. This brought about a focus on
the possibility of psychosocial intervention—including
reasoning, moral encouragement and group activities—to
rehabilitate the “mentally ill”.
Psychoanalysis was perhaps the first specific school of

psychotherapy, developed by the Viennese Sigmund Freud and
others through the early 1900s. Trained as a neurologist, Freud
began focusing on problems that appeared to have no discernible
organic basis, and theorized that they had psychological causes
originating in childhood experiences and the unconscious mind.
Techniques such as dream interpretation, free association,
transference and analysis of the id, ego and superego were
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developed. Freud and his friends themselves play chess but

remained parenthetical in their ideas on how the board game can
be employed in psychoanalysis.
Many theorists, including Anna

Freud, Alfred Adler, Carl Jung,
Karen Horney, Otto Rank, Erik
Erikson, Melanie Klein, and Heinz
Kohut, built upon Freud’s
fundamental ideas and often formed
their own differentiating systems of
psychotherapy. These were all later
categorized as psychodynamic,
which may mean anything that
involved the psyche’s conscious-
Starting in the 1950s Carl Rogers
brought his original person-centered
unconscious influence on external
psychotherapy into mainstream relationships and the self. Sessions
focus. His use of chess in therapy tended to number into the hundreds
may have been limited to building over several years.
rapport with the client.
Behaviorism developed in the 1920s, and behavior

modification as a therapy became popularized in the 1950s and
1960s. Notable contributors were Joseph Wolpe in South Africa,
M.B. Shipiro and Hans Eysenck in Britain, and John B. Watson
and B.F. Skinner in the United States. Behavioral therapy
approaches relied on principles of operant conditioning, classical
conditioning and social learning theory to bring about
therapeutic change in observable symptoms. The approach
became commonly used for phobias, as well as other disorders.
Some therapeutic approaches developed out of the European
school of existential philosophy. Concerned mainly with the
individual’s ability to develop and preserve a sense of meaning
and purpose throughout life, major contributors to the field (e.g.,
Irvin Yalom, Rollo May) and Europe (Viktor Frankl, Ludwig
Binswanger, Medard Boss, R.D.Laing, Emmy van Deurzen)
attempted to create therapies sensitive to common “life crises”
springing from the essential bleakness of human self-awareness,
previously accessible only through the complex writings of
existential philosophers (e.g., Søren Kierkegaard, Jean-Paul
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Sartre, Gabriel Marcel, Martin Heidegger, Friedrich Nietzsche).

The uniqueness of the patient-therapist relationship thus also
forms a vehicle for therapeutic enquiry. A related body of
thought in psychotherapy started in the 1950s with Carl Rogers.
Based on existentialism and the works of Abraham Maslow and
his hierarchy of human needs, Rogers brought person-centered
psychotherapy into mainstream focus. Rogers’s primary
requirement is that the client should be in receipt of three core
‘conditions’ from their counselor or therapist: unconditional
positive regard, also sometimes described as “prizing” the person
or valuing the humanity of an individual, congruence
[authenticity/genuineness/transparency], and empathic under-
standing. The aim in using the ‘core
conditions’ is to facilitate therapeutic
change within a non-directive
relationship conducive to enhancing
the client's psychological well being.
This type of interaction enables the
client to fully experience and express
themselves. Others developed the
approach, like Fritz and Laura Perls
in the creation of Gestalt therapy, as
well as Marshall Rosenberg, founder
of Nonviolent Communication, and
Eric Berne, founder of Transactional Albert Ellis, founder of Rational
Analysis. Later these fields of Emotive Behavior Therapy
psychotherapy would become what is originated in the mid-1950s. He
known as humanistic psychotherapy played both checkers and
today. Self-help groups and books chess with his clients.
became widespread.
During the 1950s, Albert Ellis originated Rational Emotive

Behavior Therapy (REBT). A few years later, psychiatrist Aaron
T. Beck developed a form of psychotherapy known as cognitive
therapy. Both of these included generally relative short,
structured and present-focused therapy aimed at identifying and
changing a person’s beliefs, appraisals and reaction-patterns, by
contrast with the more long-lasting insight-based approach of
psycho-dynamic or humanistic therapies. Cognitive and
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behavioral therapy approaches were combined and grouped

under the heading and umbrella-term Cognitive behavioral
therapy (CBT) in the 1970s. Many approaches within CBT were
oriented towards active/directive collaborative empiricism and
mapping, assessing and modifying clients’ core beliefs and
dysfunctional schemas. These approaches gained widespread
acceptance as a primary treatment for numerous disorders. A
“third wave” of cognitive and behavioral therapies developed,
including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical
behavior therapy, which expanded the concepts to other
disorders and/or added novel components and mindfulness
exercises. Counseling methods developed, including solution-
focused therapy and systemic coaching. Postmodern
psychotherapies such as Narrative Therapy and coherence
therapy did not impose definitions of mental health and illness,
but rather saw the goal of therapy as something constructed by
the client and therapist in a social context. Systems Therapy also
developed, which focuses on family and group dynamics—and
Transpersonal psychology, which focuses on the spiritual facet
of human experience. Other important orientations developed in
the last three decades include
Feminist therapy, Brief
therapy, Somatic Psychology,
Expressive therapy, applied
Positive psychology and the
Human Givens approach,
which is building on the best
of what has gone before. A
survey of over 2,500 United
States-based therapists in
2006 revealed the most
utilized models of therapy and
the ten most influential
therapists of the previous
quarter-century. A few of them currently explore the
employment of, among others, chess in psychotherapy.
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General Concerns in Therapy

Psychotherapy, with or without the employment of chess, is
an interpersonal invitation offered by (often trained and
regulated) psychotherapists to aid clients in reaching their full
potential or to cope better with problems of life. Psychotherapists
usually receive remuneration in some form in return for their
time and skills. This is one way in which the relationship can be
distinguished from an altruistic offer of assistance.
Psychotherapists and counselors’ often require creating a

therapeutic environment referred to as the frame, which is
characterized by a free yet secure climate that enables the client
to open up. The degree to which client feels related to the
therapist may well depend on the methods and approaches used
by the therapist or counselor.
Psychotherapy often includes techniques to increase

awareness, for example, or to enable other choices of thought,
feeling or action; to increase the sense of well-being and to better
manage subjective discomfort or distress. Psychotherapy can be
provided on a one-to-one basis or in group therapy. It can occur
face to face, over the telephone, or, much less commonly, the
Internet. Its time frame may be a matter of weeks or many years.
Therapy may address specific forms of diagnosable mental
illness, or everyday problems in managing or maintaining person
relationships or meeting personal goals. Treatment of everyday
problems is more often referred to as counseling (a distinction
originally adopted by Carl Rogers) but the term is sometimes
used interchangeably with “psychotherapy”.
Psychotherapists employ a range of techniques to influence

or persuade the client to adapt or change in the direction the
client has chosen. These can be based on clear thinking about
their options; experiential relationship building; dialogue,
communication and adoption of behavior change strategies. Each
is designed to improve the mental health of a client or patient, or
to improve group relationships (as in a family). Most forms of
psychotherapy use only spoken conversation; some also use
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other forms of communication such as the written word, artwork,

drama, narrative story, therapeutic touch, or game.
Psychotherapy occurs within a structured encounter between a
trained therapist and client(s). Because sensitive topics are often
discussed during psychotherapy, therapists are expected, and
usually legally bound, to respect client or patient confidentiality.
Psychotherapists are often trained, certified, and licensed,

with a range of different certifications and licensing
requirements depending on the jurisdiction. Psychotherapy may
be undertaken by clinical psychologists, counseling
psychologists, social workers, marriage-family therapists,
expressive therapists, trained nurses, psychiatrists, psycho-
analysts, mental health counselors, school counselors, or
professionals of other mental health disciplines. Psychiatrists
have medical qualifications and may also administer prescription
medication. The primary training of a psychiatrist focuses on the
biological aspects of mental health conditions, with some
training in psychotherapy. Psychologists have more training in
psychological assessment and research and, in addition, in-depth
training in psychotherapy. Social workers have specialized
training in linking patients to community and institutional
resources, in addition to elements of psychological assessment
and psychotherapy. Marriage-Family Therapists have specific
training and experience working with relationships and family
issues. A Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the United
States, and a Registered Guidance Counselor (RGC) in the
Philippines, generally have special training in career, mental
health, school, or rehabilitation counseling to include evaluation
and assessments as well as psychotherapy. Many of the wide
variety of training programs are multi-professional, that is,
psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses, and social
workers may be found in the same training group. Consequently,
specialized psycho-therapeutic training in most advanced
countries requires a program of continuing education after the
basic degree, or involves multiple certifications attached to one
specific degree.
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Specific Schools of Thought and Approaches

In practices of experienced psychotherapists, therapy will
not represent pure types, but will draw aspects from a number of
perspectives and schools. The authors have been practicing
psychotherapy/counseling, and have been very eclectic—
employing free, diverse, and assorted techniques from various
schools of thought.
Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud, seated left of picture with Carl

Gustav Jung seated at right of picture. 1909.
These psychotherapists all played and explored
symbolisms in chess. Freud played a good deal
of chess in coffee houses in earlier years, as
noted by his biographer Ernest Jones.
Psychoanalysis was developed in the late 1800s by Sigmund

