Long-term Medical Benefits of Chess:

By FI Moisés Ford:

Chess has long been a game that stands out from others due to its intellectual strategy, which involves a complex array of high-spectrum cognitive factors. Among these factors, memory, the ability to maintain a goal, and concentration stand out, as well as a characteristic that must be mentioned: the ability to analyze problems and find solutions. When this game is practiced consistently, it has shown to have a positive impact on overall cognitive brain performance and the development of various behavioral skills.
This is because the mental processes that are typically activated during a game include additional elements such as working memory, selective attention, spatial perception, and motivation in strategic decision-making. All of this is reinforced through the constant mental exercise the game provides at the neuronal level, due to the positive “addiction” it generates.
When these factors are activated through this particular process, it inevitably leads to neuroplasticity, which in simple terms refers to the phenomenon in which the brain modifies its structure in response to new learning and experiences. This writing focuses on the benefits that chess brings to our brain in the long term, only when it is taken seriously, based on findings from specialized research published in medical journals to offer a microscopic vision that goes beyond superficial listings.

Specific Long-Term Benefits of Chess

When we play chess for a long continuous time, it exerts an influence on certain cognitive functions. A comparative study between expert chess players and those with little experience in the game provides evidence of improved auditory and verbal memory in the expert group. This suggests that long-term dedication plus study contributes to strengthening these specific forms, all of which play a crucial role in the development of language skills and general learning processes. It was also observed that high-level chess players tend to show “superior” ability in visuospatial working memory, which allows them to briefly remember piece arrangements. All of this is adjusted by a skill called “chunking,” which is a process by which information is organized into individual sectors. A 2015 study supports these findings, reporting improved auditory verbal memory in chess players.

Regarding attention and focus, studies have shown that adolescents who regularly play chess for a year experienced improvements in concentration skills and the ability to maintain attention on non-chess tasks.

Perceptual organization and planning also benefit from the practice and especially the long-term study of chess. The game, in simple terms without much complexity, involves creating and manipulating mental representations, which based on neurological principles, improves cognitive flexibility and the ability to generate solutions. The constant need to evaluate board situations, anticipate future moves, and develop long-term strategic skills underpins the development of these essential abilities.

Problem-solving ability: Chess Masters tend to exhibit superior skills compared to amateur players. This is evidence that beyond the game itself, continuous training and constant experience have an added impact. Therefore, chess requires the application of sophisticated reasoning skills and the ability to tackle problems in both training and practice.

Regarding executive functions, evidence shows they are optimized by the practice of chess. A 2021 study on older adults, specifically in an executive and business sector, showed improvements in mental status through memory processes, working under pressure, processing speed, and structuring work plans in negative situations. Improvements in decision-making and working memory were also observed in young individuals after a single chess intervention. A 2022 study on adolescents also partially evidenced a connection between chess and high-level executive functions.

Type of Study	Studied Population	Main Findings Related to Long-Term Brain Benefits
Comparative Study	Expert chess players and non-players	Better verbal auditory memory in expert chess players.
Controlled Pilot Study	Institutionalized and semi-institutionalized elders	Improvement in general cognitive status, attention, processing speed, and executive functions with chess training.
Comparative Study	Adult chess players and controls	Greater local efficiency in cognitive connector and reorganization into more coherent modules.
Pretest-Posttest	Youth (8-17 years)	Significant improvement in decision-making and working memory after a chess intervention.
Longitudinal Study	Adults born in 1936	Greater frequency of board games associated with less cognitive decline from age 70 to 79, especially in memory.
Cohort Study	Older adults (>70 years)	Playing chess is associated with a 9% lower risk of dementia.

Underlying Brain-Neuronal Mechanisms
Playing chess and training consistently tends to generate changes in neuron structures related to specific game skills, a phenomenon only seen in another well-known practice: music.
During problem-solving or the complex dynamics of a difficult game, specific neural networks are activated, including the Central Executive Network, the Dorsal Attention Network, and the Salience Network. Additionally, dedicated chess players show superior activity in the cuneus, and specialized tests have revealed activity in the premotor cortex and the superior parietal lobe.
Trained players “recruit” specific brain areas that those who neither play chess nor practice music do not, especially areas related to long-term memory, which largely prevents dementia in the long term.
A single chess session increases “serum” levels of highly important factors such as BDNF and IGF-1—understood as essential hormones and proteins for decision-making, the growth of new neurons, and learning-related processes.

Concerning the Protective Factor Against Dementia
There is growing evidence that constant participation in stimulating leisure activities such as chess can significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia and delay cognitive decline in adulthood. A study involving more than 10,000 older adults concluded that those who engaged in acute mental activities, including chess, had an 11% lower chance of developing dementia. Another study provided evidence on the potential of chess as a protective activity against the progression of dementia, which should be understood as potentially halting or significantly delaying it.
Resistance to damage goes hand in hand with the brain’s cognitive reserve, which is constantly stimulated through chess, becoming more resistant each year to aging-related decline.

Chess as a Tool for Brain Health
Chess offers a wide range of long-term brain and cognitive benefits, supported by studies published in high-impact scientific journals. These include improvements in memory, attention, planning, problem-solving, and executive functions. All of these benefits are explained by the neuroplasticity promoted by the study and practice of chess, and the healthy management of neural networks. This research makes it clear that chess could play a prophylactic role against cognitive decline and dementia in adulthood. This makes it not only a game but also a valuable tool for maintaining and improving brain functionality throughout life.

I am Moisés Ford, a specialized FIDE Instructor, as well as a specialist in teaching elderly individuals, children, and people with special needs.

More: I want chess lessons.

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