10 lifelong benefits of chess

Most people know that chess:

• Enhances math and logic skills

• Improves memory and spatial-reasoning ability

• Develops skills to solve complex problems

But many other lifelong benefits are not so well-known.

Let me talk you through some of my favorites.

1) Chess improves concentration

Focus and attention are core to the game, as a single mistake can ruin the work of several hours. It's definitely one of the hardest parts of chess practice and one you really develop over time.

2) Chess fosters critical thinking

There's no random element. If you lose, you know it's your fault. Ok, "fault" is a strong word, but you know you made mistakes that you can learn from. The best chess players can spend more time analyzing their games than playing.

3) Chess develops creativity

No two games are the same. But patterns repeat. Chess players are constantly trying to apply patterns they know to new situations. Also, for each game you play, there are uncountable parallel possibilities you only explore in your imagination.

4) Chess develops responsibility

At its core, chess consists of constantly foreseeing the consequences of your acts before you do them. There have been successful experiments using chess in prison as a tool to help with social reintegration.

5) Chess teaches you to win and lose

This could also be named humility. Losing is the shortest path to learning. The strong players win a lot only because they lost much more in the past. With very rare exceptions, the strongest chess players are very humble.

6) Chess encourages hard work

In order to win a game, it's not enough to be a good player, you also need to play well. It's a thinking game that you can't play without thinking. Even if you're much stronger than your opponent, you can't win without doing the work and respecting your opponent's chances.

7) Chess develops your decision-making skills

Players have different styles. Some are more practical (they value outcome); others are more perfectionist (they value correction). But they all must make decision after decision. You can't just pass, you always have to move.

8) Chess teaches you to prioritize

An experienced chess player may only consider 2 or 3 ideas in a position where a beginner sees as many possibilities as legal moves. We not only learn what's relevant and what's not but we also learn to focus only on the relevant.

9) Chess helps you have an open mind

The only rule that works always is that there's no rule that works always. What is good in one position can be bad in another one. Each move you consider is potentially a brilliancy or a blunder before you work it out.

10) Chess keeps you healthy

Studies show that the complex mental flexibility the game demands can help prevent dementia.

Also if you compete you can burn as many calories playing chess as with any other sport. Most elite chess players are actually very fit.