Freud. His therapy explores the dynamic workings of a mind
understood to consist of three parts: the hedonistic id (German:
das Es, “the it”), the rational ego (das Ich, “the I”), and the moral
superego (das Überich, “the above-I”). Because the majority of
these dynamics are said to occur outside people’s awareness,
Freudian psychoanalysis seeks to probe the unconscious by way
of various techniques, including dream interpretation and free
association. Freud maintained that the condition of the
unconscious mind is profoundly influenced by childhood
experiences. So, in addition to dealing with the defense
mechanisms employed by an overburdened ego, his therapy
addresses fixations and other issues by probing deeply into
clients’ youth. Freud himself was a formidable chess player but
came to find the concentration more of a strain than enjoyment,
and after 1901 he appeared to have given it up altogether, rarely
mentioning chess metaphors in his latter publications.
Other psychodynamic theories and techniques have been

developed and used by psychotherapists, psychologists,
psychiatrists, even personal growth facilitators, occupational
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therapists and social workers. Techniques for group therapy have

also been developed. While behavior is often a target of the
work, many approaches value working with feelings and
thoughts. This is especially true of the psychodynamic schools of
psychotherapy, which today include Jungian therapy and
Psychodrama as well as the psychoanalytic schools. Other
approaches focus on the link between the mind and body and try
to access deeper levels of the psyche through manipulation of the
physical body. Examples are Rolfing, Bioenergetic analysis and
postural integration.
Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt Therapy is a major overhaul of psychoanalysis. In its
early development it was called “concentration therapy” by its
founders, Frederick and Laura Perls. However, its mix of
theoretical influences became most organized around the work of
the gestalt psychologists; thus, by the time “Gestalt Therapy,
Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality” (Perls,
Hefferline, and Goodman) was written, the approach became
known as “Gestalt Therapy.”
Gestalt Therapy stands on top of essentially four load

bearing theoretical walls: phenomenological method, dialogical
relationship, field-theoretical strategies, and experimental
freedom. Some have considered it an existential phenomenology
while others have described it as a phenomenological
behaviorism. Gestalt therapy is a humanistic, holistic, and
experiential approach that does not rely on talking alone, but
facilitates awareness in the various contexts of life by moving
from talking about situations relatively remote to action and
direct, current experience.
Pawn structure or formation, gambit schemes, and

attacking/defending formations in the client’s chess game may
indicate a “good” or a “bad” gestalt. Helping the client see the
opening pawn structure through middle game strategies through
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end game combinations may help him see relationships and other
things more clearly.
Group Psychotherapy
The therapeutic use of groups in modern clinical practice can
be traced to the early years of the 20th century, when the
American chest physician Pratt, working in Boston, described
forming “classes” of fifteen to twenty patients with tuberculosis
who had been rejected for sanatorium treatment. The term group
therapy, however, was first used around 1920 by Jacob L.
Moreno, whose main contribution was the development of
psychodrama, in which groups were used as both cast and
audience for the exploration of individual problems by
reenactment under the direction of the leader. The more analytic
and exploratory use of groups in both hospital and out-patient
settings was pioneered by a few European psychoanalysts who
emigrated to the USA, such as Paul Schilder, who treated
neurotic and psychotic out-patients in small groups at Bellevue
Hospital, New York. The power of groups was most influentially
demonstrated in Britain during the Second World War, when
several psychoanalysts and psychiatrists proved the value of
group methods for officer selection in the War Office Selection
Boards. A chance to run an Army psychiatric unit on group lines
was then given to several of these pioneers, notably Wilfred
Bion and Rickman, followed by S. H. Foulkes, Main, and
Bridger. The Northfield Hospital in Birmingham gave its name
to what came to be called the two “Northfield Experiments”,
which provided the impetus for the development since the “war”
between the therapeutic
community movement, and
the use of small groups or
teams for the treatment of
the neurotic and those with
personality disorders.
Team chess games have
been explored for group
therapy by the principal
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author, where much cooperation, competition, conflict

resolution, and compromise are experienced in playing as a team
against another team or against a strong individual player. Group
psychotherapy is significant in the light of recent researches on
distributed cognition and collective intelligence.
Medical and Non-Medical Models

A number of academics also make distinction between those
psychotherapies that employ a medical model and those that
employ a humanistic model. In
the medical model, the client is
seen as unwell and the therapist
employs their skill to help the
client back to health. The
extensive use of the DSM-IV,
the diagnostic and statistical
manual of mental disorders in
the United States, is an example
of a medically exclusive model.
The humanistic model of non-medical in contrast strives not

to view the human condition in terms of pathology. The therapist
attempts to create a relational environment conducive to
experiential learning and help build the client's confidence in
their own natural process resulting in a deeper understanding of
themselves. An example would be gestalt therapy.
Some psychodynamic practitioners distinguish between

uncovering and supportive psychotherapy. Uncovering
psychotherapy emphasizes facilitating the client’s insight into
the roots of their difficulties.
The best-known example of an
uncovering psychotherapy is
that of classical psychoanalysis.
Supportive psychotherapy by
contrast stresses strengthening
the client’s defenses and often
providing encouragement and
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advice. Depending on the client’s personality, a purely

supportive or purely uncovering approach may be optimal.
However, most psychotherapists use a combination of
uncovering and supportive approaches.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT) are a group of
therapies that generally focus on the construction and re-
construction of people’s cognitions, emotions and behaviors.
Generally in CBT the therapist, through a wide array of
modalities, helps clients assess, recognize and deal with
problematic and dysfunctional ways of thinking, emoting and
behaving. Chess problems may certainly be used here as a
starting point to illustrate real life problems.
Behavior Therapy
Behavior therapy focuses on modifying overt behavior and
helping clients to achieve goals. This approach is built on the
principles of learning theory including operant and respondent
conditioning, which makes up the area of applied behavior
analysis or behavior modification. This approach includes
acceptance and commitment therapy, functional analytic
psychotherapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. Sometimes it is
integrated with cognitive therapy to make cognitive behavior
therapy.
Expressive Therapy
Expressive therapy is a form of therapy that utilizes artistic
expression as its core means of treating clients. Expressive
therapists use the different disciplines of the creative arts as
therapeutic interventions. This includes the modalities dance
therapy, drama therapy, art therapy, music therapy, writing
therapy, among others. Expressive therapists believe that often
the most effective way of treating a client is through the
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expression of imagination in a creative work and integrating and

processing what issues are raised in the act.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy gives attention to each person’s “dominant
story” by means of therapeutic conversations, which also may
involve exploring unhelpful ideas and how they came to
prominence. Possible social and cultural influences may be
explored as a chess game is played or even before and after the
game, if the client deems it helpful. One technique used in
narrative therapy involves extensive “kibitzing” or making
spontaneous comments (some say, unsolicited opinions) in an
on-going chess game with other spectators.
Integrative Psychotherapy
Integrative Psychotherapy represents an attempt to combine
ideas and strategies from more than one theoretical approach.
These approaches include mixing core beliefs and combining
proven techniques. Forms of integrative psychotherapy include
multimodal therapy, the trans-theoretical model, cyclical
psychodynamics, systematic treatment selection, cognitive
analytic therapy, Internal Family Systems Model, multi-
theoretical psychotherapy and conceptual interaction. In practice,
most experienced psychotherapists develop their own integrative
approach over time. Some integrative psychotherapists borrow
metaphors from chess such as coordination of chess pieces,
supporting each another, avoiding situational pins, gambits, and
forced exchanges, etc.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is therapy that is undertaken with a subject in
hypnosis. Hypnotherapy is often applied in order to modify a
subject’s behavior, emotional content, and attitudes, as well as a
wide range of conditions including dysfunctional habits, anxiety,
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anger, stress-related illnesses, pain management, and even

personal development.
The principal author witnessed two cases wherein the

therapist employed hypnosis in the middle of a chess game with
the client. (one of which is similar to the one presented in this
book as Case 6: Gian). In that altered state of consciousness, the
client in one case verbalized his past fears and his association of
his opponent’s queen to his domineering mother. In another case,
the client woke up from her hypnotic state not remembering
anything that transpired during the hypnosis session.
Adaptations in Psychotherapy for Children

Counseling and psychotherapy must be adapted to meet the
developmental needs of children. Very young children do not
distinguish between winning and losing in a game. Even older
children may find chess concepts very difficult to grasp. That is
why counseling preparation programs include courses in human
development. Furthermore, since children often do not have the
ability to articulate thoughts and feelings, counselors will use a
variety of media such as crayons, paint, clay, puppets, books,
toys, etc. The use of play therapy is often rooted in
psychodynamic theory, but other approaches such as Solution
Focused Brief Counseling may also employ the use of play and
games in counseling. In many cases the counselor may prefer to
work with the care taker of the child, especially if the child is
younger than age four.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is an integral part of the therapeutic
relationship and psychotherapy in general. The principal author’s
online chess games with his clients may be viewed but each of
his opponent’s real identity is concealed. In fact the principal
author maintains multiple accounts, and only in very few cases
did he use either one of his two accounts (as FadulJoseA in
<www.chess.com> or as Fadulj in <www.chessgames.com>)
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wherein his identity is not at all concealed and blogs on chess

therapy have been posted for casual discussion.
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Criticisms and Questions regarding

Effectiveness of Games in Therapy
Within the psychotherapeutic community, there has been
some discussion of empirically based psychotherapy.
Virtually no comparisons of different psychotherapies with

long follow-up times have been carried out. The Helsinki
Psychotherapy Study is a randomized clinical trial, in which
patients are monitored for 12 months after the onset of study
treatments, of which each lasted approximately 6 months. The
assessments are to be completed at the baseline examination and
during the follow-up after 3, 7, and 9 months and 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, and 7 years. The results of this trial will soon be published
in 2012.
There is considerable controversy over which form of

psychotherapy is most effective, and more specifically, which
types of therapy are optimal for treating which sorts of problems.
The dropout level is quite high; one meta-analysis of 125

studies concluded that the mean dropout rate was 46.86%. The
high level of dropout has raised some criticism about the
relevance and efficacy of psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy outcome research—in which the

effectiveness of psychotherapy is measured by questionnaires
given to patients before, during, and after treatment—has had
difficulty distinguishing between the success or the failure of the
different approaches to therapy. Those who stay with their
therapist for longer periods are more likely to report positively
on what develops into a longer-term relationship. This suggests
that some “treatment” may be open-ended with concerns
associated with ongoing financial costs.
As early as 1952, in one of the earliest studies of

psychotherapy treatment, Hans Eysenck reported that two thirds
of therapy patients improved significantly or recovered on their
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own within two years, whether or not they received

psychotherapy.
Many psychotherapists believe that the nuances of

psychotherapy cannot be captured by questionnaire-style
observation, and prefer to rely on their own clinical experiences
and conceptual arguments to support the type of treatment they
do practice.
In 2001 Bruce Wampold of the University of Wisconsin

published “The Great Psychotherapy Debate”. In it Wampold, a
former statistician who went on to train as a counseling
psychologist, reported that
1) psychotherapy can be more effective than placebo,

