Luyện theo cấu trúc Cambridge IELTS 13 · Speaking Part 1–3: Chess and Young Players

1. Yes, quite a lot, although these days it's mostly card games or quick puzzles on my phone when I'm commuting. I don't have much time for anything that takes hours.

2. Definitely. My family used to have a cupboard full of board games, and on rainy weekends we'd play for the whole afternoon. Games about buying and selling property were a favourite, mainly because my older brother always won and I was determined to beat him.

3. I'd say online multiplayer games are the most popular, especially ones where you team up with friends. But interestingly, a few of my classmates have got into chess again recently, partly because there are so many short videos explaining clever moves.

4. With other people, without a doubt. For me the fun is in the interaction, the jokes and the rivalry. Playing alone can be relaxing, but it gets a bit repetitive after a while.

5. I think so. Adults tend to be under constant pressure at work, and a game is one of the few activities where you can switch off completely for an hour. It's also a good way for parents to spend time with their children without staring at a screen.

I'd like to talk about chess, which I learned when I was about eight years old. It's probably the most demanding game I've ever played, because you have to think several moves ahead and try to predict what your opponent is planning.

It was my grandfather who taught me. He had an old wooden chess set with a couple of missing pieces, so we used coins to replace them, which I found quite funny at the time. Every Sunday afternoon after lunch, he would set up the board on the balcony and we'd play for an hour or so.

At first he simply showed me how each piece moved, and he let me win a few games so that I wouldn't lose interest. Later on, though, he stopped going easy on me. Whenever I made a careless move, he would ask me to explain why I had done it, and that forced me to slow down and actually reason things through. By the time I was eleven, I could occasionally beat him, although I suspect he still let me win now and then.

Looking back, I think chess was useful in a few ways. It taught me patience, which doesn't come naturally to me, and it helped me concentrate for long periods, which made a big difference when I started preparing for exams. But more than anything, it gave me a special connection with my grandfather. He passed away a few years ago, and whenever I see a chess board, I remember those quiet Sunday afternoons.

1. It depends on how the competition is handled. A bit of competition can be very motivating, and it teaches children to cope with losing, which is an important life skill. The problem arises when parents or coaches put too much emphasis on winning. Then children can become anxious and may even give up an activity they used to love.

2. Partly it's down to personality, of course. But I think environment plays a huge role as well. Children who grow up with constant notifications and fast-moving videos get used to switching attention every few seconds, whereas those who spend time reading or doing puzzles gradually build up the ability to stay focused.

3. Enormously. In the past you needed a club or an experienced player to teach you, but now anyone can play against a computer at exactly their level or watch online lessons for free. The downside is that some young players rely too heavily on software to tell them the best move, so they don't develop their own judgement.

4. I'd say trying many things is better in early childhood, because children don't yet know what they're good at or what they enjoy. Specialising too early can lead to burnout. That said, once a teenager has found a real passion, focusing on it is the only way to reach a high level.

5. Only up to a point. Strategy games certainly train skills like planning and memory, but research on whether those skills transfer to other areas, such as maths or problem-solving at work, is quite mixed. I think it's fairer to say they make people better at thinking carefully, rather than more intelligent in general.