The Cave of Self-Improvement

[@siddharthb2633]

my respect for this man just doubled.

[@ultimateichigo]

This hits the nail 100% percent! There were 4 times in my life that I got traumatized so hard that I just went hardcore into self-improvement not giving about anything else in life. 1. I almost had to repeat a year in highschool because my grades were bad. It hit so hard that the next years I became one of the best students. 2. One time I looked at myself in the mirror and somehow blamed everything bad in my life because I looked bad. In one year I became a physical adonis. Now i'm 40+ and boy do I miss that body :D 3. School and work was so mind numbing that I took up chess and went from 1400 to 1800 in 5 years. 4. I became terribly ill and after recovery I changed my perception of life and made a conscious effort to truly enjoy the world of chess while training efficiently. I went from 5 years stuck at 1800 to almost 2000 now. This man, Jesse Kraai, knows how to exactly describe this condition a man can have to truly improve. Respect!

[@ChessDojo]

Thanks so much for the feedback and sharing your story! It's amazing what can be a catalyst in life, and what changes responding to those catalysts can bring.

[@jonmetaphorist1327]

Jesse's talks are always gold. I've been stuck for many years and after watching jesse's video I completely changed my way of working on chess and feel very energetic about improving everyday. Maybe someday he can recommend some great books about philosophy, some metaphors can be very enlightening when it's about learning new things.

[@zenyatta5064]

This is the harsh truth I did not want to hear but had to hear

[@ChessDojo]

Peace be upon you!

[@Kubooxooki]

I am 42 and haven't played competitive chess for 15 years. I actually thought I was done with chess until last year my wife suggested I started teaching chess online to supply a bit more income after I lost my job due to the pandemic. It was a low moment for me, to be honest. Now, after 9 months of teaching chess non-stop, the game has become exactly the kind of self-improvement project you talked about in this video. I had never thought of chess outside of competing against others, but now I see it more as a competition with myself. Hearing your message in this video was very encouraging. My "normal" job situation is improving, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that my brain is active again, thinking hard and creatively, instead of feeling sorry for myself all the time. Incidentally, a steady half of my students have been women (thanks, Beth Harmon!). And thank YOU for this great video.

[@turul9392]

You are a philosopher, Jesse.

[@Trynottoblink]

This speech was so beautiful it almost made me cry. Thank you.

[@ChessWithMouselip]

Mind, body, and spirit. It all comes together under chess. Regarding goals, I think that specific rating goals are actually a distraction. Here is what I recently came up with. It is not directly about rating. It is about class -- rating classification. If you're 1700 (I am around there right now by USCF rating) and you want to reach FM quickly then you need to take a reality pill. It comes down to statistics. Rating classes are separated by 200 rating points. A person with a 200 point higher rating is statistically expected to win 3 out of 4 games. This represents a person one class above you. In order for *them* to *be* (stay) in that rating class, they need to demonstrably defeat the *next* higher class one out of 4 games. OK... let's go back to the 1700 -- class B player. In order to *be* a Class A player they need to be able to defeat experts (2000+) at least once in every four games. When they are able to play at that level then their rating will follow because they have then reached that *class* of play. Make sense? There is a general rule to be gleaned from this. It means that in order to go up one class (and stay) a player needs to be able to defeat players *two* classes higher in at least one out of every four games they play against that class. In order to *become* an expert you need to have the strength to consistently beat masters at least once out of four games. For those who want to be FM from Class B ... realize you you need to be strong enough to defeat IMs one out of four consistently. This is unrealistic. Focus on increasing your strength to climb into the next higher class and stay. Your rating just naturally follows. Your chess ability is more about your class of play. That is my humble opinion. Great video, Jesse. You and GM Rowson are my favorite chess playing philosophers. Keep up the good work. I always enjoy listening to your thoughts.

[@highgroundchess]

We need more insightful videos like this. Chess as a whole with regard to thought and the mind and feelings needs to be talked about more. The psychological aspect of the game is so important, especially when it comes to improvement. I have come back to chess over and over in my life. For me its more of safe zone. Something I both understand and do not understand but its there. Always. Creeping into my thoughts even when I was not serious about it. Now I am more serious about it than I have ever been. I find myself wondering why. Is it because I am not at a point in my life where I have the patience to improve and grow or is it because I am coaching one of my kids whose shown more interest than the others? Whether you came into the cave (the game) in a rough time as Kraai mentioned or if you are searching for something else we are all on a journey. And that is the best part of this game. The journey to find the next thing, be it art or beauty or even just reaching the next rating level. None of us can make it there without the cave. Finding the issue with your game and fixing it.