2) no single treatment modality has the edge in efficacy,
3) factors common to different psychotherapies, such as
whether or not the therapist has established a positive
working alliance with the client/patient, account for
much more of the variance in outcomes than specific
techniques or modalities.
Although the Great Psychotherapy Debate dealt primarily

with data on depressed patients, subsequent articles have made
similar findings for post-traumatic stress disorder, and youth
disorders.
Some report that by attempting to program or create a

manual for treatment psychotherapists may actually be reducing
efficacy, although the unstructured approach of many
psychotherapists cannot appeal to patients’ motive to solve their
difficulties through the application of specific techniques
different from their past “mistakes.”
Critics of psychotherapy are skeptical of the healing power

of a psychotherapeutic relationship. Since any intervention takes
time, critics note that the passage of time alone, without
therapeutic intervention, often results in psycho-social healing.
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Games and social contact with others is universally seen as

beneficial for all humans and regularly scheduled visits and
game playing with anyone would be likely to diminish both mild
and severe emotional difficulty.
Many resources available to a person experiencing emotional

distress—the friendly support of friends, peers, family members,
clergy contacts, personal reading, research, and independent
coping—present considerable value, suggesting that psycho-
therapy is often inappropriate or unneeded. Critics note that
humans have been dealing with crises, navigating severe social
problems and finding solutions to life problems long before the
advent of psychotherapy.
Some psychotherapeutics have answered to scientific

critique saying that psychotherapy is not a science since it is an
art or a craft.
Further critiques have emerged from the feminist,

constructionist and discursive sources. Key to these is the issue
of power. In this regard there is a concern that clients are
persuaded—both inside and outside of the consulting room—to
understand themselves and their difficulties in ways that are
consistent with therapeutic ideas. This means that alternative
ideas (e.g., feminist, economic, spiritual) are sometimes
implicitly undermined. Critics suggest that we idealize the
situation when we think of therapy only as a helping relation. It
is also fundamentally a political practice, in that some cultural
ideas and practices are supported while others are undermined or
disqualified. So, while it is seldom intended, the therapist-client
relationship always participates in society’s power relations and
political dynamics.
Playing chess is not often part of office psychotherapy with

children. It requires more time than the usual therapy hour, and
the necessary silent consideration of moves does not allow the
verbal interaction desired by many therapists. However, some
therapists have been able to integrate the game into the
psychotherapy (e.g., Reider, 1959). There is a nonclinical use of
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chess which does not have the constraints of a psychotherapy

hour. The adult therapist may be a former school psychologist
hired by the school district to consult and interact with students
in a school. There were interactions with students in many
informal situations. The students respect or even esteem good
chess players. Students listen to him, believing that he must be
knowledgeable in real life’s tactics, strategies, sacrifices, etc.
thus, the guidance counselor-therapist may use his chess prowess
to gain rapport with students.
On the other hand, the clinician must be cautious of

incorporating chess games into the routines of therapy itself.
Chess games require considerable time and concentration for
most players, and may easily become the central occupation of
the therapeutic session. If the chess game becomes part of the
regular schedule of treatment, then the game may lose most of its
therapeutic worth, and may even sidetrack the opportunities for
more active and direct discussion of the underlying problems and
situation of the client (or patient).
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Part 2
Application of Chess into Therapy
Eight Case Studies
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CASE 1: Cobey
Cobey is a 17-year-old boy from Mindanao presented with

an adjustment reaction to living away from his parents. Before
moving to Manila, his family (particularly his father) could have
been described as being not critical of him but unavailable. This
situation seemed to have left Cobey without a significant male
identification source except his elder brother or kuya who is
“studying in a better school” and in fact graduating in the near
future.
One time, Cobey attempted to commit suicide in school, and

luckily, his classmates prevented him. His suicide attempt,
however, was due to his sudden unsupervised decision to quit
smoking, and a concurrent breakdown in a friendship that caused
a rather extreme depression at that time. His parents were
informed and came all the way from Mindanao to Manila to
support him. He and his classmates have undergone
psychological debriefing. The following school term, Cobey
underwent therapy on a regular basis.
Although the family was verbally supportive of school, there

was little follow-up with regard to Cobey’s efforts. As a result,
Cobey got far behind in credits due to his own inconsistent work
habits. He presented as a quiet, friendly, “kick-back” kid who
was not disruptive but who also did not complete his work. One
of Cobey’s strengths was that he can be artistic. He had a small
business that he ran out of his home—he paints abstract figures
and sells them. This business demonstrated his knowledge of art
materials and was a source of pride to him, even though it was
not financially successful. He is also into photography.
Cobey played chess with a well-balanced game of offense

and defense. He was sometimes impatient with my long
deliberations, but most noteworthy was his quick
discouragement if I got ahead early in the game. When that
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happened, I saw a dramatic drop-off in his efforts. He made

mistakes, and he refused to take back the move even when I gave
him permission to do so, which resulted in my winning the game
quickly. My style contrasted with his in that I played with an
attitude of “never give up.” On occasion, Cobey was successful
in taking my queen early in the game, but I always managed to
come back to win.
I encouraged Cobey to join www.chess.com. Any way, it’s

free and he can play not only with me but also with other people
from all over the world as I do. In fact, Cobey wasted no time
and enrolled that very same day I told him about the website.
I have checked some of Cobey’s online chess games. With

the help of an objective computer analysis, I was able to decode
of his both good and bad habits, or strengths and weaknesses.
Shown above and in the following page is his first online game
where in he had beaten RedSoxpawn, an 18-year old American
student who majors in biochemistry and plays chess in his spare
time. Cobey’s opponent, RedSoxpawn has been a member of
chess.com since Nov. 12, 2007 and had played 843 games (208
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wins, 595 losses, and 40 draws). On the other hand, it was

Cobey’s first game at chess.com. Surprisingly, Cobey won by
checkmate with the white pieces.
Analysis of Cobey’s game, however, showed that his

opponent played with plenty of inaccuracies, mistakes, and
blunders. Cobey, likewise, made a number of inaccuracies and
mistakes, but less frequent than his opponent. Cobey’s game
with RedSoxpawn confirmed my earlier findings in Cobey’s
personality that I gathered in his games with me. He was at times
not careful and did not give enough time to think of the
consequences of his moves or his opponent’s moves.
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In one of my online games with him, I employed King’s

pawn game and he did a Damiano defense (code C40 in
Encyclopedia of Chess Openings).
The computer analysis provided by chess.com follows (the

software’s strength or Elo-rating is about 2000):
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 f6? ( 2... Nc6 3. Bb5 ) ( 2... f6 3. Bc4 Nc6 4. O-O Nge7
5. d4 d6 6. dxe5 Nxe5 7. Nxe5 fxe5 8. Nc3 )
3. Bc4 Ne7
4. d4 c6
5. dxe5 d6? ( 5... fxe5 6. O-O Qc7 7. Nc3 b5 8. Bb3 b4 9. Ne2 )
( 5... d6 6. exf6 gxf6 7. Qd4 Ng6 8. Nc3 b5 9. Bb3 )
6. exf6 gxf6
7. Nc3 d5
8. exd5 cxd5
9. Bxd5 Nd7
10. O-O b6?? ( 10... Nxd5 11. Qxd5 h5 12. Qe4+ Qe7 13. Qg6+
Kd8 14. Bf4 Ne5 15. Qe4 ) ( 10... b6 11. Bxa8 Ba6 12.
Ne4 Bg7 13. Nd6+ Kf8 14. Be4 Bxf1 15. Kxf1 Nc5 )
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11. Bxa8? ( 11. Nh4 Ne5 12. Bxa8 Qxd1 13. Rxd1 N7g6 14. Nf3
Nxf3+ 15. Bxf3 ) ( 11. Bxa8 Ba6 12. Ne4 Bg7 13. Nd6+
Kf8 14. Be4 Bxf1 15. Qxf1 Nc5 16. Bf4 Nxe4 17. Nxe4 )
11... Ba6
12. Re1? ( 12. Ne4 Bg7 13. Nd6+ Kf8 14. Bd5 Bxf1 15. Nf7
Qc7 16. Kxf1 Nxd5 17. Nxh8 ) ( 12. Re1 Qxa8 13. Ne4
Rg8 14. Qd4 Qd5 15. Nd6+ Kd8 16. Bf4 Qxd4 17. Nxd4 )
12... Qxa8
13. Nd5? ( 13. Ne4 Rg8 14. Bf4 Bg7 15. Qd6 Ne5 16. Rad1
Nxf3+ 17. gxf3 ) ( 13. Nd5 Qc6 14. Bf4 Bc4 15. Nc7+
Kf7 16. Nd4 Qc5 17. Nce6 Bxe6 18. Nxe6 )
13... Qxd5?? ( 13... Qc6 14. Ng5 Ne5 15. Qh5+ Kd8 16. Rxe5
fxe5 17. Nf7+ Kc8 18. Nxe7+ Bxe7 19. Nxh8 ) ( 13...
Qxd5 14. Qxd5 Ne5 15. Qa8+ Bc8 16. Nd4 a5 17. Bf4
Bg7 )
14. Qxd5 ( 14. Qxd5 Ne5 15. Qa8+ Kf7 16. Nxe5+ fxe5 17.
Qxa7 Bc4 18. Qxb6 Bg7 )
I made mistakes, which is 25.0% of all the moves made in

the game, and no blunders nor inaccuracies. Whereas Cobey
made two inaccuracies, two mistakes, and two blunders.
My therapeutic intervention with Cobey was to interpret how

his self-defeating attitude and behavior in the game also occurred
in his schoolwork. For example, Cobey sometimes lost his drive
when facing the daunting task of reading a long chapter. He was
able to use the “never give up” interpretation from the chess
game as his own, and was able over the school year to earn 72
credit units credits toward graduation. He also made it his
mission to beat me, which had the effect of freeing up, as well as
sublimating, his aggressive drive. In one of our latter games that
lasted more than two hours, Cobey and I were down to three
pieces each: a pawn, a castle, and the king. Knowing Cobey’s
tendency to withdraw from aggression, I threatened his rook with
my own. Instead of withdrawing, Cobey swapped rooks and
commented on his changed attitude regarding his own
aggressiveness. As Cobey’s pawn was in good board position, he
was able to get back his queen first and defeat me.
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Before the start of chess therapy, we note that Cobey had a

