> Chess is only muttar on Nittel Nacht.
Rav Feinstein played until he was 8 or 9 years old and stopped on his own because it interfered with his learning (another writer clarifies – because he played too seriously and it did not feel like relaxation and thus took time fro learning). So, it seems that even if you feel that you are smarter than R Feinstein at 8, you can still play if it is relaxing. Also, Shmuel Reshevsky played all his life and nobody in Monsey put him to herem.