Introduction
Does playing chess make you smarter or does being smart make you more likely to want to play chess? Have you been wondering if you should start playing chess. If you have look no further I’ve done some research and I’ve found 8 reasons why you may want to consider adding chess to your daily routine and the potential benefits of doing so.
Chess has been adored by some of the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet since its arrival on the scene. What drew these people to chess and why were the upper classes the first to adopt chess. From the earliest times chess has been a symbol of wealth and power. Chess has a lot to teach about the principles of success and utilising the lessons learned from chess can directly impact your perspective and methodology when looking to accomplish any goal.
Playing chess regularly creates the right environment to develop a mindset in which the principles learned in chess can be utilised in daily life. Being able to find creative ways to find solutions to a dilemma, being able to remember patterns that have proven to be helpful or destructive in the past and understanding how to make better decisions are some of the skills that will be sharpened by playing chess.
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1.Chess Improves How Your Brain Performs Over The Long Term
Playing chess over long periods of time has been proven scientifically to prevent the decline of the brains performance by helping to keep critical areas of the brain active especially for the older population that often experience a slow decline in mental performance after retirement due to a lack of mental stimulation. By playing chess and keeping your brain active after retirement you will be able to slow down and even stop the decline of the brains performance and improve the sharpness of the mind simultaneously, playing chess early on in life and continuing to play chess later into life will provide the same benefits and more.
Playing chess is known to help Improve the memory of the player. Science shows us that whenever a muscle is used it gains strength and there’s a clear correlation between the utilisation of the centres of the brain needed for memory to an increase in the strength and performance of these centres of the brain. Being able to recall information is essential when learning new subjects, training these areas of the brain by playing chess or any other activity that can strengthen and stimulate the brain should be taken into consideration. Not only is chess enjoyable but when looked at from different perspectives it has numerous benefits that can improve many areas of your life.
The ability to remember is strengthened by the consistent utilisation of the memory centres in the brain. Being able to remember multiple opening formations in chess and the implications of your opponent’s pieces being in certain positions on the board are but a few instances in chess were you will need to rely on your memory to find the best solution to the issue at hand. When exposed to playing chess for many years you will find that you have the ability to remember endless patterns on the board which can only be seen as increased capacity in these regions of the brain. Diseases like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia have been shown to have less of an impact on chess players as they age compared to non-chess players.
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2.Chess Increases Your Capacity To Learn More Subjects
Chess players demonstrate better performance when learning and retaining information in subjects such as maths and science, which is especially the case for younger children in schools. Regardless of age all chess players benefit from the heightened ability to learn because of the strengthening of these centres in your brain during a game of chess and is made evident when compared to others who don’t play chess. Compared to those who don’t play chess, chess players tend to produce better results in maths in particular. The calculation skills learned in chess to outsmart your opponent can be transferred to help solve similar maths problems in school.
Over long periods of time the skills learned in chess will begin to manifest in the form of better results in the academic field for students both on a conscious and subconscious level. Having and being able to foster a scientific mindset when playing chess is important. Chess has many transferrable skills that can be used in subjects like maths and science. In science its common practice to test a hypothesis by keeping aspects of an experiment the same and changing variables to find the results. Having a method of practicing this skill can only lead to an improvement in both scientific endeavours and when playing chess.
These skills are utilised in chess when looking for creative ways to deliver a checkmate to your opponent. In chess like in a science experiment you will need to test your strategies against your opponent and mentally record the results for use in future games. Being able to test different strategies in chess and record the results of the outcome like a scientist testing a hypothesis is an example of how chess can bring out already existing skills and refine and expand upon them. Expert chess players are known to be able to visualize the board in their mind, some expert players are even able to visualize several games in their mind. You may wonder if these abilities are inherent or due to long term exposure to chess.
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3.Chess Connects People From All Over The World
People all over the world love to play chess so it’s not surprising that people will jump at the opportunity to challenge you to a game of chess regardless of your geographical location. The internet has made it possible for anyone with a computer and an internet connection to challenge anyone to a game of chess. People from all around the world are coming together to play chess everyday making it possible for chess players with any level of experience to learn from and play against the best chess players across the globe. Chess has the natural ability to bring diverse groups of people together from all different walks of life under the common interest of playing chess.
Even without the internet countries all around the world have their own chess hotspots where people regularly meet up and play chess with complete strangers in the streets. Chess is loved by all from the young to the old and is a great way for the older and younger generation to learn from each other. One of the great things about chess is that it has no barriers to entry. Even though there are many older experienced players its not unheard of for younger players to give older and seemingly more experienced players a run for their money.