history of suicide attempt and was experiencing depression. He
was under-achieving and easily gets impatient when the demands
of work seem to overwhelm him. He easily gives up instead of
persevering in achieving his goals. With chess therapy, Cobey
learned to become patient before making his moves and attempt
to work out any problem. He learned to stay calm under pressure
and did not rush in making drastic decisions.
All these mental skills developed in playing chess were later

encouraged to transfer to life situations and Cobey was able to
deal with his anxiety and impulsiveness when faced with life’s
problems.
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CASE 2: Peter
Peter was a 17-year-old boy from Cebu who showed strong

egotistic character traits. His relatives are members of the Iglesia
ni Cristo (Church of Christ), and his father, I was told, used to be
one of the deacons of their church. He had been a counselor
hopper, or more accurately, counselor shopper. He moved from
one counselor to another, hoping to find one who “could fit his
need.” In his last session with his last counselor before me, he
resented being told to “wake up, you’ve been dreaming” by his
counselor. He told me, “I asked him how much do I owe him …
I gave him more [than his professional fee] … and said ‘f**k
you, I don’t believe you!’ and I left…. I won’t go back to see
that guy.”
He presented as extremely self-centered and lacked a sense

of consideration for others, including teachers and peers.
Frequently truant from school, he fell behind in credits necessary
for graduation. Effort in the alternative education program was,
at best, inconsistent. Many teachers have seen Peter as a very
bright student, and, when he wanted to work, he accomplished a
great deal in his classes. More typically, though, he talked to
friends regardless of their need to study. He rarely listened to or
followed directions from the teacher. But he loves playing chess.
In the chess games with me, Peter develops very powerful

and concentrated assault positions. Typical of his self-centered
orientation, however, he rarely paid attention to my own attack
plans. He played chess as if what he did was all that mattered or
that was worthy of consideration. The tenth-to-the-last game we
played was especially revealing although in about twenty games
we played, we both chose book moves, sharp lines, and he often
mounted strong attacks against my king. He often failed,
however, to sufficiently protect his own king. I often placed my
queen and bishop in an attacking position and do the classic
Greek sacrifice. In our first and second-to-the-last games, due to
Peter’s attack, I had to sacrifice a piece in order for me to get a
free move, which then resulted in his being forked by my knight.
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Being forked by a knight seemed always to catch him by

surprise. He, too, has a poor way of handling a defeat: he was
always defensive and easily piqued. Our tenth-to-the-last game
illustrated just that: Peter was playing white, I was playing black.
1. Nf3 c5
2. c4 d6
3. Nc3 Bg4
4. h3 Bxf3
5. exf3 Nf6
6. Bd3 g6
7. Qa4+ Nfd7 Peter (client/patient)
8. Nd5 Bg7
9. Be4 O-O
10. Qc2 Nc6
11. a3 e6
12. Nf4 Nd4
13. Qd3 Rb8
14. Ne2 Ne5
15. Qb1 Nxe2
16. Kxe2 b5
17. d3 bxc4
18. dxc4 Nxc4
19. b3 d5
20. Bd3 Na5
21. Ra2 Nxb3 FadulJ (counselor/therapist)
22. Qc2 Nd4.
The forking knight made Peter resign. He banged the table

with his fist, and remarked, “You only won because I got
distracted. I was winning earlier in the game.” I countered with a
“Hey, how would you feel if I tell you what you just told me? …
I’ll see you next Saturday, okay?”
Peter had a point: later computer analysis revealed that

although we had no blunders, we made eight inaccuracies
(38.1% of moves) and four mistakes (19% of moves). However,
while I was preparing for my next session with Peter and
analyzing my latest game with him, I thought of flipping the
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board in my mind to be able to see how Peter sees it from his

own point of view (see the diagram below which is equivalent to
the diagram in the previous page). I realized that Peter may have
failed to attend to my game plan, and focused only to his own.
FadulJ (counselor/therapist)
Peter (client/patient)
Thus, I realized that the therapeutic interventions for Peter

were to point out and demonstrate his failure to attend to my
game plan. This served as a metaphor for his failure to attend to
his peers’ or teacher’s needs as well. This self-centered behavior
got him into trouble in school as well as in the chess games. In
fact, we have to switch positions from time to time for us to see
each other’s point of view in some of our games.
Fortunately, through two school terms, Peter became better

at listening to and following teachers’ directions and respecting
other individuals’ needs. He began to use his class time more
wisely, and was able to make up enough credits to graduate. His
behavior in class was less disruptive and more respectful of all
those around him.
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We played seventh-to-the-last game in May, near the end of

the school year. As in previous games, we chose book moves,
and he mounted a strong attack against my king. When I lined
my queen and castle up against the pawn in front of his king, he
looked at me, smiled, and said, “I’m watching what you do,” as
he moved his pawn forward one space. This effectively blocked
my counterattack, and for the first time he went on to win the
game but he did show a lot more arrogance than before!
The following session, he again lost to me and as before he

was not able to handle defeat graciously, accusing me of
cheating and, of all things, reading his mind! He hit the wall with
his fist, and cried like a child. “Peter, control yourself!” was my
natural reply. He went to play live chess at chess.com and
manifested, likewise, poor emotional control in his defeats. He
was unable to sleep well after a series of loss from various
players he played with on-line.
I shifted my intervention to getting him beaten in many,

many games—employing gambits and sacrifices—hoping that he
will get used to it and learn to take defeats graciously. We had
several more sessions, mostly spent on the casual discussion of
famous world chess champions, especially the American
temperamental chess genius, Bobby Fischer. And we played
games wherein he suffered more-or-less three consecutive losses
per session. I noticed that through time, Peter became more
mature in handling defeats. He would no longer cry like a child
and bang the table with his fist. Neither would he give
irresponsible remarks and excuses, but concentrate on the
analysis of the gambit or sacrifice involved, and even consider
his opponent’s point of view.
Peter showed signs of being concerned of his own personal

needs rather than considering others’. He would rather listen to
his own inner thoughts than pay attention to what others are
telling him. In playing chess, Peter adopts a gung-ho, devil-may-
care attitude exhibited through powerful and concentrated
attacks. If he fails to meet his objectives, he flares up and loses
composure, leading to defeat and resignation.
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Chess therapy taught Peter how to be patient and attend to

what others are saying or showing him. This information helped
him in making decision and improved his performance whether
in playing chess or dealing with life situations. Further exposure
to different challenges in chess will help Peter deal with life
problems as he transfer the skills he learned.
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CASE 3: Jean
Jean was a 16-year-old girl from Quezon City who presented

with passive and overt aggression, fear of defeat, narcissistic
character traits, and oppositional defiant behaviors. She was
actively involved in formal wu shu training outside school.
My decision to employ chess in her therapy was a bit

accidental. I didn’t know she plays chess until she responded
“two people playing chess” in the second plate of the Rorschach
Test (see figure below) that I was administering. I asked her if
she plays the board game and she says “yes, but not very well.”
(The Rorschach psycho-

diagnostic plates have been in
the public domain in Hermann
Rorschach’s native Switzerland
since 1992, 70 years after the
author's death, or 50 years after
the cut-off date of 1942,
according to Swiss Copyright
Law. They are also in the public
domain under United States
Copyright Law: all works
published before 1923 are
considered to be in the public
domain in the USA).
Jean’s passive aggressiveness was manifested by her sitting

in the classroom day after day not doing any work at all. Her
overt aggressiveness arose when she felt treated with disrespect.
For example, when confronted by a teacher, Jean did not back
down. Instead, she “got into the teacher’s face” and verbally
fought back. She was not afraid to fight physically, although in
school she managed to control any physical aggressiveness.
Being suspended for such behavior was inconsequential to Jean.
She stated on many occasions that she did not want to go to
school, but she also failed to demonstrate other life goals or to
take any concrete realistic action in making life plans. The
contract with Jean to complete class work in order to play chess
games was noted by his teachers to be the first time in a year that
Jean had done any work at all in school.
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In one the chess games, Jean took the position, “I'm not
afraid to trade pieces with you.” Our game developed such that
we built up concentrations of pieces. Pieces were positioned to
attack but also to protect one another and to converge on some
focal point on the board. As the tension grew, Jean swapped
pieces no matter the consequences. On the other hand, I swapped
pieces only if the outcome was advantageous to me–if I would
gain some type of board advantage. If not, I withdrew
defensively. Jean seemed to be unable to make such a defensive
withdrawal. It was more in her narcissistic interests to be tough
and to stand up to me regardless of the consequences.
My therapeutic effort with Jean was to interpret her

confrontational style in the game and use this as a metaphor in
explaining her style with her teachers or peers. I suggested to
Jean that obtaining her goal in life is most important. I also
suggested that backing down does not amount to “a failure” but
actually could be advantageous if it moved her closer to
obtaining her goals. Jean’s style of play changed. She began to
show a better balance between confrontation and defensive
withdrawal. She displayed similar behavior or actions in the
classroom–became less confrontational with teachers or peers
who in their opinion were disrespectful. Although Jean made
little progress in her academic classes, failing to earn credits for
graduation, she did decide to leave school to go to work and to
pursue her wu shu career as her stated life goal. Jean’s change in
style of chess playing resulted in draws in the subsequent games
she played rather than losses.
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CASE 4: Joey
Joey was a 16-year-old mild smoker, and according to his

parents, earlier misdiagnosed with autism before he turned 9.
Actually, he is just mildly self-centered. This was manifested by
hostile impulses, poor planning skills, and narcissistic character
traits. Joey was not receiving any medical treatment for this
condition. In class, he rarely completed assigned work. He
seemed unable to use his time wisely in class. However, he was
drawn to any group that was doing something he perceived to be
“more interesting” than what he was expected to do. As a result
of a disruptive behavior, Joey was once or twice asked by one of
his teachers to leave the classroom. Then Joey learned chess.
And Joey played chess with me. In his chess games, Joey
had at best a vague strategy—moving his pieces quickly into a
desired position he had in mind but paid little attention to what
else was going on in the game. He frequently became irritated
when I spent a long time deliberating my moves. His inability to
tolerate his irritation seemed to further affect his decision
making. It was not uncommon that, when I made an aggressive
move, Joey withdrew impulsively, even if he could have made a
forward, assertive move just as safely. He seemed to play one
move at a time and to have trouble evaluating the various
alternatives and consequences of multiple piece positions. It was
not uncommon for Joey to focus solely on my king. He rarely
developed strategies to isolate an attack on other pieces, even if
they were undefended.
Therapeutic interventions involved discussing our different

