An Exploration of Chess Games in Therapy
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An exploration of chess games in therapy Pete Brown Chess for me is not a game, but an art “ Alexander Alekhine, World Chess Champion, 1921 ” This article describes how games of chess played a large part in the therapeutic work with a 10-year-old boy, who lived with his carer and then entered care during the course of the work. I hope readers who play chess, as well as those who don’t, will fi nd this article equally interesting. There is a stereotype of chess and chess players as nerdy calculating machines. However, as Kasparov (2007) states, chess also involves the power of imagination and fantasy. To catch your opponent off -guard, you often have to do something unexpected. I hope to show how the development of chess games, using a mix of planning, tactics, energy and creativity, helped Kieran to become more comfortable in his skin and gradually more confi dent in himself. The introduction of chess happened by chance. There was a chessboard and pieces in a cupboard in one of the rooms, and Kieran started setting it up. He had learnt some basic moves from his carer. I learnt chess as a child, but had not played for many years. Both of us knew enough to get by. Kieran was referred to CAMHS because his carer (an ex- friend of Kieran’s mother) complained about his oppositional behaviour, hyperactivity and enuresis. The family were at fi rst seen together, but then Kieran’s carer pressed for him to be seen individually, so the work was divided between the child and the carer. beaten and punished. This article is about the chess games, but Through the course of the work, it became clear, for a number of very it’s worth highlighting that both aspects of the sessions were serious reasons, that Kieran would need to become looked after. important components of the therapy as a whole. When we started playing chess, all sorts of mixed emotions came Phase 1: Openings – child directed chess alive in the games. Kieran usually ordered me to set up the pieces; On the face of it, one would not think a rule-based, intensely com- he always chose white (and hence started the game) and he had to petitive game of wit and skill would work when working with a deprived win every game. I positioned myself to allow him to win, either easily, child showing many signs of neglect. However, in phase one of our series or gradually, by playing a vigorous game and then making some of chess games, the rules were adapted to encompass child-directed mistake, where he could then pounce and fi nish me off . This strategy play. This basically meant Kieran could, for example, alter the way pieces of ‘throwing a game’ would sound shocking to any serious chess moved or take two turns at a time. The need, or even necessity, to be in player but, in this phase, I tactically lost games in order to give Kieran An exploration of chess games in therapy control and boss me around in these early games eventually gave way to a greater sense of accomplishment and agency. Occasionally, I would a calmer approach. However, these early games, especially when Kieran win a game to see how Kieran could manage this. Usually, he would was taken into care, were fraught with issues, as many dilemmas from accuse me of cheating, or throw the pieces and the board across the the outside world were expressed in the therapy room. room, becoming enraged. Kieran’s mood was inevitably infl uenced Kieran lived in a world where he had little infl uence over decisions. by the outside context of his very complex real-life dilemmas. When he lived with his carer, he led a life full of instructions, reprimands I like to use humour in therapy. I had to take extra care with Kieran, and constant punishments. An added complication was that he was not as he often felt persecuted by any playful teasing. For example, in contact with his birth mother due to a rift between her and his carer, sometimes, I would playfully and very obviously cheat by moving my some years earlier. He frequently called himself “The worst child in the piece illegally, and this was usually met with a torrent of verbal abuse world”. When he entered the care system, he was angry and confused and name-calling. However, the other side of this was that Kieran could and, through defi ant behaviour, often tried to wrestle control back from suddenly collapse into a heap of sorrow. As the work progressed, I could a world where so many decisions were imposed upon him. judge Kieran’s mood through his ability to regulate his emotions in In the weekly sessions, at least half of the session involved the chess games. For example, towards the end of our work together, playing chess, while the other half involved free play, usually with Kieran would tolerate losing and would also appreciate a good battle Kieran playing with the doll’s house and enacting all sorts of family on the chessboard, concentrating for long periods, as well as showing disputes that frequently included me as a doll who was regularly glimpses of humour. More about these tense chess battles later! Context 145, June 2016 17 that Kieran’s key worker had to knock on the door as we were running Example of a session in phase 1 of the chess therapy nearly 15 minutes over the session, losing all track of time! As Fadul Dorothy (key worker) brought Kieran into the room and then left & Canlas (2009) state, “Changes in the client’s games often indicate a aft er fi ve minutes. Kieran ordered me to set up the chess. I asked him paradigm shift or a better grasp of a metaphor of the chess game in life”. In how he was and he responded by saying, “Shut up and get on with it”. I this respect, chess was not only an engagement tool but a therapeutic said that perhaps he feels upset, as nothing has happened about seeing tool to help Kieran manage himself better in life. Yvonne (birth mother). He said, “I hate her”, to which I said “I think she has been unwell”. Kieran did not comment. We played mostly in silence. Managing the system He changed the moves of some of his pieces; not oft en, but enough to Chess is a game of tactics and strategy. I learnt to apply tactics seek an advantage. If I ventured to talk, he said, “Shut up and play”. outside the games in order to navigate the system around the He spilt his cup of water over the board and, for a couple of minutes, child. Even before Kieran entered care, the games were seen as ‘just seemed devastated, saying “I’m sorry” over and over. He recovered as we playing’ by Kieran’s carer. This view spread into the wider system wiped the board down together. Kieran regained composure and soon as I heard the social worker also asking about the role of chess in captured my queen, followed swift ly by checkmate. I congratulated him the therapy. I could understand this concern about ‘not addressing and he accepted the praise today. I asked about Julie (his former carer). the issues’, especially as the case moved into court proceedings. I Kieran said, “She hates you”. Dorothy knocked on the door and then employed the following tactics to help manage this dilemma: came in and saw Kieran’s win. I wanted to take a photo. At fi rst, Kieran • Each report on Kieran’s progress included at least a paragraph on refused, but then agreed with some gentle persuasion. the role of chess, also clarifying that a portion of the time was spent playing chess. • I asked the key worker to join us at the beginning and end of the games. This served to witness Kieran’s wins, spread news Phase 2: the middle game or the tutor meets his match about what he was learning from the games, as well as building a As Kieran’s external circumstances settled, so the chess games relationship with the care workers. gradually became more competitive. During one memorable • In the CAMHS court report, I emphasised the qualities chess was match, Kieran ordered me to set up the pieces and wrote this teaching – such as developing emotional self-regulation; patience note: “Good luck trying to survive!” I also found out that Kieran was while waiting to take a turn and perhaps, above all, learning to regularly practising chess with one of his key workers, a keen player. win and lose with grace. This gave him a chance to experience the game outside of therapy I can write about this calmly now but, at the time, I recall feeling and to practice losing, as well as winning. like I was caught in a sandwich. On the one hand, I was trying to In this phase, our chess styles also emerged more clearly. manage Kieran’s intense feelings within the room, whilst on the It can be said that perhaps two broad styles exist in chess: the other, also ‘educating’ the wider system so as to protect our work cool and calculating positional player who slowly and patiently together. In fact, I remember feeling quite surprised as I had never improves his or her position and the sharp, energetic attacker, expected such strong feelings to be aroused outside the room in moving pieces all over the board in dynamic, exciting moves.