Chess is a very positive way to exercise your mind. It makes you look at the whole picture. . . what are your options and what is the best thing to do? In football, you are mostly reacting from a defensive point of view. . . but you always want to be counterattacking. . . a similarity with chess strategy. Chess and offensive football are quite similar; you sacrifice something now to get something back later.
I have read many books, but the Bible reads me.