styles of playing, and later, the two of us playing as a member of
a team (Team Philippines). The difference between Joey’s
impulsive style and my deliberate style was pointed out, as were
the difficulties he had in setting short-term objectives and in
using foresight–in looking three to four moves ahead. This
metaphor was used to help Joey set his goals in school in more
easily managed segments. That is, instead of thinking about
earning five credits for a class and about not being able to reach
that goal, we talked about setting a goal to read one chapter at a
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time and about breaking that down further into manageable, day-
to-day work that he could accomplish. Although this had been
stressed with Joey many times (a standard procedures for
disorganized, self-centered adolescents), hearing it in the context
of the chess game allowed him to better incorporate it.
Over the course of the year, Joey’s play in the game changed
significantly. He became much more attentive and deliberate in
his moves. He was also seen as being more successful in
establishing and carrying out short-term objectives such as
capturing less valuable but more vulnerable pieces. This resulted
in his achieving draws in the later games he played. In his
schoolwork, Joey became more successful at accomplishing
small-step objectives such as completing chapters in his school
texts. (However, these little steps did not result in Joey’s
completing enough work to make up the credits he needed. He
left the alternative education program to go to a regular school,
which allowed more freedom in making up school credits.) Most
noteworthy was Joey’s ability to secure an after-school job in a
fast-food eatery, which he has maintained for about a year.
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Besides, Joey was able to play with a team or as a member of

a team. He began to value teamwork and collective learning.
Sadly though, Joey remained addicted to nicotine, like his father.
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His father insists that his smoking (or his son’s) is not a
problem. He even expressed his satisfaction over the outcome of
the therapy, though it lasted more than ten sessions.
Incidentally, Joey’s father told his neighbor-friends about

the “successful improvement of his son after playing chess,”
which led some of them to encourage their own “problematic,”
“timid” sons to play the game more often, not considering that
using the board game without expert help, or at least the close
guidance from a trained personnel, can bring more harm than
good. Well, months after, I was told by Joey’s father about his
disgruntled neighbor-friends, that they have recently discovered
that their sons became “addicted to chess” and started cutting
classes in school—to play chess in clandestine places.
Joey’s case seems to be about a boy who had a “world of his

own”. Playing chess was an expression of his ego where he can
be his own self. Joey used to attend to what only interests him
and fails to pay attention to other useful information. This
attitude was both reflected in the way he dealt with life stresses
and challenges presented by playing chess. Joey was so absorbed
in the outcome rather than attending to how to manage long-term
goals into short-term ones. His impulsivity used to lead him to
commit mistakes that eventually led to defeats.
Chess therapy taught Joey to stay calm under pressure, think,

and process his options before making any moves. This change
in strategy was able to help Joey achieve success and deal
patiently with similar experiences in life.
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CASE 5: Berno
Berno is a young man in his early twenty’s from Pangasinan

who presented with an adjustment reaction to his parents’
separation. Before the separation, his family (particularly his
father) could have been described as being not critical of him but
too engaged in work. This situation seemed to have left Berno
without a significant male identification source. Although the
family was verbally supportive of school, there was little follow-
up with regard to Berno’s efforts. As a result, Berno got far
behind in credits due to his own inconsistent work habits. He
was presented as a quiet, friendly, industrious boy who was not
disruptive but who also did not complete his work. One of
Berno’s strengths was that he had a small business that he ran
out of his home—he bred and sold house plants. This business
demonstrated his knowledge of house plants and was a source of
pride to him, even though it was not financially successful.
Berno played chess with a proportionate game of offense and

defense. He was sometimes annoyed with my long pondering,
but most noteworthy were his quick discouragements whenever I
get ahead early in the game. Whenever that happened, I saw a
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dramatic drop-off in his efforts. He made mistakes, and he

refused to take back the move even when I gave him permission
to do so, which resulted in my winning the game quickly. My
style contrasted with his in that I played with an attitude of
“never give up.” On one occasion, Berno was successful in
taking my queen early in the game, but I managed to come back
to win.
My therapeutic intervention with Berno was to interpret how

his self-defeating attitude and behavior in the game also occurred
in his work. For example, Berno often times lost his drive when
facing the daunting task of cleaning the bathroom. He was able
to use the “never give up” interpretation from the chess game as
his own, and was able over the school year to earn 60 extra
credits toward graduation. He also made it his mission to beat
me, which had the effect of freeing up, as well as sublimating,
his aggressive drive. In a game that lasted more than two hours,
Berno and I were down to three pieces each: a pawn, a rook, and
the king. Knowing Berno’s tendency to withdraw from
aggression, I did threaten his rook with my own. Instead of
withdrawing, Berno swapped rooks and commented on his
changed attitude regarding his own aggressiveness. As Berno’s
pawn was in good board position, he was able to get back his
queen and trounce me.
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Berno had just gotten married last year, and I was able have
a casual talk with him and his wife. They are doing very well
though Berno had stopped schooling to devote full time to his
new job wherein he has lasted for more than a year.
Berno’s case is about someone who used to give up easily

when presented with challenge: the type of guy who does not
enjoy “working it out”. As he believes that he cannot be in
control of everything, he becomes impatient and easily
discouraged when faced with an overwhelming task.
Chess therapy was helpful to Berno in such a way that he

became patient when faced with challenges. He realized that
there are things that he can control and there are things beyond
his control; and yet he can maintain a healthy positive attitude
over the things that he cannot control. He learned how to defend
and attack at the right moments and he realized that he can also
apply this type of mindset in many life situations.
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CASE 6: Gian
Gian was a 17-year-old Engineering student from Makati

who showed little patience for school. He said he had a hypnosis
session with one of his earlier therapist (the former UP College
of Education Dean, Dr. Leticia Peñano-Ho). Frequently truant
from school, he fell behind in credits necessary for graduation.
His effort in school was, at best, inconsistent. Gian was seen as a
bright student, but only when he wanted to work does he
accomplish a great deal in his classes. More typically, though, he
depended on friends despite of the need to submit requirements
independently, sleep in class, and rarely listened to or followed
directions from the teacher.
In the first chess game with me, Gian used book moves but
weak defense positions. Typical of his self-absorbed orientation,
he rarely paid attention to my own attack plans. He played chess
as if what he did was all that mattered or that was worthy of
consideration. The very first game we played was boring. We
both castled our kings, and he mounted a simple attack against
my king. He failed, however, to coordinate his pawns forward. I
was able to use my queen and bishop to adequately protect my
king. Due to Gian’s attack, I had to force exchanges with many
of his pieces in order to dilute his attack, which then resulted in
his making blunders and getting checkmated. Being checkmated
seemed always a shock to him.
Gian’s impatience reminded me of my earlier case with

Berno (pp. 47-50). In fact, my similar therapeutic interventions
for Gian were to point out and demonstrate his failure to be
careful and to adequately carry on to the end. This served as a
metaphor for his failure to finish his assignments and other
school requirements as well. This self-absorbed behavior got him
into difficulty in school as well as in his chess games.
Fortunately, through three school terms, Gian became better

at listening to and following teachers’ directions and respecting
other individuals’ needs. He began to use his class time more
wisely, and was able to make up enough credits to graduate. His
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behavior in class was less unruly and more respectful of all those
around him. We played our final game in June, when the school
year was about to start. As in previous games, I castled my king,
and he mounted an attack. When we bishop exchange, he smiled
at me, and said, “I think this is going to be a long game, but I’m
determined to finish you off” as he takes my bishop. Then we
exchanged queens. These effectively brought us from a middle
game to an end game, and for the first time he went on to draw
with me. Our final, relatively long game is shown below:
Gian (client/patient)
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 d6
4. O-O Nf6
5. Nc3 Bg4
6. h3 Be6
7. d4 a6
8. Ba4 b5
9. Bb3 exd4
10. Nxd4 Qd7
11. Nxc6 Bxb3
12. axb3 Qxc6
13. Re1 Be7
14. Nd5 Nxd5 FadulJ (counselor/therapist)
15. exd5 Qd7
16. c4 bxc4 Gian (client/patient)
17. bxc4 O-O
18. b3 Rfe8
19. Bb2 h6
20. Qd4 Bf6
21. Rxe8+ Qxe8
22. Qd2 Qe7
23. Bxf6 Qxf6
24. Qa5 Qb2
25. Re1 Qxb3
26. Qxc7 Qxc4
27. Qxd6 a5
28. Qc6 Qxc6
29. dxc6 Rc8
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30. Ra1 Rxc6 Gian (client/patient)