[@doooovid]

Joseph Campbell's Heroes journey 3 step process, alienation and leaving the world, going some place to receive special new wisdom, and then the triumphant reentry.

[@Nemtomi]

I wish you guys had a million subscribers. You'd deserve it honestly. Thanks for this.

[@JR_MusicMan]

Love this guy even more. So motivating, deep and really meaningful. Full body message to all of us. Something really needed nowadays. Thank you 🙏.

[@stevenorth1564]

Thank you Jesse. Incredibly eloquent. I would love it if you did 100 more of these. As you know I am one of the people who came to Chess for the reason you described. But I am very grateful to of found it. Thank you for being one of my guides on the journey.

[@lockdowndb4863]

When you talked about how men seek clarity and I placed with rules and structure when they lost their place in the world really spoke to me. I was lost and still am about what to do in life but chess has given me an outlet and a place of meditation that is slowly helping me find myself.

[@neeru7298]

Me too man. Chess is a ruthless game, but it's extremely fair. There are precise rules and when you lose a game you have something to work on. Life is so scary sometimes, it's easy to feel lost

[@eduardoazmitia8522]

I appreciate this video. It was very insightful. This relates quite a bit to the history of the game. Most of the previous world champions grew up in chaotic worlds full of wars and social unrest and the game provided some respire from the harshness of life.

[@Lurch150]

I'm here because I've experienced a 'spectacular' loss of place in the world, somewhat serendipitous.

[@johnphamlore8073]

And after watching this video, I suspect one will find the wisdom of Lasker's Manual of Chess suddenly more accessible. As Lasker writes in the third chapter, on combinations, "In life it is different. There the struggles are not so clearly terminated as in a game. The game gives us a satisfaction that life denies us."

[@Diffusion8]

This was way more thought provoking than it should have been! Thank you GM Kraai!

[@kmunson007]

As ever, I need to here what Mr. Kraai has to say. He's the one that says the things I may not always want to hear, but that I need to hear. Basically, that is, It's a long way to the top if you want to Rock and Roll. Thank you Sir.

[@synesthetically]

Jesse is just out here dropping life wisdom and chess wisdom bombs. Hugely relatable topic, and I know a lot of men in particular these days are having similar feelings. Thanks for sharing, Jesse. Appreciate all you, Kostyra, and David a ton.

[@snoopdoug3301]

Drowning men, it is said, cling to wisps of straw. -Dostoyevsky

[@paulcarpenter9346]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Good luck with your coaching and self improvement

[@Diachron]

A lot of insights to unpack here. Thanks for sharing. More of this kind of content would fill a void, I believe.

[@charliesilva1220]

You don't know me...... Wait, seems like you do. Love you, Kraai. Dojo 4 Life

[@theonexx762]

Yesterday I watched this video along with "pawns aren't people" lesson, later I couldn't sleep at all, my mind kept analyzing that one position in the lesson and couldn't cope with the fact that my solution wasn't mentioned. My body was trying to sleep but my mind was on 100% CPU trying to analyze and answer a hypothetical question from you Jessi asking "so what is your technique, how do you think in chess". But I couldn't stop it. Do you know how they say this reality is source trying to understand itself. It felt like that in my mind, it was trying to understand what it is, how it became this and why it's sentient at all. At that moment I realized I really care about the game and have a deep primal fear of anyone shaping my mind into a pragmatic chess solver. I am self taught in almost anything I do. just taking broadest possible principles and making the understanding my own - and It brought me success especially in art. The ability to rethink the principle. As a result I have a technique I cannot describe to anyone, because It's all intuitive. I could tell you only shallow bits and pieces. And since I want that intuition to flourish, I'm very careful brining a coach or club into my life. Very strange and funny situation to be in.

[@arieltz23]

Awesome, thank you for the thoughtful insights!

[@rickerwinsor7623]

"Know thyself" Good stuff Jesse. Keep it going.

[@bonsaiplace6508]

Thank you, Jesse. Just what I needed.

[@beskeptic]

Awesome analysis! Love it!

[@lowtherlars]

Excellent video on self-improvement

[@MrTheZephyros]

Best videos in the whole channel

[@josuedeleon5209]

More of this please!!!

