How Chess Can Benefit Your Kids
This fall, many of us became acquainted (and perhaps a little obsessed) with The Queen's Gambit. But as you worry about how your household will endure this winter, consider this—children who play chess benefit both academically and emotionally. (Plus, it can bring a little calm to your home!) The brain benefits of this ancient strategy game are well-researched, long-lasting, and irrefutable.
This is your brain on chess
For decades, research has shown that chess has a multitude of benefits. Chess can raise your IQ, bolster academic performance, improve your logic and problem-solving skills, and enhance your empathy skills.
By far the most active part of a chess player’s body is their brain, and this focused activity leads to brain development—specifically the growth of neuron dendrites. Like little antennas that pick up signals from other brain cells, dendrites grow stronger and pick up more signals when learning new skills. Put another way, chess forms new connections across the brain, and it leads to development in the following areas:
Increased IQ — The stereotypical chess player, complete with unkempt hair and an oversized wristwatch, might lead some to believe that brainiacs gravitate toward chess, and that the connection between chess and intelligence is more correlation than causation. This, however, has been debunked by numerous scientific studies involving thousands of children from around the world. A study involving over 4,000 Venezuelan children revealed a statistically significant increase in intelligence quotient for both boys and girls after a year playing chess, with most children showing significant gains after just four months. While it’s true that smart children play chess, it’s also clear that chess builds intelligence in children.
Improved academic performance and ADHD symptoms — As children play chess, brain activity increases and dendrites grow, but the body remains relatively still. Like an athlete lifting weights, chess-playing children are exercising their ability to quietly focus on a single task, and this ability grows stronger with repetition. Studies have long shown that playing chess can improve math and reading scores, and recent research suggests chess can improve the symptoms of ADHD. A 2016 study involving 100 children ages 8-12 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) revealed that a chess program resulted in 40%+ decreases in both inattentiveness and over-activity.
Heightened logic and problem-solving skills — Playing chess requires making predictions in a series of if-then scenarios (“If I move this piece there, then my opponent will be able to…”), which develops logic and critical thinking. Research shows that imagining various move alternatives trains the mind to play with possibilities—a cornerstone of problem-solving.
Enhanced empathy — Having a plan of attack is a helpful chess strategy, but the best chess players are keenly aware of the intentions of their opponent. As children learn the game, they are constantly observing their opponent’s moves and making predictions of their intent. Behavior scientists call this ability to see the world from someone else’s perspective the theory of mind, and it is essential in building healthy social relationships.
Deep work
Beyond their education, the mental workout provided by chess can result in strong concentration skills that stand to benefit our children well into adulthood. The ability to concentrate on a single task for long periods of time is an ability to perform what bestselling author Cal Newport refers to as deep work. In his book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, Newport claims that “the ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy.”
In other words, TikTok and Fortnite aren’t going anywhere. As our children become adults, billions will be spent in an effort to distract them, and those with the ability to tune out noise and to solve problems will thrive.
Playing chess while social distancing
As we navigate the oncoming months of social distancing, exposing our children to chess stands to be particularly beneficial. A physical chessboard on a table with two chairs is the classic approach, but chess on the internet is more than doable, and it offers a world of virtual possibility.
Apps and websites like Chess With Friends and chess.com provide tutorials and opportunities to play against robots and strangers, as well as the option to invite friends and set schedules. Beyond that, children can play grandparents or cousins on Zoom in a best-of-seven, participate in an array of chess tournaments, or join an online chess club—all without having to leave the house.
Calm, thoughtful children and a peaceful, healthy home? Checkmate.
A career educator, Sean Galvin holds a PhD in education from Eastern Michigan University and a Master's in education from the University of Michigan. Currently a middle school teacher for Battle Creek Public Schools, he has taught and run student mentorship and enrichment programs at both the high school and middle school levels. His dissertation covers the role of mentorship and student incentives in driving learning outcomes.