31. Rxa5 g6
32. Kh2 Kg7
33. g3 Rc2
34. Kg2 h5
35. h4 Rc6
36. Rg5 f6
37. Rb5 Rc7
38. Rb6 f5
39. f3 Rc2+
40. Kh3 Rc3
41. Kg2 Rc2+
42. Kf1 Rh2
43. Rb4 f4
44. Rxf4 Rc2 FadulJ (counselor/therapist)
45. Re4 Kf6
46. Kg1 g5
47. hxg5+ Kxg5
48. Kf1 Rc3 Gian (client/patient)
49. Kg2 Rc5
50. Kf2 Rf5
51. Kg2 Kf6
52. Kf2 Re5
53. Rxe5 Kxe5
54. Ke3 Kf5
55. f4 Kg4
56. Ke4 Kxg3
57. f5 h4
58. f6 h3
59. f7 h2
60. f8=Q h1=Q+
61. Ke5 Qe1+
62. Kd5 Qd2+
63. Ke6 Qe3+
64. Kf7 Qf3+ 65. Ke8 Qxf8+ 66. Kxf8. Draw.
Gian has not paid me a visit for about a year now. It can
mean the therapy worked or he went to see another therapist. I
hope and think he’s okay, as I review the computer analysis of
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our last game that showed that we made no blunders at all, and
just a few inaccuracies and mistakes. That is an indication that
Gian has become more careful with his moves and more patient
in planning his tactics or sequence of moves.
Gian’s case is about a bright student who attends only to

things that interest him. This attitude leads one to underperform
in school which was not a true reflection of what one can do.
Similar to other cases, the case is about failing to pay

attention to other useful information and being highly selective
of things that one wants to absorb. This very narrow and internal
concentration made Gian commit blunders and losses that often
surprised him.
Chess therapy taught Gian how to pay attention to

information coming from all angles. Gian used to follow his own
game plan and fails to adjust according to what is presented to
him. He used to stick to what he would do that is why when
presented with a novel approach, he finds it difficult to adjust.
Interventions were able to help Gian appreciate all useful
information which helps him make wise and intelligent decisions
in his moves.
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CASE 7: Bong
Bong was a 13-year-old boy from Manila who suffers from

stuttering when his mother brought him to me for therapy upon
recommendation of the famous Dr. Fe del Mundo, Bong’s
pediatrician for twelve years. Dr. del Mundo initially thought
that Bong’s stuttering at age 5 was not serious and will naturally
disappear in time. But it didn’t and appeared to have gotten
worse to the extent that Bong had become the object of teasing in
school. The mother asked for a referral, and Dr. del Mundo
thought of my modest clinic then. My initial session with Bong
and his mother was routine.
I’ve learned from the second session that Bong plays chess
though not good enough for him to be a tournament material. He
was also fond of drawing and painting. I came to know that
Bong’s mother was a public school teacher who introduced him
all those hobbies and interests, though it was the father, a
government employee, who plays chess with him.
Bong went to see me unaccompanied on the third session.
We played chess, and in casual conversation I learned that his
mother once scolded her husband (his father) because they were
playing chess when there were lots of house chores to do and
they were not helping. He also told me of his bother, JR, eight
years his senior and at times bullies him. Bong would tell on him
and he would stop because of fear from their mother, but
afterwards resume in bullying him in secret.
His elder and only brother JR also plays chess, but I didn’t
have the chance to play with him. In one short session with me,
JR poured out his complaints against his younger brother and
their mother, telling all his ill feelings against Bong and their
mother in a raised voice. He called his younger brother “a
spoiled brat—spoiled by their mother, … a Mama’s boy, … a
disgusting brother who grew up overly protected.”
I didn’t analyze any of Bong’s chess games with me. I
thought I don’t need to. I just played chess with Bong to gain
connection and empathy with him. Bong, I’ve felt, was having
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those storms-and-stress of an adolescent, and the family was not

helping him go through this stage.
After one more session, I have to give my diagnosis because

Bong hinted that his mother was getting impatient and believed
that “I may be just wasting their time in playing chess with her
son.” I gave my diagnosis, not just of Bong, but of the family. I
have to flatly tell Bong’s mother that she is very strict, too
perfectionist, and too old-fashioned, and her husband appears to
be weak and too carefree to impose discipline. I also mentioned
that she seems to be playing favorites. Bong appears to be her
favorite over the elder son, JR. She resented my diagnosis of her
and the family. She was so angry that she refused to pay my
modest professional fee despite some gentle reminders given
through her acquaintances over the months.
I have not heard about this family for years, except for short
occasional sad news: one time I heard that JR (Bong’s elder
bother) ran away from home; on another time I heard that two or
three of Bong’s sisters eloped with their boyfriends, that the
mother was very much heart-broken because of what happened,
and that Bong continued to suffer from stuttering through
secondary school.
But somehow, Providence has a strange way of fixing

things: the family somehow came to a happy ending after many
years: the mother suffered from a mild stroke but has
recuperated—her elder son who ran away has returned home—
her now-married-daughters got reconciled with her—and she
forgave them all during one Christmas family reunion.
Bong, surprisingly paid me a visit one day, after more than a

decade. He has overcome his stuttering and is now a practicing
therapist himself. He said he continues to play chess but never
advanced to become a serious chess player. Their octogenarian
mother, he tells me, has recovered from the stroke and can now
walk again and do the simple chores at home. Their father, too,
is still alive but is now quite weak. Both of their parents are
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being taken cared of by Bong’s brother and by the youngest in

the family who both remained unmarried.
Bong’s case is an example of how chess made the client feel

well even if it did not solve the presenting problem. Playing
chess in itself was therapeutic in the case of Bong because it
helped him to temporarily forget about life’s stresses. Chess was
an indirect approach in alleviating Bong’s problems and he
continues to play even in a noncompetitive level in order to cope
with life’s stresses.
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CASE 8: Jake
In Jake’s case, the therapist employed what is known as brief

therapy. In this particular case diagnosis and intervention were
both made in just a single session.
Jake was a 30-year-old bachelor, with a stable job, who is

thinking of marrying or not Maria, a friend and church-mate he
knew for a couple of years. Jake is quite secretive and won’t “tell
all” to his therapist. However, during a casual game of chess, he
confessed that he earlier courted a foreigner, a much-older
Singaporean woman—for her beauty and money. But he got a
pang of conscience because “she does not belong to the same
religion” that he decided to break the relationship after a year.
He felt guilty and was afraid of the “karma” that might happen to
him. I learned too that he had many opportunities in the past to
have romantic relationships with nice “Christian” girls, but he
didn’t exert enough effort to get to date any of them. He said he
receives surprises once in a while, in learning that so-and-so is
now married to so-and-so. He admits getting lonely at times but
says “I don’t care whether or not I remain single for the rest of
his life.”
He said he likes Maria, but not as much as his previous

“crushes” because he finds her not very beautiful, though not
ugly either. Jake also said he would like to know if it would be
wise for them to just get to know each other for some more time
because he may not be financially ready yet, or that they may
turn out to be not compatible. He says he is avoiding the rush but
at the same time he’s afraid of overdoing it.
I came to know that Jake is fairly familiar with many chess

openings—Queen’s Gambit, King’s Gambit, Ruy Lopez, Sicilian
Defense, Alekhine’s Defense, etc. However, he has not mastered
any one in particular and he says he does not have a favorite. He
plays “basta kung ano lang ang maitira” (roughly equivalent to
“at random”) he adds. Thus, I felt that he has remained single not
by his own choosing but because of his indecisiveness.
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My intervention was to tell him that his past relationship

with the Singaporean is now over. He may still have some
residuals but he has confessed and in my assessment “he has
genuinely repented of his sin.” He need not worry about it and be
paralyzed forever. What he lacks and what he needs at that
moment is decisiveness. I advised him to propose to Maria right
away or risk losing her.
I used the metaphor of one blitz game: one may be ahead in

material and even in position but may still lose due to time. I
can’t recall the actual dramatic blitz game that I showed Jake,
but in a similar more-recent-but-no-less-dramatic blitz game
shown below, my American opponent was clearly ahead in
material and position. In fact, in a computer analysis done later,
it can be shown that I made two more mistakes in my last moves;
however, it appears that my opponent kendawg931 (Ken
Gelfand), failed to pay enough attention to his clock and so he
lost! I recall that by our 40th moves, he had less than 10 seconds
while I still have about a minute.
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[Incidentally, I recently had a bullet game—a type of chess

game in which each side is given just one minute to make their
moves—with rishar (an American). If I had this 25-move game
earlier, this would have been the game that I would have shown
Jake and used the same to illustrate my point. As shown above, I
was clearly ahead both in material (two bishops) and in position
(I can maneuver a mate in three or gain even more material)
against the lower-ranking player, but he cleverly won on time.]
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Jake got the metaphor clearly: he said he then realized that

he and Maria are not getting any younger, and the danger of
again losing Maria to another man is very real. He realized that
his present success in his career, his savings, and even his
friends, may have made him complacent, “self-satisfied” and
unworried. He was short of saying he realized that he was failing
to pay enough attention to his “clock” and might end up losing in
spite of his gains, so to speak! I still recall that he said, he had
“less than six months to win her” when we parted after the
session. I almost said “Good luck!” but hesitated, realizing that
in their religion they don’t believe in luck. “God bless!” was
what I replied back.
Jake and Maria got married in a year’s time. (The couple

invited me and my wife to their wedding. we were not able to
attend, however, because of other commitments.) They now have
a beautiful daughter and appear to be happy and functioning well
in the church where they have their membership. We “bumped”
into each other in one of Manila’s shopping malls and learned
that he, Maria, and their daughter are doing well.
Incidentally, I’ve surmised that Jake, at this time, almost

always play Ruy Lopez (the Spanish Torture) when he’s white,
and Sicilian Defense (1.. c5) when he’s black, “after studying the
book lines for quite some time” according to him. This is in
contrast to his earlier style of play! He has read about and
studied chess openings, he said, for the past two years. I think,
his paradigm shift in life is indicated by this notable change in
his chess games.
Jake’s case made use of the blitz game as a metaphor. His

indecisiveness when there was little time left made matters
worse. There are situations in life when taking one’s time may be
harmful—when one must “strike while the iron is hot”. The blitz
game taught Jake to make the move when it is needed rather than
waste time. In life, making decisions at an opportune time often
leads to success and happiness.
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Discussion
Of course, playing chess games do have benefits. However,
playing chess games will not automatically bring about therapy.
Chess therapy should be employed by trained psychologists or
counselors who have sufficient theory and practice. In fact, chess
games that are misused may bring more harm than good to a
client. Imagine, for example, a client with inferiority complex
getting psychologically devastated in a series of defeats.
The first-person perspective is used throughout to convey the

personal involvement and enthusiasm that the principal author
experienced in the quasi-clinical work with these clients, most of
whom were students.
It was impressive that all eight cases showed an increased

willingness to change after becoming aware of hidden aspects of
their behavioral styles. This change can be seen as the result of
their having a new type of adult available—someone enthusiastic
and playful. Some of these were adolescents who did not have
the experience of a father or another adult who openly enjoyed
playing with them, let alone allowed or encouraged them to
vanquish the adult. In some ways, playing chess was the “rough-
and-tumble” kind of play enjoyed by younger males. These
adolescents could enjoy the combat as well as identify with the
more successful and skillful style of this adult. Rather than
humiliate them—in reaction to the fear of losing to them—the
adult was willing to share his skills. This experience may not be
readily replicable in all settings, or beneficial to all adolescents,
but it deserves to become a feature of work with at-risk
adolescents in various settings.
Each of the cases previously described more-or-less find

