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The solution is ovbious. It takes 30 seconds for any Class C player (or at least it should!) to see that Kf2 Nb1 Rxb1 Kh4 Rh1# is too slow. there is then only one solution. You should check out Ding Liren VS Levon Aronian.....i'll see if i can find a link to the game, now that is insane!!http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1715380 there are other crazy calculation games, but that one is really beautiful. especially considering that It was against Levon Aronian, #2 in the world! http://www.chess.com/blog/Bullet-C/the-hardest-puzzle?ncc=4#first_new_comment
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How to play chess extremely well
How to play chess really well so that you can achieve a respectable rating or playing ability
A grandmaster is an extremely good chess player usually in the top 0.02% of all chess players or found on average 1 in 5,000 regular and active chess players. In the chess world a grandmaster is a chess player who has achieved an ELO rating of 2500 at least once in his/her playing career. Currently there are more than 900 chess grandmasters in the world.
I have written this hub for anybody who has a strong desire to play chess extremely well and who might also consider pursuing a career in chess either as a professional or as a coach, instructor or analyst. I assume anybody reading this hub is not a beginner to chess and so is familiar with the chess terms in this hub.
Warning! This article does not guarantee you becoming a grandmaster after reading it, however it does offer some insights into how to play chess extremely well so that even if you don’t ever become a grandmaster, international master or fide master you can at least be an above average chess player.
Having said this it is time to ask pertinent questions like;
1. Am I a chess grandmaster to think I can share some of the secrets of playing chess extremely well? I would crave your indulgence and ask you to find out for yourselves at the end of this article.
2. Are there secrets of playing chess extremely well and if they are can they be learned?
Before you rule out the possibility of you ever becoming a chess grandmaster note that former world chess champion Anatoly Karpov was an average chess player during his learning years. There are indeed secrets to playing chess like a grandmaster but these secrets are open secrets.
To begin, success in life is generally predictable and especially so in chess which is a battle of wits and intricate mental and psychological struggles between two players on opposite sides. Being the most popular indoor game, chess is highly priced among elites and aficionados of creativity and analysis. To succeed in chess against most of your opponents you have to be able to see the outcome of every move you make well ahead of your opponent’s analysis and expectations.
The rules for playing chess like a grandmaster have been quietly packaged in this mini listing. Here are the rules;
1. Learn to predict the outcome of your moves before playing them and develop plans that will achieve the outcomes you wish to have (Strategy)
Chess grandmasters play chess with one thing in mind which is having a favourable endgame. Most grandmasters are skillful endgame players, knowing how to knit together intricate tactics that can serve useful purposes in that stage of the game. Being able to see what a position reflects and requires can enable a grandmaster predict the likely outcome of his every move even at the opening stage. My advice for you to be able to predict chess games accurately is to study the endgame first then tactics and middle game in that order. The opening can be studied but only after your endgame is sound. At this stage it becomes easy to device a plan as long as you know the kind of endgame you wish to have.
2. Chess grandmasters are great at creating weaknesses in the opponent’s camp
Chess grandmasters do not expect weaknesses to create themselves, rather they play to impose their own style on their opponents and this includes creating loopholes in the opponent’s position with the aim of overcoming those loopholes and eventually winning. Those loopholes are called advantages. Therefore every move you play against your opponent should be part of a plan to create advantages for yourself and weaknesses for the opponent. Examples of weaknesses include weaknesses in pawn structures (such as pawn islands, doubled pawns, isolated pawns and backward pawns), back rank weaknesses, exposed king, limited space for the opponents pieces, eliminating outposts for the opponents pieces and making the defending pieces to be overloaded. When these weaknesses are adequately exploited it results in material gain for the grandmasters.
3. Grandmasters love to have active and highly mobile pieces
As a grandmaster, the typical style of play is to have the initiative and the more active and mobile pieces. As a rule, grandmasters usually create open files and diagonals for their queens, bishops and rooks while also ensuring that their opponents’ pieces are not activated.
4. Chess grandmasters understand tactical operations
Tactics in chess refers to a series of moves mostly to achieve a short term objective. The aim of all tactical operations is to carry out a double attack such that an undefended piece is eventually captured or some decisive advantage is achieved. All tactics are based on the premise that the better or best move is the one of greater priority or reward. A tactical move should threaten a material advantage without exposing one to the risk of greater loss. For instance a queen sacrifice preceding a mating attack is a tactical operation that limits the opponent’s king to a few squares preparatory to an onslaught from two or more pieces that can deliver the checkmate together. There are many tactical devices that can be used to achieve material or decisive advantages and they include;
1. Pins: which are moves designed to limit movement of a particular piece especially if it is performing a defensive role. Only bishops, rooks and queens can deliver a pin while lesser pieces can work in conjunction to steal material being covered by the pinned piece.
