The Benefits of Playing Chess

For adults, I think we could all agree to the "use it or lose it" theory as far as brain function. Chess helps keep the brain sharp as we age.
I think there are many benefits to playing chess, especially for children. I have a small chess club for teens to practice chess at my school, but we only have time to meet twice a week. The younger kids also wanted to play chess, but there was no time in their school schedule to let them play except, once a week, if kids want to, they can learn some chess tactics during one of their break times. Next year, what I would love to see is a short time for them to play chess a couple times a week... perhaps right after their PE classes or after recess or something. There are so many subjects kids need to learn academically, but I think chess actually helps kids focus and might be beneficial to helping kids succeed in their other subjects. It is really interesting that some of the kids who usually can't sit still in school, really calm down and stay engaged in a chess game.

What do you think? Do you think chess could be/should be a small part of the public school curriculum? Do you think it deserves time devoted to learning tactics in the same way we teach basketball, volleyball or soccer skills? Obviously we are all chess lovers and I know I would have LOVED this as a kid if someone actually taught me to play then, but honestly, do you think small chess lessons are beneficial to kids in schools?

I think chess is useful and the subtle linking of game lessons to school lessons and life lessons is also useful. It all needs to be interlinked and age-targeted. Playing in young animals, including young humans, is about learning in a fun way. The fun element has to be there.

1. Chess Club or a Games Club?

Should we focus just on chess or could the focus be broader? Could other games like Go be added? Would it get out of hand and lose focus if too many other games were added? Would it become a noisy rabble? Probably, it would need to be limited to quiet, non-chance games. This could mean chess, go and draughts ((checkers) for example. But with one teacher-supervisor the focus might have to be one game.

2. Young children are tactile. They love touching, holding, moving the pieces. So, over the board play is important. Can I suggest a safe space even in terms of air quality? COVID-19 is real, more dangerous than seasonal influenza, and still out there. Keep the room well ventilated with lots of open windows and even open doors in summer. In winter use Hepa filters. Encourage children to mask if they wish to (and their parents permit it)) and to wash hands before and after the session.

3. I think older (teenage) children who have an affinity for mathematics and computer programming may well enjoy learning how to interrelate concepts from Chess, Go and Draughts with mathematical, geometric, algorithmic and heuristic concepts. All these games are array games so the mathematics and programming of arrays, matrix multiplication and brancing search algorithms are all directly applicable. It might be possible to link projects in mathematics class to the Games Club. It is perfectly feasible for high school children to learn programming for nought-and-crosses, then draughts, then chess, then Go. Programming array games is simple in principle except perhaps for Bayesian methods, neural network programming and AI learning algorithms which belong at University level.

4. Older children will benefit from all the computer helps too. They could learn to use Lichess and all its wonderful puzzles, self-teaching resources and opportunities for games. It would be best for them to become equally comfortable at over the board play and on screen play. The more ways they visualize chess the better for their plastic (malleable) brains which are still internally wiring up connections at a phenomenal rate.

5. The linking of the games to mathematics, geometry and programming need not be the learning limit. The history of chess and of the other games is fascinating. Kids who don't want to write little essays when required to might be willing to write about their favourite game in any way, including its links to their cultural background.

6. I've sketched out a few broad pedagogical ideas above without touching on the actual chess training. On YouTube there is a marvellous training series by NM Robert Ramirez, "Free Chess Course From Beginner To Master Level". It starts at the absolute basic level. Very young kids will need live teacher-supervisor training and teaching of the fundamentals. Older kids can get a bit of that and also be shown such self-paced resources as the NM Robert Ramirez series (well over 100 free lessons chunked at about 15 to 20 minutes each lesson). Kids can be told they can join Lichess for free and that they don't have to subscribe to Chess.com or non-free sites if they do not want to. Kids can also be told to get parents/guadians permission before they register for any of these sites. Lichess is certainly a safe space. I can't comment on other sites as I only use Lichess.

I hope this is useful.

There is one (and only one) benefit of chess that truly means anything to me: I enjoy it. I don't do it to lower my cholesterol or my sodium or to keep my brain fired up and aluminum-free or even to practice problem-solving in a real-world atmosphere. I do it because I like it. And that's it.