chess interesting. Awareness of the cultural aspects that
contributed to the interest and motivation of some members of
the group is also evident. It is interesting that chess goes back in
history to Eastern civilizations that sprung up around India; it
moved to Persia and later to Europe. Chess is taught to most
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young children in Russia, and it is common for European fathers

to teach and play chess with their children. It may well follow
that the adolescents described above reflected the general father-
son relationship–this being one major cause of their narcissistic,
competitive conflicts interfering with the process of learning in
general. Chess is valued by many more children than is generally
recognized, and, when therapists are familiar and comfortable
with the game, it can be used in school or individual therapy as
any other play or game. We believe, however, that there are
certain specific qualities of chess that may allow it to be used
advantageously.
Chess, like music or art, may have qualities inherent to the

mental functioning of humans. If true, chess may prove useful as
a unique way of addressing and understanding the thinking,
emotion, and psychology of certain individuals. Chess allows
time and a play space for both players to reflect internally
(cognitively and emotionally), plan, think ahead, anticipate, and
imagine what plan or type of player/person they are playing. It
does allow for degrees of involvement or noninvolvement
(aggressiveness or defensiveness) and the opportunity to talk or
remain silent. Chess encourages some inner reflection and
consideration, similar to that found in the core aspects of
therapy. When chess is used therapeutically, the therapist is not
just playing but is organizing his or her ideas of the inner issues
the patient is struggling with and how and when to address them.
The therapist employing chess may find it very helpful if his

and his client’s games are archived online. He may present one
of his games to this client to illustrate a chess metaphor (say, a
gambit, a sacrifice, etc.). Or, he may view his client’s games for,
among other things, analysis that may aid in diagnosing the
client’s problematic behavior.
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The challenge of therapeutically affecting narcissistic

adolescents and adults was addressed in this part of the book.
The therapeutic results described can be attributed to several
factors. First, a playful attitude (Moran, 1987) and a shared
enthusiasm for the game are important. We believe that, by
tolerating narcissistic injury (as counter-transference), the
therapist can feel pride, pleasure, and respect for the client. The
second factor consists of the various verbal and nonverbal
interpretations directed to the specific conflicts in the four
adolescents. In the work with Cobey, the focus was on his
defensive, self-centered view of the world. This had interfered
with his progressive use of his intelligence and relationships. The
therapist described “pointing out” Cobey’s failure to attend to his
opponent’s game plan—a failure that is metaphorically
analogous to one of the adolescent’s difficulties in school. Chess
is especially suited as a play space for this issue. The game calls
for each player to develop a strategy in his mind (silently), to
compete (and possibly win), and to consider his opponent’s
strategy. It allows the players a silent sharing over extended time
in a setting where the external demand that is experienced may
be less than that experienced in the classroom. Being together in
the “chess space” was completely different from any initial
verbal focus on Peter’s school problems. Peter’s limitations in
being able to put himself in another’s shoes typified his
narcissistic dynamics. We submit that this position improved
with Peter’s ability to not only “observe” the therapist’s moves,
but also with the shared experience of the joy of his winning.
This confirmed that Peter knew the therapist experienced
pleasure in Peter’s progress and that the therapist was indeed
able to lose without suffering a narcissistic blow.
The other three adolescents, and two adults, demonstrate the

focus and interpretations on their different conflicts. Jean’s
aggressiveness defended against the emotional injury of backing
down. Understanding this was beautifully described as
“exchanging pieces,” which was experienced as a confrontation,
as not backing down. In the chessboard, the therapist backed
down, and at the appropriate time interpreted Jean’s female penis
envy conflicts, where Jean’s long-term goals were impeded as
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long as she equated backing down as not good enough. For Joey,
suffering with mild narcissistic character disorder, chess offered
opportunities to bring these issues directly into the therapy–
taking time to think, thinking ahead, and tolerating waiting. With
Berno, chess served as a vehicle to talk about his private life and
his interest in house plants. The intense involvement of the
therapist contrasted dramatically with Joey’s family’s lack of
involvement. Finally, chess allowed each adolescent to use this
interaction to find an acceptable way to move on with life not in
a school setting. The outcome of the “game” allowed life to go
forward.
The degree of distress in losing any game is a good measure

of the narcissistic vulnerability of all children and adults. Often
the intensity of distress over a bad move or action in a game can
lead to play disruption (violent at times). In the use of chess in
dynamically oriented psychotherapy with children and
adolescents, there have been times when the impulsive child
cannot tolerate the waiting, or when other internal issues arise,
and the game changes: pieces become missiles between two
fighting armies.
According to Freud, the unconscious conflict regarding the

need to win can, in males, relate to “killing the father”.
Personally, we don’t believe in this, yet frequently, most
Freudian psychotherapists say this is demonstrated after the child
wins the game, where in victory, he takes his king and moves it
where he can kill, and crush the opponent’s king. On the other
hand, chess may serve a defensive purpose providing necessary
mental structure, or containment of one’s anxiety–better than the
pathological defenses in use do. This ability of chess players to
manage pathological defenses allows for intervention and
interpretation to take place in the play space.
As to Joey, improvement in this isolated, self-interested

sixteen year-old youth took place after he became interested in
chess. It provided an outlet for his hostile impulses in a non-
retaliatory situation. The authors stress the dynamics in the use
of the game, showing that it is a social experience which
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necessitates abiding by rules, taking into consideration the

wishes and acts of another person, and wherein intense
interpersonal relations are possible in a brief period. Good use
was made of the patient’s digressions from the game and his
newly acquired ability to speak about his feelings, fantasies and
dreams that the particular emotional situation of the game
touched off. The case also demonstrates how the fact that chess
is a game, and not real, enabled the patient to exert some
conscious control over his feelings and thus learn to master them
to a limited extent.
Chess, as all games, depends on the developmental level

(emotional, cognitive, age) of each client. With preschool or
early-latency children, the pieces quickly turn into animated play
objects playing out their fantasies. In the adolescent struggle to
separate and find a unique identity is a normal increase in
narcissism. In the adolescents described in this chapter, however,
it was destructive to their functioning in school and probably at
home. When used therapeutically, the chess game served as a
valuable metaphor for these students; it helped them to address
their narcissistic issues in their struggle to complete their
adolescent passage. In adults, insightful metaphors (pins, forks,
sacrifice, gambits, battery, etc.) are particularly instructive, and
the chess-playing therapist should facilitate the client’s clearer
understanding and applications of the metaphors.
Chess has generally been a game between males, but

outstanding female players like the Polgar sisters (and possibly
Jean) are on the rise. An issue for further research might not only
be how female chess players view the king as ruler, but how a
male therapist, a female therapist, or a therapist of neither gender
(that is, lesbian or gay), employs chess in the profession.
Chess should be rather used as adjunct to psychotherapy. If

clients are comfortable in expressing themselves, their issues and
concerns in playing chess, then the therapist should incorporate
chess playing in his sessions with the client.
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Chess is therapeutic especially when it becomes an avenue

where the client can display his/her “game” against his/her
therapist. Relationships are established not as combatants but it
is more of a cooperative relationship where the therapist helps
the client to perform better. Successful performance in chess can
later on, be transformed to life situations.
Playing chess has assisted clients to express their personal

issues or concerns manifested in their styles of play. Cases
presented in this book showed that those who are impatient when
faced with challenges during matches are also impatient in life
situations, and they are more prone to commit mistakes leading
to poor performance.
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Index
A D
addiction to chess 48 decisiveness 63-66
adolescent passage 74 discouragements 49
aggressiveness 41 domineering mother 19
applications in life 7
archiving games 70-71
E
Ellis, Albert 9
B empathy 59
expert help 12, 48
bad loser 36, 41-42
bad move 73
F
battery 74
Behaviorism 4, 8, 14 father 29, 35, 47-49, 59-60,
blitz games 64, 66, 106 69-70, 73
boring moves 55 fighting mood 97
Brief therapy 4, 10, 63-66 flipping the board 36
bullet game 65 Freud vii, 7-8, 13, 73, 77
G
C Gestalt 9, 14, 16, 77, 81
cancer 97-103 good board position 33, 50
change in chess games, may good moves 74
be an indication of
paradigm shift 66 H
clandestine play 48 fighting mood 97
close guidance 48 helplessness 65
collective learning 47 homosexuality 74
complacency 63-66 hyperventilation 38, 72
counseling distinguished hypnosis ix, 18-19, 55
from therapy 2
counselor hopping 35 I
counselor shopping 35 inner reflection 70
counter-attack 45, 72 intelligence 16, 72
intuition 66
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J N
Jungian psychology 8, 13-
14, 77 narcissistic character 41-42,
justifying oneself 18, 63 45, 70-74, 78
nicotine addiction 47
K nurses 1, 12
“kibitzing” 18
“killing the father” 73 O
overkill 72
overtime 72-75
L
lesbian 74 P
lessons in life 7, 78 paradigm shift 66
loneliness 14, 22, 63 passive aggressiveness 41
long-term goals 48, 72 playful attitude 72
lording it over 23 playing chess to bring about
losing time 23-24, 29, 63- therapy 5, 74, 75
66 Polgar sisters 74
losing one’s love 63-66 post-traumatic stress
disorder 22, 77
M problematic sons 48
psychiatrists 1, 9, 12-13, 15
marriage counselors 5, 12 psychoanalysis 2-4, 7-8,
mental health 1, 2, 10-12 13-14, 16, 77
mother represented by the public domain 41
queen 19
Q
queen representing the
mother 19
quick decision needed 63-
66
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R V
rapport with the client 3, 8, vulgar speech while playing
24 chess 35
Registered Guidance vulnerable pieces 46
Counselor (RGC) 12, vulnerability 73
106
Rhazes vi, 7
Rogers, Carl 2, 8-9, 11
Rorschach Inkblot Test 41 W
waiting 73
walking away from the
S game 35-36
satisfaction 48 Wampold, Bruce 22, 77,
social experience 73 79, 80
social workers 1, 12, 14
strategy 45, 48, 72, 102
stuttering 59-60 X
xenophobia 35, 41-42, 45,
55, 69, 72-74
T
tactics vi, viii, 3, 4, 24, 58
timid sons 48
trained nurses 12 Y
yelling 36, 72
U
unconventional moves 3, 4,
24
uncovering 16-17 Z
unsolicited advise 18
universal 23 zest for life 1, 7, 11-12
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Appendices
Illustrative Screen Shots of Online Articles on Chess Therapy
with Web Logs (Blogs) by the Authors
One of the earliest psychoanalytic approaches to the use of

chess in psychotherapy read by the principal author during his
undergraduate studies.
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The authors extensively used Google Scholar, a freely-

accessible Web search engine that indexes the full text of
scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and
disciplines. Its index includes most peer-reviewed online
journals of numerous scholarly publishers. Similar in function
to the freely-available Scirus from Elsevier, CiteSeerX, and
getCITED, it competes with subscription-based tools like
Elsevier’s Scopus and Thomson ISI’s Web of Science but
covers more websites, journal sources and languages.
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The principal author made a web log regarding the possible

use of chess for cases of Attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD or AD/HD) which is a neurobehavioral
developmental disorder. ADHD is primarily characterized by
“the co-existence of attention problems and hyperactivity,
with each behavior occurring infrequently alone.” While
symptoms may appear to be innocent and merely annoying
nuisances to observers, “if left untreated, the persistent and
pervasive effects of ADHD symptoms can insidiously and
severely interfere with one’s ability to get the most out of
education, fulfill one’s potential in the workplace, establish
and maintain interpersonal relationships, and maintain a
generally positive sense of self.”
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Dr. Thomas Servatius Janetius, Director of Centre for

