The Effect Of Chess Education On The Mind.
No matter who we are, or what we’re good at, we will always find one game or another we are good at. There is such a vast array of games that focus on different skills, that we can each find a little nook of the world of games to excel in. Darts requires a keen eye, many sports require strength, but perhaps no other game is so closely linked to intelligence as chess.
What Came First, the Grandmaster or the Genius?
Whether its school chess clubs, or tournament chess, studies have found close correlation between chess skill level and cognitive function. Elsevier recently published a study that shows a high correlation between chess skill and fluid reasoning, short-term memory, and processing speed, particularly among young chess students.
Learning Chess & Better Grades
While we can all agree that it takes a smart individual to excel at chess, to what extent does playing chess influence your intelligence? There have been various studies suggesting that learning chess can increase your mental abilities, and various studies that say otherwise. What all of these studies seem to agree on however, is that chess does cause an increase in school performance, at least as much as joining other sporting teams or clubs. The pleasure gained from an enjoyable activity can increase school performance and overall mental health, and that cannot be ignored.
The Effect of Chess Coaching on Intelligence
Perhaps the biggest argument for chess increasing intelligence does not derive from playing chess, but learning it. Attending chess schools, participating in chess coaching as a student or chess teacher, and joining chess clubs boosts not only your chess IQ, but also hones precious skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, not to mention the social aspects of interacting with chess coaches and like minded individuals.
We’d like to leave you with the idea that chess is valuable in and of itself. Play chess, for chess. And as you forge your path in the world of this wonderful game, you will realize new limits for yourself, and you just might even get smarter. Although we think you’re pretty smart to begin with.