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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
‘Harder than losing in basketball:’ NBA legend Derrick Rose on his
chess obsession and how it could save lives
By Ben Church, CNN
Updated:
6:11 AM EDT, Fri September 19, 2025
Source: CNN
On the face of it, playing chess and competing in the couldn’t be
further apart.
One requires monk-like levels of silent concentration – particularly
in – while the other demands physical dominance, peak athleticism and
the ability to stay composed in a frenzied atmosphere.
But it seems there is more that links the two sports than initially
meets the eye – just ask NBA legend .
The 2011 NBA MVP has been leading a new and unlikely collaboration
between the worlds of chess and professional basketball.
Rose recently teamed up with ’s Freestyle Chess to host a tournament,
which involved top names from both disciplines. Players such as Golden
State Warriors forward Quinten Post and Charlotte Hornets forward Grant
Williams competed with and against several chess grandmasters in the in
Las Vegas.
NBA players partnered up with chess grandmasters in a Head & Hand
format, where the chess star would name a piece and the basketball pro
would decide where to move it. The NBA players then went head to head
in a separate blitz tournament.
Rose took part in the tournament himself and he’s already planning on
hosting a similar event again. The experience, he says, has helped him
continue his education within the game.
It’s a passion that he started developing during his own basketball
career and one that quickly turned into an obsession.
“I think just the thrill of knowing the possibilities is like no
other game in the world,” he tells , adding that he initially picked
up the game because of its cognitive health benefits.
“You get three million or four million possibilities right after the
first move. And with me learning that knowledge early on, it kind of
intrigued me.”
Chess dreams
Rose says he had to take a step back from the game during his career in
the NBA, with his new-found hobby taking up too much of his energy.
It got to the point where he would even picture his chess games in his
sleep.
“The dreams were very intense, and while I was playing basketball, I
never wanted anything to come equal to that, or jump that,” he says.
“Chess was kind of doing that. I’d be up late at night trying to
play one game, then I’d look up, it’s two in the morning, and I got
to be up at seven for treatment.”
With the world of chess riding the wave of a in recent years, the game
is increasingly collaborating more with mainstream leagues.
A number of high profile soccer and have expressed their enthusiasm for
chess, with several athletes from across a variety of sports crediting
it with helping their own profession.
Rose is no different, insisting that learning the patterns and chess
openings helped him see the basketball court a little differently.
“It teaches me to be mindful of every move,” he explains, clearly
excited to talk about his love for chess.
“It taught me that every move counts and every choice is an option,
and within every option, you have to make a decision.
“The fun thing about it is getting your ass kicked and coming back to
the board and having a totally different scheme or style of play.
“I feel like over the years, I was just moving the pieces, but now
I’m able to set up a gambit, or set up a trap. It taught me a lot,
and I’m very, very fortunate that I found the game early on in my
career.”
How chess helps athletes
Judit Polgár was one of the chess grandmasters playing at the
tournament in July – she and Williams actually won the Head & Hand
competition. Polgár, who was a trailblazer for women in chess, was
impressed with the level of the NBA players and agreed it could help
their game.
“I think chess can be pretty good for empowering your concentration
skills. It is also very good on how you adjust your brain with the
different situations,” she tells CNN Sports.
“Also to learn resilience, to never give up, because you fight on and
anything can happen. Your opponent can also make a mistake, and then
you’re bouncing back and catching the opportunity.”
Rose seemed destined for greatness when he came into the NBA. He was
named Rookie of the Year in 2008-09, crowned league MVP in 2011 and
made three All-Star teams before an ACL injury suffered in the 2012
playoffs began a series of injuries that altered his career trajectory.
Rose still went on to have a solid career, going on to play in front of
millions of fans during his time in the league for the New York Knicks,
Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and
Memphis Grizzlies before retiring last year.
But sit the Chicago native in front of a chess board and the
6-foot-3-inch former point guard still gets nervous, even if he’s
just playing with friends.
He now plays whenever he can, be it online or on the numerous boards he
owns.
Perhaps surprisingly, Rose says that losing in chess hurts a little
more than failing to win on the basketball court used to.
“It’s heartbreaking when you do lose in person,” he says.
“Losing in chess is a lot harder than losing in basketball. It’s
crazy for me to say that, but I feel like chess is more intimate, I
don’t know why.
“With my friends, whenever I lose early on, or whenever I lose a
game, it just gets to me.”
Chess can save lives
So while chess for Rose has been an avenue to scratch his competitive
itch since retiring, the 36-year-old says it can help everyone in their
day-to-day lives.
He has encouraged his own children to learn the sport and is happy to
open the game up to audiences that might not have had access to it
before.
He’s confident that the game of chess can help children from less
privileged areas get out of trouble – even to the point where it
could save lives.
“Most kids now, they’re reacting instead of thinking, from the
areas that I grew up in. That decision may cost them their life
depending on the situation that they’re in,” he says.
“So I always want them to be patient, be mindful, and to know that
you have to think moves down the line. Your first initial thought, or
your first move may not be your best thought right away. So it’s
always thinking past that moment.
“I want kids to know how precious their life is, and I think the game
of chess teaches you a lot about life, a lot about being strategic and
organizing yourself as a young man growing up in these harsh
environments.”
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