Counselling & Guidance of Sree Saraswathi Thyagaraja
College in India, reviews Chess Therapy:
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Question: Does a positive attitude prolong cancer survival?
It is true that positive attitude (happy, fighting mood) can be

easily achieved through games such as chess. However, the
more fundamental question to be answered is: “Does a happy,
fighting mood slow down certain types of cancer?” The
principal author blogged on this topic. See excerpts on pages
95-98.
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Reproduced with permission from The Associated Press
Question: Does a positive attitude prolong cancer survival?
It is now a common belief that a positive mood leads to

better health outcomes, even (or especially) when dealing with
a serious illness like cancer. Like many common beliefs, this
is probably not true. The selection process of beliefs tends to
favor things we would like to be true, and not necessarily
things that actually are true. Many people have championed
the efficacy of a positive mood in healing, notably Dr. Bernie
Seigel (1986) who wrote the books Love, Medicine &
Miracles and Peace, Love & Healing, in which he claims:
“A vigorous immune system can overcome cancer if

it is not interfered with, and emotional growth toward
greater self-acceptance and fulfillment helps keep the
immune system strong.”
However such claims are the product mostly of casual

thinking and are not backed by the evidence. In a new large
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well controlled study, researchers found no benefit of positive

mood in cancer survival. Study author James Coyne said of his
study:
“We anticipated finding that emotional well-being

would predict the outcome of cancer. We
exhaustively looked for it, and we concluded there is
no effect for emotional well-being on cancer
outcome. I think [cancer survival] is basically
biological. Cancer patients shouldn’t blame
themselves—we often think if cancer were beatable,
you should beat it. You can’t control your cancer. For
some, this news may lead to some level of
acceptance.”
This study fits with prior evidence that on the whole shows
very little placebo effect or benefit from mood for cancer
survival. Even Seigel’s own study showed no benefit,
although he later disavowed the results.
But belief in such a mood effect remains strong, and in many

ways is the foundation of a broad range of unscientific
therapies. A plausible mechanism of action is not necessary if
you can simply claim mind over matter–believing in the
treatment is enough. People often site the placebo effect as
evidence for this mind-over-matter self healing.
As the principal author have blogged before, the largely

misunderstood placebo effect is not simply mind over matter,
but a complex set of effects that are mostly artifacts of
observation and the failure to account for extraneous factors,
which is not a true benefit from an inactive treatment.
One basic logical error that underlies many of the false

beliefs about mood and the placebo effect is the hasty
generalization, or making claims that go far beyond evidence
or reason. For example, there is a consistent placebo effect in
most studies with pain of about 30% – one third of people
receiving only an inactive placebo will report improvement in
their pain. This is often overly generalized to outcomes other
than pain, but this is a mistake.
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Pain is a very subjective experience and is known to be

modulated by mood, attention, and expectation. Just being
distracted will decrease a person’s perception of their pain.
This does not mean that the mind or brain can affect all other
aspects of biology also – that is can cure cancer. That is the
hasty generalization.
Sources of many doubtful health care modalities actively

encourage the hasty generalization. For example, a study
showing that chiropractic manipulation of acute
uncomplicated back pain results in faster recovery is presented
as evidence that “chiropractic works.” This one narrow
indication is being generalized to all possible uses of all kinds
of manipulation, including the use of chiropractic to treat
asthma or ear infections. The same is true of acupuncture,
where studies showing efficacy for pain (and for the record I
am not convinced by the evidence that acupuncture is effective
for anything) are generalized to the claim that “acupuncture
works” so go ahead and use it to treat cancer. Even worse,
proponents use narrow bits of evidence to claim that
“alternative medicine works.” That is an outrageous
generalization to a category of treatments that does not really
exist – in that there is no cohesive underlying methodology or
philosophy, just a mixture of differing (and even mutually
exclusive) modalities that lie outside the bounds of scientific
medicine and therapy.
In medicine all claims need to be looked at independently

and collectively. Yes, there is some harmony in medicine as
there is in science, so everything should make sense when
considered together. And we can use our medical and
biological knowledge to attentively and cautiously extrapolate
to new therapies (and, of course, check to see if they actually
work). However rigorous effective clinical thinking means
avoiding hasty generalizations, wild speculations, and
resisting the temptation to simplify without evidence.
Humans in general have a strong desire to simplify, because

it helps us cope with the complex world in which we live.
Medicine, health, and sickness are complex, and growing
more complex daily as our knowledge expands. So the authors
understand the drive to be simplistic, but this is not a
101
Fadul and Canlas
legitimate or effective intellectual strategy. It leads to careless

thinking and invalid conclusions.
In the final analysis, despite our desires, it seems that a

positive mood does not help our bodies fight cancer – at least
not significantly enough that we can measure it with existing
studies. This doesn’t mean, however, that a positive mood
does not help other health problems (we don’t want to hastily
generalize in the other direction). It does seem to help with
heart disease, for example, and this makes sense because heart
function is affected significantly by our stress levels.
What we can dispense with, based upon lack of evidence of

scientific plausibility, is the magical thinking that a positive
outlook can overcome all hurdles. Indeed, “wishful thinking
does not make it so”.
102
Fadul and Canlas
103
Fadul and Canlas
An English translation of a Spanish website on the use of

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to improve
chess performance was reviewed by one of the authors.
104
Fadul and Canlas
105
Fadul and Canlas
About the Authors

JOSE A. FADUL, Ph.D., is an educational psychologist
and a Full Professor of De La Salle-College of Saint
Benilde (DLS-CSB) combining behavioral, cognitive,
and psychodynamic approaches to psychotherapy. He
maintains a private practice while teaching social science
courses at DLS-CSB. He continues to provide limited
consulting services to other schools and orphanages. Dr.
Fadul is a member of the Team Philippines of
Chess.com and plays on-line and live blitz chess.
REYNALDO NUELITO Q. CANLAS, is a sports

psychologist and a registered guidance counselor (RGC).
He is one of the counselors of the De La Salle-College
of Saint Benilde. He was a teaching faculty of the Social
Sciences of the College of Arts and Sciences of the
Technological University of the Philippines-Manila from
school year 1991 through 1999.
106

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Chess in Therapy

Raleigh London Toronto Bangalore

Lulu Press Inc.

Cover: Photomosaic of the authors’ activities involving chess therapy,

Lately, chess seems to have been rehabilitated, at least in

So it should not be too surprising to encounter the title

The game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several

More than 150 years before Franklin, the scholar Albert

In fact, the authors of Chess Therapy inform us that the 9th-

However, the majority of intersections between psychology

as illustrated by Ernest Jones’ “The Problem of Paul Morphy –

or their thinking processes in arriving at a plan or move:

from Alfred Binet’s “Psychologie des Grand Calculateurs et

So, we can approach Chess Therapy with an increasing

As flooded as the literature is with articles describing the uses

Ah, if only Sigmund Freud had played chess!

Actually, he did, as his biographer Ernest Jones noted:

Freud played a good deal of chess in coffee houses in the

As for the utility of chess in therapy (and a caveat), here

Much can be learned from analyzing the play of adults in

So, on to Chess Therapy.

After a “Table of Contents” and a short “Foreword” by FIDE

Often a description will be accompanied by a chess-related

Existential–is based on the existential belief that human beings

For example, the sub-section “Criticisms and Questions

As Dickens’ character Oliver Twist once intoned, “Please,

Luckily for the inquisitive reader, “Part 2, Application of

Confidentiality, crucial to any counseling relationship, was

Of particular interest in the case studies is the use of an

The book itself, a product of the print-on-demand publisher

Computer screen shots have been reproduced clearly, if at

More troublesome are a few instances of repetition of

In more ways than one Chess Therapy is a maddening

It is clear to me that something very interesting is going on

(Abridged from http://www.chessville.com/reviews/ChessTherapy.htm

The word psychotherapy comes from the Ancient Greek

between a trained therapist and client(s). Purposeful,

Therapists generally employ therapy in response to a variety

While some psychotherapeutic interventions are designed to

Psychotherapy Systems and Chess

• Psychoanalytic - is the practice to be first called

• Psychodynamic –is a form of depth psychology, the

briefer and less intensive than traditional psychoanalysis.

concerned with how a problem arose than with the

According to the American Psychological Association there

Innovative therapies are encouraged and chess as therapeutic

History of the Employment of Chess in Therapy

In the West, however, chess in psychotherapy was only

Psychoanalysis was perhaps the first specific school of

developed. Freud and his friends themselves play chess but

Many theorists, including Anna

Behaviorism developed in the 1920s, and behavior

Sartre, Gabriel Marcel, Martin Heidegger, Friedrich Nietzsche).

During the 1950s, Albert Ellis originated Rational Emotive

behavioral therapy approaches were combined and grouped

General Concerns in Therapy

Psychotherapists and counselors’ often require creating a

Psychotherapy often includes techniques to increase