[@lockdowndb4863]

What you said about women not understanding or being able to relate resignated with me a lot. I don't feel as though when a man goes into isolation in his cave to work on himself or his craft that women aren't allowed, but that most of them and a large portion of men aren't interested and can't relate at all. A lot women take care to make sure they look their best and their life is in order and they'll have hair appointments and get their nails done and other endeavors of beauty and aspiration that aren't important to them. However outside of athletes and a handful of them that are more of the exception you will almost never hear about them taking the time out of their day to "work on themselves" in isolation and I mean not just something like exercise or losing weight but something borderline obsessive specific measurement in improvement. I guess in conclusion for both men and women only those who go into isolation can understand.

[@reef6826]

No doubt, no awakening. Small doubt, small awakening. Large doubt, large awakening. We cannot grow without mistakes. In life and chess.

[@PriveGitaarles]

Thanks for all your divine prayers and your spiritual chess teachings. By the way I forgive you for shooting the good guy in Robocop

[@ChessDojo]

Haha

[@frankbrown6305]

Please layout a plan for lower level students to learn. What books should we study? Best why to learn tactics? What I’m asking is for a path to go from beginner to intermediate player. Any insight would be helpful. Thank you.

[@ChessDojo]

We have just the program for you! chessdojo.shop/training 😊

[@rumpelRAINS]

This is a great video!

[@southernrun9048]

Very interesting and thought provoking. Thanks

[@Zenitself]

Virtue ethics ftw 🙌

[@chesspurist]

It's the 4th turning

[@pravidduess2800]

Thank you.

[@debneilnagchowdhury1596]

Not just me then. Good to know. Thank you.

[@andreitiberiovicgazdovici]

Great video!

[@chessjess510]

Mr. Kraai are you sure you can’t take one more adult student? Your holistic approach and philosophical foundation make you seem like a coach that could really help me grow.

[@6Uncles]

Wow. This and the analysis video. Ur speaking my language

[@kumarpaurushbaba]

Just one word... Brilliant.

[@nickgood3998]

When I saw this I knew again to smile thanks ok for given this to me thanks🥰

[@Karabinieros]

Jesse, I believe you should make a video about positional evaluation, so you’ll have a common language with your viewers!

[@alexf0101]

Loved it

[@pasadenapsych44]

Remarkable. I suspect this might be a Platonic cave.

[@yawn8974]

As a long-time inhabitant of The Cave, I appreciated these words of wisdom. Will have to watch at least another time to soak it up. It's hard to admit that The Cave is a retreat into isolation when you feel like it is the only thing that has been there to provide safety. I live with both the genuine intrinsic appreciation for chess, but also the externally-motivated desperation to improve/prove. Too much of the latter can lead to what is essentially a functional addiction.

[@innovationentropy4668]

When Jordan Peterson and Carol Dweck intersect with Chess. Seems Jesse may have just read Thinking Inside the Box and watched some KZbin? :D

[@niinuetey9878]

I did not know Phillip Collins is a GM

[@edantoine]

Nice!

[@blobbymagee6138]

Love you Jesse and on board with so much of this. Great insights but broad and negative generalisations about women. Some great insights about men and structure but would have liked you to unpack the gender aspect a bit more.

[@svetlanagrabar1364]

I like that you talk about the psychology and how important mental health is. Studying this game takes thousands of hours and people are never done. To have that sort of dedication, it definitely takes a certain mindset that stems from a need for measurable self improvement. Especially for people who are depressed and need to reestablish their self worth, chess can be wonderful- if they are able to push through the plateaus. I don’t want to be “that person” but honestly including the gender difference felt unnecessary. It feels like you are excluding a group of people that are already being minimized and excluded in chess. Talking about gender isn’t always a bad thing, of course, but personally it bothered me and put me off what you were saying, even though I was empathizing in the beginning. It just felt unnecessary to include this segment for you to make your point.

[@ChessDojo]

Kostya agrees with you on the gender difference being unnecessary, though he doesn't think Jesse meant to offend. Thanks for your comment 🙂

[@xNOTMYREALNAMEx]

the whole point of this video was to discuss a facet of the male condition that is specific to men. the study of chess mentioned in this video was only an example used to illustrate and flesh out the ideas surrounding this topic that jesse was trying to convey. it's not a "chess" video at all great video btw, hope you do more of these. i enjoyed the philosophical tangents that you used to meander on in some of your older videos. it's what distinguishes you from the rest of the chess content creators out there. you should embrace it more often

[@lockdowndb4863]