2. Forks: they are double attacks carried out by a single piece on two opposing pieces with the primary aim of guaranteeing a material gain or positional advantage.
3. Skewers: a forced exchange or surrender of a valuable piece as a result of two pieces being attacked directly or one being attacked directly with the other facing an indirect attack. An example of a skewer is a situation in which a protected rook directly attacks an opponent’s queen with the king directly behind the queen. The queen is lost whether or not it exchanges with the rook or is picked up by the rook the only difference is when will the check be delivered?
4. Deflection: it is a tactical device used for distracting defenders from key squares or against the defense of a piece particularly a well priced piece like a rook. It is also sometimes used as a way of gaining time to facilitate an escape of a trapped piece. Deflection is often achieved by sacrificing a pawn, bishop or even a rook to make a mating square or more valuable piece open to attack.
5. Checks: a check is a direct attack on an exposed king which is not decisive. Checks offer the possibility of a gain in time and more options for pieces to explore.
6. Well timed and sound sacrifice this includes exchange sacrifice. Sacrifices achieve two things which are; gaining time for a more definite or decisive attack or move and to deflect a king or defender to a rank, file or diagonal from where a double attack can be carried out against another undefended piece.
7. Batteries: these are very suitable for attacks and they involve two connected pieces attacking a particular square or piece. An example of a battery is a rook battery on the 7th rank in which two rooks working together on the 7th rank grab as many pieces as their reach can affect.
8. Discovered attacks and checks: these are surprise attacks and checks that are often used to grab pieces to the detriment of the receiving party. The implication of a well timed discovered attack is that the victim has to choose a lesser evil and contend with the consequences thereof. A discovered attack or check is a disguised move used to achieve two things at a time such as indirectly attacking the opposing queen with a protected bishop by placing the bishop in an adjacent diagonal square behind a friendly pawn along the same diagonal as the queen. When the pawn moves to a square where it attacks an enemy piece, it also creates an opening for the bishop to attack the queen which means the receiving party has to choose between loosing his queen or his minor piece.
9. Undermining Defensive formations and effective offensive calculations: your opponent might have a solid defensive position at an early stage of the opening or middle game but all that begins to change when you understand how defensive positions can be weakened and eventually destroyed. Usually undermining involves an exchange of key defenders and deflection of assisting or secondary defenders who do not necessarily offer a significant defensive role.
Grandmasters know when and how to apply tactical operations to different positions hence being tactically sound is a sure way to win both material and obtain superior positions.
Prerequisites for playing like a grand master
1. Study chess for at least 2 hours a day
Nothing good comes easy including playing chess like a grandmaster. Studying chess games played by grandmasters at least 2 hours a day for one year consistently is enough to make one a really strong chess player at least in the class of an international master. Chess games are best studied when the student takes time to find out what the players being studied are doing at any given time and why a particular move is preferable to another etc.
2. Practice chess with stronger players
When you start experiencing improved play, don’t allow your skills go rusty by playing with weaker opposition rather pick stronger players than your self or of equal strength to practice with.www.gamecolony.com
3. Play at tournaments regularly
Try and play at tournaments as often as possible as this affords you the opportunity to meet with outstanding chess players who could have useful tips, information and ideas to further strengthen your playing skills.
4. Record all your games
Record all your games especially at tournaments so you can identify areas of weakness in your games that can be improved and also obtain insights that will serve you well in future.
5. Analyze games and puzzles
A number of games and puzzles can be found online and in chess books. Take time out occasional to solve some of the puzzles or analyze games played over time. Many of these games can be found in chess databases.
Source:http://paulipopo.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-play-chess-extremely-well-like-a-grandmaster
Chess 8 Common Mistakes Beginners Make
Random Pawn Moves
When you don't know what to do in a chess game, it is not a good idea just to move a pawn. Pawns cannot move backwards, and the position of the pawns determines the weaknesses and the plans of the game. Instead of moving a pawn when you don't know what to do, try to improve the position of your pieces.
Moving the Same Piece Twice in the Opening.