Chess tournaments are another way people can come together to play chess. Competitors from all around the world are able to meet up and play chess against grandmaster level chess players and compete for the championship title. Chess tournaments are where you will find the best known chess players from around the world and watching and competing in these tournaments would be a great way to expose yourself to the best chess players and their ways of thinking when playing chess. Just like anything in life to be the best you have to learn from the best and attending chess tournaments is a great way to do so.
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4.Chess Can Help Improve Your Decision Making Skills
Chess has a way of improving your decision making skills like no other game. Playing chess is a great way to visually see the consequences of your decisions and how to think things through thoroughly before making a move. In life like in chess making hasty decisions can have disastrous consequences and being able to make the best decisions for the situation at hand can drastically improve any choice you make. Chess players over time develop the ability to see the bigger picture when making decisions and are naturally able to choose the best solution out of many different solutions for any issue their facing. Being able to naturally take a step back and look at the various consequences of each action is a powerful skill to have and improve to be able to make the best decisions.
There are many similarities between life and chess and chess teaches us that for the best results great care and attention should be taken when making the first move in the game. Each move you make in chess will have an impact on the end result of the game and so making the best decision from the very start of the game will almost guarantee your success. Being able to transfer these skills in the real world will be of great benefit, great decision making skills should be something that is inherent to everyone however if you are lacking in this skill there are many ways it can be improved over time with chess being one of these ways. Playing chess daily will instil valuable life lessons like better decision making skills that will have long lasting effects on the way you make decisions in life.
From the earliest times the rich and powerful and those who have been in positions where important decisions need to be made have gravitated towards chess for many reasons. Chess has become synonymous with wealth and power because of this association. For many of the reasons mentioned previously its clear to see why the rich and powerful people of the past were infatuated with the game. Many prominent figures in history who have achieved great feats in life have spoken of the great benefits chess has to offer. To gain success in any field in life will take sacrifice, good planning and hard work, all the things playing chess can help with.
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5.Chess Teaches You The Importance Of Strategy
An important component to winning a chess game is to have a successful strategy for the game your playing. Each opponent you play will tend to use a different strategy to deliver a checkmate to you. Being able to defend against and attack using different methods for the desired result of a checkmate is paramount in order to find success in chess just as in life. There are dozens of different chess openings and formations you can learn to attack and defend with. There are many ways to find success in life however depending on the details of your particular circumstances a different method will be needed to find success in most cases.
Chess players have a great advantage in this as they are very familiar with the concept of attacking using one method and defending using another depending on the move made by their opponent. Every action you take towards a goal in life will either take you one step closer or further away from the desired result. Knowing the implications of the actions you take and whether or not your actions are taking you in the right direction is a skill that can be improved with chess. Playing chess teaches you to be methodical in the pursuit of a goal and how by having a clear calculated approach you can almost guarantee a favourable outcome. Being able to determine what position you are in and the best move to make for different scenarios is another transferrable skill that can be taken away from playing chess.
To find success takes incorporating a formulaic approach in most circumstances. Being able to see the ways in which having a strategy for success can ultimately lead to success will serve as encouragement to developing a strategic approach to accomplishing the goals you chase after. Like in chess successful strategies have to be learned and are not necessarily inherent to everyone. Developing the habit of studying successful strategies to use is a great skill to have. Taking a formulaic approach to success is something that can change your life for the better and being exposed to this way of thinking over time will allow these skills to become second nature benefiting all areas of your life.
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6.Chess Can Help To Develop Long Term Planning Skills
Planning for the future is vital and chess has a lot to teach in this department. Looking at the bigger picture is the best way to take a proactive approach to life. Actively making moves towards a desired result has the greatest impact when it is part and parcel of a larger plan. Developing the habit of having long term goals and being accustomed to things getting in the way of your goals and having to adjust and pivot in order to get back on track is very important. In life it’s best to be aware of what can go wrong in the short term whilst working towards long term goals. Chess teaches this very well as the best chess players are always looking for ways to prevent you from accomplishing your goal whilst your trying to do the same.
The harsh realities of long term planning becomes evident during a game of chess and being familiar with obstacles and being prepared for obstacles blocking your path to success and having a solution based mindset to overcome these situations along with a long term vision for success become an engrained trait of long term chess players. Thinking long term are some of the many traits of the successful and being able to delay gratification for the promise of greater rewards in the future are traits that almost guarantee long term success. Various scientific studies have proven the benefits of being able to recognise when taking the long term approach is advantageous.