While Jesse wasn't talking about women in chess but more specifically women in his personal that didn't play chess and likely had little respect for it as an art/sport. But I will say you brought up a great point on how having such a video that is almost entirely only relatable to men yet almost entirely exclusive from or at least unattractive to female chess player. And while there are plenty of chess videos that are equally diss interesting to and inconsiderate of males, I specific am referencing US Chess Federation's Girls/Womens Chess club where it is exclusively made up of women as coaches and students/players along with title guest speakers. I know male players like me would love to get the insights of such quality player like the Polgar sisters, Paketzi(I know her first name but if I say it I might get flagged by the KZbin algorithm), Jen Shahade, and Alissa Malekhina(I hope I spelled it right because her content has been tremendously helpful for my chess). But women being such a minority in chess does make it more of a priority to find a way to include them and make them feel comfortable in the environment. Since the question was asked about why Chess Dojo while not having a Toxic Community nor the sensei's themselves being sexist yet have less then 5% of their viewer and subscribers being female a couple weeks ago in a Dojo Talk I felt that video like these is the main reason. Which gave me the idea up trying to find a female titled player to participate on the channel and appeal to female viewers in addition to the 3 guys already appealing to the males. You being a female, you likely have better idea on how to appeal to women chess players trying to approve but let me know what you think about this idea.

[@stewste4316]

wow

[@zalannemeth7957]

I have never respected a GM's general intelligence more...

[@marcofrey2903]

Normalize rest. If you don't include rest in your training plan, short term and long term, you will hit a wall, not only in your skill but also in your mental health. You'll lose your love for the game, wonder why you even play, and if you just wasted the last two years of your life. It happened to me and it took going to therapy plus some time off the game to gain perspective again. For me, I'll take a mandatory day off every week and 2 weeks off every season. It's not a race, for me at least.

[@zwebzz9685]

When I was 23 I had a startup I was working 70 hours a week on fail. I dedicated my new free time to chess and went from 1650 to 1950 defeating 4-5 players 2200+. I adjusted to my new life and I am still around 1950 today. Maybe I need a crisis if I want to push further lol

[@gusramirez5647]

I had to watch twice through, 1st time was too distracted by Kraai's gravelly smooth voice. Perhaps that is the disease of chess, to truly improve one has to be first thrown into the depths and desperately grasping for something solid to cling to. It would help explain why chess seems to take men's minds from them, when indulged in too much.

[@PaulvanHemmen]

I personally have made way more progress in all different aspects of my life when I was fumed by positive energy. Learning from my errors was not possible in the darkest times... Therefore I'll take a pass at that cave thing you've got going here. Probably there are different ways to improvement. And I think the same goes for women.

[@ChessDojo]

To each their own!

[@borsaamericano]

you make an important point

[@florianzellmer8735]

Wow. Thanks for opening my mind. This is something i have never thought of, but it is very relatable. Thank you for taking the time to share this, even though KZbin is probably a platform where this kind of content is considered weird. I will definitely watch something similar next time if you decide on doing more. And now: go catch kostya with the view count!! Thank you Jesse!

[@themuffinunicorn]

32 x 73 = 2336

[@joao.nuno.valente_]

I liked!

[@Marik0]

ohhh, @ChessDojo "women don't get it" is a bad take. Not sure many men "get it" either, but I digress. Chess as vehicle for self-improvement and vice versa, looking inwards to understand how to get better at chess makes sense.

[@Mike-cp1tj]

GM Kraai wise words exactly how many men felt in times of darkness. There is always light in the end. I'll quote Aronian's words after losing his wife past year: "God will only give you the challenge of your size."

[@Rohan-xc3kl]

Setting realistic targets is the way to progress as in my case I set a target to reach 1450 Fide strength in 2020 and ended up reaching 1600 now my target is 1900 by the end of this year although my fide is 1156 I can now proudly call myself a rating hustler

[@penguinb4u]

philosophia

[@craeboo1230]

yae

[@ChessLifestyle]

I'm hearing echos of Jordan Peterson, if JP were a GM.

[@fidetrainer]

Do women prefer virtuous men? And I know it kinda hits a nerve 😂😂 If not, then there's no JP here.

[@ChessLifestyle]

@@fidetrainer I mean JP is obsessed with a ***young man’s*** quest for virtue as a hero in his own narrative, which I believe he would say is attractive to women, but I think the point is chess, or for JP, the supernatural or some kind of code as rules to live by to live a virtuous life. Seems very Aristotelian.

[@fidetrainer]

@@ChessLifestyle "knowing thyself is the beginning of all wisdom" - Aristotle. I somehow doubt chicks would dig beginners 😊

[@g.h.g.1106]

Honestly I'm not sure what you just talked about. Not concrete enough for me.