During the opening phase of the game it is imperative that you get your pieces out. Think of it like boxing. The pieces are like your fists. If you don't develop your pieces by getting them out into the center of the board it is like a boxer going out into the ring with his hands behind his back.
Not Castling
Leaving your king in the center of the board by not castling is a very risky thing to do. You may find yourself getting checkmated. Castle early, and keep those pawns snug right in front of your king and don't push them unless you have a very good reason. Having no plan and not being able to come up with one is not a good reason to move a pawn.
Leaving Pieces Ungaurded
Be aware whenever you have a piece that is not protected by another piece. There is a saying in chess, "Loose pieces fall off." A loose piece is unprotected, and often your opponent will find a tactic to capture it. When your opponent has an unprotected piece that is a good time to look for a tactic to capture it.
Not Having a Plan
Even a bad plan is better than no plan at all. Plans can be very simple. You can plan to get castled. You can try to get your rook to an open file (a file with no pawns). If you have the two bishops you can try to open up the position (trade pawns) because bishops love open diagonals. You can try to get your knight on an outpost (a square that cannot be attacked by a pawn). And each move you might have a long range plan, or a short range plan that can change with each move. Just don't randomly move pawns for no reason, a big chess no no.
Counting on your Opponent to Play Badly
When calculating your move, and your opponent's possible responses, it is a big mistake to assume that your opponent will play the move you want him to play. What you should look for is what you would play if you were in your opponent's shoes. Pretend you are him and think of the best possible move for him in response to your next move, and assume he will play it.
Blunders
A blunder is kind of like slipping on a banana peel. It is not something you intend to do, it is simply a mistake. You forgot that your opponent's bishop was aiming right at your queen and moved a pawn to some unrelated area of the board. Then you got mad at yourself. All chess players make these types of mistakes. The only thing you can do about this is to check just before you make your move to see if there is anything you are overlooking. Over time you will make fewer of these.
Not Bringing your King Out in the Endgame
Once the pieces are mostly cleared, and the pawn's foot race to the other side begins, it's time to bring your king to the center. Leaving your king behind can lose you the endgame. The relative strength of the king is about three pawns. Assuming he is not going to get checkmated, it only makes sense to use him as a fighting piece. Many players, because of the reasonable fear of getting checkmated when there are many pieces on the board, carry this fear into the endgame when the danger is no longer there.
Source:http://antheacarson.hubpages.com/hub/Common-Chess-Mistakes
It has often been said that chess is a "gymnasium for the mind", but what exactly are the benefits that a child can derive from the Royal Game? Can we go so far as to claim that it can teach children important life skills and boost their academic performance? Well, I can't say that I've carried out meticulous scientific research, but I have taught chess and I am aware that studies have been undertaken, with very encouraging results.
I also have my own growing-up experience to draw on. How did I manage to succeed academically and later carve out a professional career as a chartered engineer when no-one in my immediate family ever made it beyond the realms of factory floor worker or shop assistant? Well it would be wrong of me to imply that it was all down to the influence of a single board game, yet it so happened that the kid at the end of my street was something of a chess prodigy and county under-18 champion at just thirteen years of age. I was eleven at the time and probably not the best student he'd ever had, but I persevered and developed a fascination for the game that has lasted all my life.
So, what are the qualities that we need to play a typical game of chess? And how might playing the game make a kid smarter?
Chess activity can take place anywhere
Source: Wikipedia - photo by Adam Jones - adamjones.freeservers.com
Fun: It all starts here. Children crave fun, so it's an essential part of keeping a child absorbed and productive. A chess game allows you to command an army. You can order your soldiers to sacrifice themselves, act as a battering ram, wait until more firepower arrives, storm the centre, switch to the flanks, attack, defend, capture the enemy pieces, make new queens by promoting pawns etc. etc.. With every new game comes a challenging new battlefield, demanding the formulation of new plans and a novel set of tactical ideas. Such varied gameplay, rich in its possibilities, guarantees a limitless supply of fun and enjoyment to anyone with a basic grasp of the rules.
Concentration and motivation: As we all know, children can be fidgety at the best of times, but get them involved in something fun and inspiring and they will soon become focused. Creative things like drawing, painting, building sandcastles, or decorating cakes are great motivators, as are puzzles like 'joining the dots' to reveal a picture, or 'finding the hidden word' in a matrix of letters. Chess combines many of these elements of creativity and puzzle solving and so by captivating and holding the child's attention, can improve their concentration levels, while motivating them to learn more.
