How Playing Chess Impacts the Brain
Wyatt Farace
4/29/20
How Playing Chess Impacts the Brain
It was September 1st, 1972. Amid the Cold War, The United States and the Soviet Union watched intensely as Bobby Fischer (USA) played Boris Spassky (SOV) in the World Chess Championship. This game meant more than obtaining the $78,125 first-place prize; for both countries, it symbolized the unease between them and the fight of capitalism versus communism, the United States versus the Soviet Union (Wall). The Soviets believed that if they could defeat Bobby Fischer that would prove their intellectual superiority and that communism was superior to capitalism. The United States believed if Bobby Fischer won that would prove the capitalism is superior to communism. Bobby Fischer ended up winning and being the first, and so far, only, representative of the United States crowned as the World Chess Champion. Fischer’s victory sparked interest in chess nationwide. People all over the country strived to play chess like Bobby Fischer. Many people, who would have never learned how to play, did, and without realizing it gained better brain function and cognitive skills.
Playing chess helps improve a person’s brain function. According to brainscape.com, chess helps a person exercise both hemispheres of their brain. In a German study published in an article titled “Mechanisms and Neural Basis of Object and Pattern Recognition: a Study with Chess Experts,” researchers presented basic geometric shapes and chess positions to chess experts and novices and assessed the reactions of the subjects in their recognition. They predicted that the brain’s left hemisphere of the experts would be much more involved, but they did not expect the brain’s right hemisphere to be likewise. The participants’ response times to the basic shapes were the same, but the experts used both brain hemispheres to answer questions about the chess positions more quickly (Moritz-Saladino). This proves that playing chess exercises both hemispheres of the brain (Moritz-Saladino). By training both brain hemispheres, players use the more visually oriented right hemisphere to recognize patterns from previous games, and the analytical left hemisphere to decide the next most logical move (Kaufman). This exercise stimulates both sides of the brain and makes the player a more experienced and skilled thinker (Kaufman). “The Role of Chess in the Intellectual Development of Children from Primary School” study concluded, “Because every position requires being logical and creative at the same time every pupil will improve his analytical thinking.” Having this ability is useful in many situations outside of the board game.
Along with exercising both brain hemispheres, chess also supports the growth and development of dendrites. Dendrites are the “branches” of a neuron that help receive and pass on signals from other cells. They are important for brain function and efficiency. Studies show that elite chess players have been found to have smaller brains than non-elite chess players. Smaller human brains can use dendrites to pass on signals faster and are more efficient than a typical human brain (Moritz-Saladino). Christian Jarrett from “Wired” writes, "[This] can be a sign of neural efficiency and a reflection of behavioral expertise.” Playing chess makes the brain more effective.
Playing chess develops strategic thinking. To be a successful chess player, one must always think at least one move ahead if not more. Strategic thought includes preparing threats, protecting pieces, and looking ahead. When playing chess, one always needs a plan. The critical analysis one learns from playing chess is useful in many other areas of life. Having a strategic mind assists a person in being more productive in academics and work life. A strategic mind is a tool that helps a person take the best course of action while playing chess or writing a six-page English paper.
Chess also teaches planning and foresight. According to the Entertainment Technology Center, strategy board games like chess train people to engage in computational thinking. Matthew Breland, the author of the article, writes, "… players follow a set of relatively uncomplicated rules with a few decision points for which players have voluminous data." Every move the player makes is a decision, and no matter how well he or she has played, the game may end in defeat if s/he made a wrong choice.
Playing chess makes people more creative as well. To play chess well one must be strategic and creative. People who play chess have different brains than people who do not play chess. “For example, grandmaster chess players have more activity in their frontal and parietal cortices, areas of the brain that focus on problem-solving and recognition” (Kaufman). Studies have proven that there are important variations in the composition of gray and white brain matter between elite chess players and control subjects that are linked to cognitive skills relevant for playing chess (Hänggi). One four-year study had students from grades 7 to 9 playing chess, using computers, or performing 32 weeks of other activities once a week to see which activity fostered the greatest development in creative thought. The chess group scored higher in all creativity measures, with originality being their greatest area of benefit (Moritz-Saladino).
Chess was found to strengthen memory and attention. Young people’s ability to focus is sharpened by playing chess (Moritz-Saladino). In a study conducted to discover the effects of playing chess on the ADHA brain, scientists tested 14 individuals ages 11 to 14. Each subject received chess lessons twice a week for four months for 30 to 45 minutes. The results “… showed improvement in concentration skill and period, and in listening score” and “It was shown that students take a longer duration until they started exhibiting undesirable and unacceptable behaviors.” (ElDaou). It is therefore important for students to learn chess because it allows them to remain concentrated longer, control their behavior, and retain their attention. Playing chess also decreases one’s chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease (New England Journal). Chess can improve a person’s “mental age by up to 14 years” (Laimonas). In an examination distributed in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists found that individuals over age 75 who play chess or other board games are less likely to develop dementia or other memory problems (Kaufman). Dr. Robert Freidland, the author of the study, found “unused brain tissue leads to a loss of brainpower.” Playing chess keeps the mind working.
Playing chess helps treat schizophrenia. Psychotic patients, who lack an understanding of reality and exhibit irregular social behaviors, benefit through learning the skills playing chess teaches them. In a French study, scientists randomized 26 schizophrenic people into two groups: a control group consisting of 13 individuals who did not play chess and an experimental group that played chess for one hour twice a week (the experiment lasted for five weeks). At the end of the study, Dr. Demily, one of the researchers, concluded, “When considered together, our results suggest that playing chess for mere 10 h[ours] can restore (at least partially) executive functions of patients with schizophrenia. It may be interesting to note that chess can be proposed easily– at almost no cost – to all psychotic patients. Most of the patients kept playing chess on their own, after completion of the study” (Demily). The patients who played chess increased their attention, planning, and reasoning abilities (Demily).
Playing chess helps improve one’s academic performance. One study, conducted in 1985, found that children who were given regular opportunities to play chess improved their grades in all subjects and were noticed by their teachers to be more organized and have a better memory. A separate analysis of sixth graders in Pennsylvania showed similar findings. Students who had never played chess before strengthened their memory and verbal abilities after playing (Moritz-Saladino). The study, “The Role of Chess in the Intellectual Development of Children from Primary School” concluded that, “The constant practice of chess for one semester improves the cognitive abilities of first-class children such as memory, attention and analytical thinking, thus ensuring a harmonious intellectual development.” Chess can be largely beneficial in strengthening the skills needed to succeed in school.
Chess can also enhance reading abilities and IQ. Dr. Stuart Margulies analyzed the reading output of 53 elementary school students who participated in a chess program in 1991 and measured them compared to non-chess-playing students in the district and across the United States (Moritz-Saladino). He found that, “In a district where the average students tested below the national average, kids from the district who played the game tested above it” (Moritz-Saladino). In Venezuela, a study of 4,000 students generated substantial increases in both boys’ and girls' IQ scores after 4 months of chess instruction (Moritz-Saladino).
Chess is the most wonderful board game to have ever been played. It involves strategy, creativity, attention, planning and foresight, memory, and lots of practice if one dedicates their time to becoming a skilled player. With that said, there are so many ways to become involved with a chess community because there are so many communities. For example, many schools offer a chess club as an extracurricular activity. On a more global scope, the website “Chess.com” can pair a person with other people from all over the world, giving them a ranking to ensure they play with players at their skill level. On the website, one can add friends, be in tournaments, and participate in clubs. No matter what skill level one may be at, playing chess is always a healthy way to exercise the mind.
Citations
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