Games like chess are great for teaching principles like long term planning as it teaches it in a way that incorporates emotion in a fun way. Learning new concepts tend to stick when emotions are involved and in games like chess where emotions from excitement to frustration are involved lessons are much more likely to be remembered as not only will the lesson be learned but the joy from the memory of the breakthrough while playing chess will likely help to recall the lesson and experience at later points in time. Bringing enjoyment to learning valuable life skills like long term planning is priceless at a time where distractions are everywhere and being able to see the bigger picture and plan for the long term is invaluable.
Those who can see the bigger picture and are ready for the unforeseen events in life that go by unnoticed by most tend to be chess players or those that have the mindset of a great chess player. The basic concepts of good chess like the importance of paying attention to every move and looking long term and having a long term plan whilst making good moves in the short term in accordance to your long term goal is a transferrable skill that can have powerful implications in real life.
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7.Chess Can Help To Develop Self-Confidence In Children
Children that suffer from low self esteem can find solace and strength in chess. Chess shows everyone that no matter who you are the rules are the same for everyone. The strategies needed to succeed in life can be developed by playing chess. Anyone can be a winner in chess as long as the right mindset is adopted. There is a solution to every problem and having a problem solving mindset is something that can be built over time by playing games like chess. Chess is a multi-faceted game that improves all areas of life, an elevation in other aspects of life will naturally bring about a greater sense of self confidence especially in children.
Achieving greater results in school as a result of improvements in logical thinking, abstract reasoning and creative thinking as well as greater problem solving abilities can be developed through chess. Being able to win at mentally challenging games like chess teaches children that anyone can succeed but can also bring out the inherent intelligence within them. It also teaches children how to lose gracefully, winning is great and almost anyone can accept a win with a smile but the real winner is the one who can lose gracefully and who is willing to try again after a defeat. The greatest chess players have played thousands of games and have lost a large percentage of them but after a while they lose less and win more. Their success comes from continuing to play through it all and being able to learn from the lessons defeat has to teach.
Self confidence is something that has to be built. There are numerous ways to build self confidence in children but chess does so whilst teaching many other invaluable life skills. Building self confidence in children is important and chess should be considered as an addition to help to build self confidence but also to prevent children and adults from falling victim to feelings of low self esteem and low levels of confidence. Chess helps to remind children that they do have strengths but just like everyone else they also have weaknesses. Being able to see from a balanced viewpoint instead of from a biased viewpoint in favour of others will greatly impact how children will come to see themselves and the world around them.
It’s harder to have low self esteem and confidence when looking at life from a balanced viewpoint. Over time with experience children will come to see that self confidence can be built by having more opportunities to win by ones own merits and games that challenge you like chess are a great way to provide this.
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8.Chess Can Help To Reduce Stress Backed By Scientific Research
Finding healthy ways to reduce the symptoms of stress can be a challenge in this digital age. The mind can get overwhelmed by the growing number of tasks needed to be completed throughout the day. Having a way to take your mind off of the many things that can stress you out throughout the day is important for long term mental health. Having a way to do so whilst also having fun and sharing the experience with friends and family is an added bonus. Whilst playing chess your mind is able to finally let the thoughts that cause stress to take a back seat in the mind and focus on the task at hand. Chess challenges the mind of the player which is good because its very difficult to have more than one stressing problem at the front of the mind at a time.
By shifting your attention from the stresses of life and focusing on thinking ahead in the game its likely you will find that your overall mindset changes from thinking of the current stressful situation to thinking of ways to strategically improve the situation. Just like in chess in life we may find ourselves in unfavourable positions that can be frustrating and stressful to deal with. The greats in chess always seem to find a way out of situations most can’t see a way out of. What can be gathered from this observation is that something can always be done to improve or get out of a bad situation.
The mind is constantly finding ways to reach states of peace the longer the brain can remain in this state the easier it is to remain stress free for longer periods of time. By simply playing a game of chess or any activity that demands your immediate focus will result in a relaxed mind and body. Usually when stressed it will be multiple factors that come together to create a stressful picture in the mind and by bringing the mind to a single point to focus on gives the mind less to deal with at a time resulting in lower levels of stress. The short term effects of a game of chess can be felt as soon as you fully engage in a game. The long term effects of the game becomes apparent as your brain begins to see the stresses in life as another chess puzzle to be solved.
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Conclusion
Chess has been played for centuries and has been played all around the world. Its evident chess has been adored by the world for many reasons but at its core chess is just a game and a great way to have fun. A great way to destress and most likely the best way to destress is to simply have fun. You will rarely find someone that’s both having fun and stressed at the same time. Whether chess is your method of having fun or not its essential to tap into your inner child and allow joy and laughter to be the remedy to the stresses you may encounter in life.
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