Imagination and creativity: It is an amazing fact that a typical game of chess contains more possible continuations than there are atoms in the universe. Consequently, even the most powerful supercomputers cannot calculate what would constitute the perfect game. This makes chess an infinitely large canvas for inventing and testing fantastical and beautiful ideas. The most creative players are able to conjure unique and esoteric masterpieces by combining known strategems with elements of 'blue sky thinking'.
Logic and reasoning: Chess relies on stringing together a series of logical thoughts. The corollary of a particular continuation may be that we have a more centralised knight ready to spring an attack, but our opponent will free his bishop to go marauding on the queenside. It is then a question of balancing the merits and demerits of those two opposing outcomes. Children need to learn this skill, as life is full of dilemmas requiring fine judgment and it will be useful to know how to go about reaching a satisfactory conclusion.
Strategic thinking: Strategic planning is something that few people do consciously and yet, in every aspect of life, we must see the bigger picture before taking far-reaching or commital decisions. And so it is with chess; you can speculate that a flurry of tactics will gain you a pawn, but if the resulting position leaves too many long term weaknesses in your camp, then you'll lose the game anyway. Thinking strategically helps you to avoid such pitfalls.
Decision making: Chess is all about being decisive. In serious play, the clock is ticking and you simply must choose between the many possible moves on offer. Accordingly, we develop mechanisms that allow us to rate and compare the various possible outcomes. Typically, these assessments are formed from calculation, or by recognising winning and losing patterns and structures. The process can even be entirely intuitive, once you have the necessary experience and confidence in your own ability. Ultimately, the clock is boss and no-one wants the disappointment of losing on time, so we learn to make quick decisions and strive to prove them correct.
The mix of fun and serious thought is palpable
Source: Wikipedia
Determination: Any chess player who has bounced back from a poor position or watched his opponent do the same, learns the value of a relentlessly determined approach. The many complexities of the game mean that our best efforts are regularly thwarted and so, it is important not to become disheartened, as moves borne of fatigue or desperation will rarely catch out a skilful opponent. In a poor position, it is vital you remain active and resourceful, as it may be possible to generate sufficient counterplay to turn the tables later in the game. There are even situations where an extremely poor position can be turned into a 'fortress', meaning that the player with advantage cannot make progress and the player with seemingly little hope escapes with a draw. After skill, determination is considered by most experts the next most important attribute in a chess player.
Patience: An impatient attitude rarely works in chess. Players who sacrifice pieces or bring out their queen early in the game and seek a quick checkmate will usually be frustrated by accurate defence. Successful strategies must be properly planned and prepared. This is as important in life, as it is in chess and a valuable lesson for any child to learn.
Discipline: Children quickly learn that a disciplined approach to chess pays huge rewards. Applying 'good practice' principles will give them an excellent foundation to build from. Extensive practice, some home study, coaching and/or self-tutoring will then increase their understanding of winning strategies and techniques. Perhaps most important of all is the after-match analysis. This may be painful after losing a game, but should reveal to the child the error of their ways and enable them to avoid repeating the same mistakes over and over (even more painful).
Taking responsibility for your own actions: How many times do we walk past the local tennis courts and see someone throwing a tantrum over a rally they just lost? - "The ball was out", "my racket's useless", or "if my leg wasn't injured, I'd beat you easily". Similarly, in team sports like soccer, a poor result can be blamed so effortlessly on others - "he wouldn't pass the ball", "the referee was biased", or "our goalkeeper had a terrible game". Unfortunately, children learn these blame shifting behaviors from the professionals, who are very often the masters of excuse-making. On the other hand, the outcome of a game of chess really is down to individual effort alone. If they win or draw, children can take pride in their achievement. If they lose, then understanding how they could have played better is the only way forward.
Respect: Chess is a very curteous game. Players shake hands before and after each game and quickly learn the value of good sportsmanship. There is nothing to which a child can attribute their defeat, other than their opponent's greater mastery of the game. By respectfully acknowledging this fact, they have already taken the first step to recognising how they might improve.
Memory: A developing long term memory will enable a child to remember pre-match preparation and the principles that guide strategic thinking. Similarly, a well exercised short term memory will enable them to store and revisit the calculations they just performed, so that conclusions can be drawn or revised at each step along the way. Chess is a playground for memory training and it's easy to see how these skills will be transferrable to their educational activities and to examination study in particular.
Mathematical concepts: Chess embraces a myriad of mathematical ideas, such as mental calculation, iteration, x and y coordinates, geometry, symmetry, triangulation, pattern recognition etc. What other sport or pastime allows children to explore so many mathematical concepts en-passant?