Playing chess helps one improve their focus skills, concentration power, thinking ability, problem solving, etc.
Which eventually helps one use it in their real life in different contexts.

@Ikonoclast said in #2:
> I think chess is useful and the subtle linking of game lessons to school lessons and life lessons is also useful. It all needs to be interlinked and age-targeted. Playing in young animals, including young humans, is about learning in a fun way. The fun element has to be there.
>
> 1. Chess Club or a Games Club?
>
> I think the focus should be chess... I teach chess to kids at our school already. I am always looking for new resources for them so they can be better than me... I really appreciate your post! I also am not a typical teacher because I firmly believe in learning through play in a relaxed atmosphere... I am called the "game-lady" at our school.
>
> 2. Yes... Our school is fully equipt with COVID in mind... Filters, cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer every where... But in my region, COVID has calmed down quite a bit... Most people have had it so herd immunity I think...
>
> 3. And this is beautiful... I am also the high school geometry teacher ... When my chess players finish their work, I often let them play a quick game of chess... Just the spacial awareness in chess is helpful for them when solving geometry problems.
>
> 4. Agree...
>
> 5. In my chess enrichment class twice a week, I share with the kids some of the famous players and most famous games... Also interesting
>
> 6. I'll check out this course... by NM Robert Ramirez, "Free Chess Course From Beginner To Master Level".

Thank you for taking the time to write all that! Very encouraging and I'm excited to keep going down the path of promoting chess at my school and you gave me more to use!

@MrPushwood said in #3:
> There is one (and only one) benefit of chess that truly means anything to me: I enjoy it. I don't do it to lower my cholesterol or my sodium or to keep my brain fired up and aluminum-free or even to practice problem-solving in a real-world atmosphere. I do it because I like it. And that's it.

Okie-dookie... I feel like the grumpy cat meme needs inserted here... ;-D

But you won't resist other benefits happening as a consequence to your chess playing would you? Doing what you love lowers stress ... So sorry Mr Pushwood, chess is good for your health...and you might live longer because of it...

Deal with it... ;-D
(Insert heart emoji here)

Life without emojis.... How does one survive?

@Akbar2thegreat said in #4:
> Playing chess helps one improve their focus skills, concentration power, thinking ability, problem solving, etc.
> Which eventually helps one use it in their real life in different contexts.

I believe the same... And the principal of our elementary school can see the benefit, but when it comes to carving out time for kids to play during the day, other classes get priority... "Extra" classes we teach are art, foreign languages, PE, computers, and we even have library classes... Seems to me that chess can get squeezed into the schedule for some of this time.

@Letpchess said in #7:
> I believe the same... And the principal of our elementary school can see the benefit, but when it comes to carving out time for kids to play during the day, other classes get priority... "Extra" classes we teach are art, foreign languages, PE, computers, and we even have library classes... Seems to me that chess can get squeezed into the schedule for some of this time.

Finding the time is the problem. Art, foreign languages, PE, computers and library classes are worthy classes all. However, could some of these be electives? Can an elective system work at elementary school?

Football, be it soccer, NFL, the "two rugbies" or Australian Rules often get training classes after school. Why not chess?

@Ikonoclast said in #8:
> Finding the time is the problem. Art, foreign languages, PE, computers and library classes are worthy classes all. However, could some of these be electives? Can an elective system work at elementary school?
>
> Football, be it soccer, NFL, the "two rugbies" or Australian Rules often get training classes after school. Why not chess?

I tried chess club at different time slots, both before or after school... We are such a small school that I always ended up competing with other sports.. Many of our basketball players play chess so I can't take them from those practices... We also have choir practices and drama after school... The sports mostly fill the time slots... I thought since chess feels more academic, it could be worked into the day... Honestly, after writing this forum, I'm thinking of asking if I can share time with the library classes... It's a thought... Currently elementary kids opt into chess once a week during their afternoon break if they want... The club is 12 kids strong which is a lot for our school... But I prefer they have all their breaks...

Have to admit that chess is under-utilised in schools. When it's there, it's not up the standard required.
Chess is indeed essential as talked about previously.
This is serious talk and needs to be solved worldwide.
If not more, then chess is equally necessary with all other sports.
Can't be ignored for long.