Playing Chess Benefits – Top 10 Advantages

Chess– the thinking man’s game! The game of chess is loved by all around the world, the young or the old; chess, one of the oldest games in the world, is played by at least a 650million adults worldwide. The game chess requires one to challenge intellectually and there are many benefits playing chess. Playing chess benefits everyone irrespective of their age.

One might think that chess is for intelligent people; well, it is undeniable that clever folk gravitate towards chess, but here’s the thing, playing chess has many benefits, Some significant brain benefits for that matter.

Logical thinking and problem-solving. 

Chess is a game that requires tactful thinking and a lot of analyzing and therefore encourages solving problems depending on logic and the scientific method.

Comprehensive thinking 

An essential benefit of chess, it teaches children at a young age to acknowledge a problem from a broader perspective as opposed to looking at aspects of a situation in an isolated manner; it encourages the player to look at how one action can affect another or more than one.

Concentration and patience 

Reduced attention span in children is a real problem in the academic environment; playing chess can improve concentration as it slows down and maintains your internal balance, which helps improve focus.

Foresight and planning 

Strategy games like chess can improve proper judgment, planning and execution, which will help children and young adults’ decision-making ability; it helps them focus better and look at the broader perspective when it comes to making important decisions, especially during adolescence.

Chess improves your memory power.

Another significant benefit of playing chess is that it improves memory; chess requires you to recognize patterns, strategies and your opponent’s moves.

It has been concluded by research and study that students who were allowed to play chess regularly improved their grades in all subjects at school; it was noticed that memory and organizational skills were also enhanced in children who played chess often.

Chess can benefit children diagnosed with ADHD.

Chess is introduced as a therapy-based treatment for ADHD; the inability to pay attention is a common symptom many children diagnosed with ADHD experience. Chess forces you to pay attention; It forces you to keep your thinking in check and concentrate on patterns, which is excellent mental exercise for anyone with ADHD.

Let’s look at how chess benefits adults and people in general. By now, it’s evident that chess has many psychological benefits; some of these psychological benefits lead to a person’s medical well-being, especially in the later part of their lives.

Chess and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease

We all know how un-exercised muscles lose strength due to atrophy; just like muscles, our brain tissues, when not used, also tend to lose neuroplasticity, so working your brain muscles through engaging in problem-solving and thinking games like chess, can help us keep our brain’s neuroplasticity adaptable as you grow old. It can also help save you from diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Chess activates both hemispheres of the brain!

Chess encourages logical thinking, which activates the left side of the brain. Did you know that in chess experts, studies found that the right hemisphere is equally busy, which is what determines an individual’s creative side? Interestingly it was concluded that playing chess engages both the logical and creative hemispheres of the brain.

Chess and stimulation in the growth of neuron dendrites

Dendrites work like antennas picking up signals from other brain cells. Chess helps with growth in dendrites, meaning the more antennas you have, the quicker you learn, and the better you become at grasping information. 

Precautionary thinking 

In addition to the above benefits, chess helps one think critically by analyzing your opponent’s movements and actions. Chess is such a strategic game that it requires you to be on a level of preparedness; some level of anticipation of failure will help you think out of the box and have a plan B ready if things don’t go your way.

To conclude,

These are only some of the benefits of playing chess; besides intellectual and psychological benefits, chess has social benefits too.

It’s one of the oldest sports in the world, enjoyed by both the young and the old. Chess is an excellent way to bond with your elders; in a day and age where electronic devices have taken over and with the young generation having little to no interaction with folks of the older generation, chess can help bridge the space between them and bring them close. 

Board games are always interesting, and they have immense benefits. You can know more on the benefits of board games for adults.