Playing chess through adversity by mya

Playing chess through adversity by mya - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

Playing chess everyday fixed my hormones. You would assume that sentence is a joke, but unfortunately it is not.
Although I always told myself I would begin to play chess daily due to the benefits it provides to your brain, I kept delaying it for various reasons. I remained preoccupied and busy with school, barely making time for myself, barely even sleeping. I was notorious at school for living a hectic lifestyle, one with little sleep, too much caffeine and too many physics classes. The majority of adults at my school often expressed concern for how hard I was working, and how little time I made to care for myself, but I continued along my merry stubborn way. Shockingly, this was not sustainable at all.
However, around 3 months ago, my doctor declared that my hormones had been messed up due to the severe stress I was facing with school. She recommended more sleep (which was not an option for a full AP/IB student), and more time focusing on myself. The second one seemed more appealing to me, and I decided to actually sit myself down and play a game of chess online. To my surprise, I actually thoroughly enjoyed it. It didn't feel like something I was forcing myself to do to enhance my health, like going to the gym, it felt like an actual hobby that I could love. I enjoyed it enough to return the next day, and then the day after that.
Playing chess daily has become a small routine in my daily life. Each game requires immense focus and the ability to think several steps ahead, something I have neglected to do for way too long. I’ve noticed over time that my mathematical skills have enhanced, along with my critical thinking skills. And eventually, I noticed that I have much more control over my anger than previously. I’ve learned to not panic over small mistakes, to just analyze and adapt, and move on.
Losing matches, which unfortunately happens quite often, taught me to stay calm under pressure and manage my anger, which helped me manage my concentration during studying and exams. But overall, learning to take time for myself and my own needs has proven vicarious. While the constant stress and studying I lived in felt safer to me, it wasn't worth sacrificing my health over straight 100s on tests. I'm proud to say that my hormones have now been fixed, and my stress has been severely reduced.