To all chess players, chess is more than a game. For all the others, what’s the big deal about the game, they ask.

The 32 pieces and pawns on the 64-square board have passionate fans the world over, who are ready to spend hours and hours playing it with opponents, online and even with computers. Dubbed as a brain game, chess offers the players a chance to develop logical and precise thinking, it encourages patience, sharp memory, concentration, problem-solving and teaches facing consequences of actions, among many other things.

There is this impression that chess is either played by old men or geeky teens who have no friends. Both these assumptions are not entirely true because chess is played by all kinds of people who have one thing in common – they are all smart. Yes, chess is a game for smart people and there is much debate about whether smart people play chess or chess makes people smarter. Chess is one of the few games that exercise the mind fully as both sides of the brain are used in it, thus strengthening it.

consequences of actions, among many other things.

There is this impression that chess is either played by old men or geeky teens who have no friends. Both these assumptions are not entirely true because chess is played by all kinds of people who have one thing in common – they are all smart. Yes, chess is a game for smart people and there is much debate about whether smart people play chess or chess makes people smarter. Chess is one of the few games that exercise the mind fully as both sides of the brain are used in it, thus strengthening it.

So playing chess does plenty of good things to our brain, and research has confirmed that chess is a powerful educational tool for strengthening a child’s mind. And just like it is always a good idea to start early when learning a skill or language, learning to play chess early can do wonders to children with average IQ too. Educators and chess experts generally agree that the ideal time to introduce children to chess is by second grade, although it has been observed that even younger children may be ready to learn and play.

There have been many studies conducted which prove the benefit of chess lessons and games on students and many schools across the world have made it part of their curriculum. Let’s look at some of the benefits of playing chess and I am sure by the end of this article, you would be intrigued enough to indulge in it.

Increases concentration, patience and perseverance

Concentration is the key to playing chess well. A slight slip in concentration can result in a blunder and the end of the game. So one needs to be focused, patient and persistent to play the game well. As the rewards of concentration are instantly apparent, new players learn the importance of this skill early on to calculate and plan their moves. These qualities are also helpful in doing well at school and studies, so students who play chess undeniably do well, especially in exams.

Raises intelligence quotient (IQ) scores

According to Benefits of Chess in Education, a collection of studies and papers on chess and education, chess improves children’s IQ scores and academic exam scores.

In one study, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children was used to evaluate over 4,000 second grade students in Venezuelan after just four months of systematically studying chess. It was noted that there was a significant increase in most students’ IQ scores and this increase was observed in both girls and boys. This impressed the government so much that it introduced chess lessons in schools.

Chess tournament games with time limit trains players to make “fast and accurate decisions under pressure”, which in turn helps students to handle the pressure of exams.

Thinking ahead and weighing options

Playing chess involves imagining a sequence of actions before it happens. With practice, the players get trained to shift the pieces in their mind several moves ahead. This teaches children to think first and then act, making them aware of the need of weighing their actions carefully first as there is no escape in the game from the consequences of haste and irresponsible moves. Thus they learn to identify alternatives and consider the pros and cons of various actions.

Players, therefore, start to think logically and efficiently, learning to select the best choice from a large number of options, something that is a great help in choosing subjects and careers.

Enhances reading, language and mathematical abilities

Another important conclusion from various studies conducted on school children in countries such as the US, Canada and Japan, is that learning chess strengthens mathematical, language and reading skills.

When chess was integrated into the traditional mathematics curriculum of school children, a significant rise in the average problem-solving scores of students was observed. As students play and increase their chess competence, they also enhance their ego strength, and students who feel confident and good about themselves naturally learn to read better.

On the one hand as chess builds confidence and self-esteem, on the other it also prevents players from becoming overconfident as some losses are inevitable, even for world champions.

Improves memory and recall

Chess creates a pattern or thinking system that improves memory, particularly visual memory. This is, of course, the most essential skill that can spell success for students at all levels.

Social benefits

Chess games bring all kinds of people together, irrespective of age or gender. And with the option of online games, people from all over the world interact over the game of chess and build individual friendships.

As no one is invincible in a game of chess, it teaches players sportsmanship, to win graciously and accept defeat without dejection. And in many students, taking chess lessons has led to increased motivation, improved behaviour, better self-image and even improved attendance.

Chess presents players with ever-changing and varied problems with every move, and numerous possibilities in each game. And this is also true of the growing demands and complexities of the global village we are living in. The skills improved during chess practice come very handy in solving and conquering everyday problems. So if you want to become smarter, start playing chess!

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 24th, 2016