Visualisation: There are many applications for this skill in everyday life; for example, remembering the face of an old acquaintance, driving to a destination you have visited only once before, or picturing a finished piece of art before you start work on it. Similarly, a child's progression in chess will rely, in part, on them developing an ability to picture what the board will look like some moves down the line. This will allow them to make comparisons with similar positions they have already encountered.
Spatial awareness: Many strategic and tactical aspects of chess hinge on an appreciation of time and space, or in other words, counting how many moves are needed to achieve an objective. An obvious example is judging how long it will take to promote a pawn and whether the enemy king will be able to intercept it before it reaches the eighth rank. Another, more complex question may arise - how long will it take to re-route my minor pieces to the queenside, where the opponent is weak? Pieces cover distances and arrive at squares at different speeds. We can calculate properly when the clock allows, or when it is expedient to do so, but it is important that we make at least an informal judgement and re-evaluate as we go. Such pointers allow us to continuously assess the position and formulate the correct plans.
Notation: Aside from practicing basic writing skills, chess also has its own notation or code, which describes the moves on the chessboard. Children quickly pick up this notation and can then record their games, something they must do in serious competition, according to the laws of the game. The notation relies on abbreviated names for the pieces; N=knight, K=king, B=bishop etc. and the use of coordinates to describe the square moved to. Learning code, manipulating symbols and appreciating the need to keep accurate records are yet more examples of useful skills that chess will teach children.
Chess crosses generations
Source: Wikipedia
In conclusion
I doubt very much that this is an exhaustive list of the skills and abilities chess can confer on a child, but hopefully it gives parents a feel for some of the rewards on offer. If you can think of other important points that I have missed, then please add them to the comments below.
Critics of indoor games will of course be anxious to point out the virtues of outdoor activities and physical sports in improving fitness and reducing child obesity. Naturally, a balance must be struck and children should commit equally to indoor and outdoor recreation, with the aim of developing a healthy mind and body. Many chess players are fine sportsmen too; for instance former two-time British chess champion George Alan Thomas was a seven-time All-England badminton champion and a semi-finalist at the Wimbledon tennis championships. In more modern times, the Norwegian Simen Agdestein represented his country at the top level, both as a chess grandmaster and a professional footballer.
Chess remains an option after more active sports have fallen by the wayside through injury or advancing years. Children make lifelong friends at chess clubs and tournaments and will often thank you for getting them involved.
The game is also an excellent tool for bridging the generational divide and can be a great ice-breaker when visiting distant or foreign lands. Try setting up a board next to the communal swimming pool on your next family holiday; you'll be amazed how many people will come and challenge you or your kids to a game, or just use it for a reason to chat!
Source:http://colinmartyn.hubpages.com/hub/How-Chess-Benefits-Children
10 Benefits of Chess regarding Health
Chess is one of the most popular games in world. Chess emerged from southern Europe during the 2nd half of 15th century. It gained popularity to such an extent that nowadays international chess tournaments are conducted i.e. it gained a status of internationally played game.
It is played between two players on a chess board consisting of 64 grids arranged in eight columns called "files" and eight rows called "ranks". Chess has long history and detail, but I will not go into the detail and history of chess as this article is about the benefits of chess regarding / with respect to health.
Chess has numerous benefits regarding health. Chess is very momentous specifically for health and therapy related issues for the fact that it is considered as one of the form of Recreational Therapy. Chess keeps mind healthy and healthy minds leads to healthy physique, because mind controls and monitors all the activities of body. Benefits of chess regarding health are mentioned below:
1) Chess helps patients who suffered from stroke and disabilities to recover. Chess develops the fine motor skills of these individuals as chess requires the motion of chess pieces in different directions (forward, backward, diagonally forward motion, diagonally backward motion).
2)Chess optimizes the memory performance, because you will have to remember a lot of stuff toplay chess (as the rules of chess are quite complex/ complicated) and in order to gain expertise in chess (tricks and techniques) you have to remember even more. You also need to learn from your previous games and mistakes, in order to be a good player of chess and this really optimizes the memory performance and recalling ability.
3)Chess improves visualization. For example, before implementing a move a player imagines/ visualizes the effect on chess board or game. A player considers different moves or possibilities before playing a move in other words a player visualizes different moves in his mind and selects the best one that adds accuracy and benefit to his game and increases his chances of winning.
4)Pattern recognition is a fundamental quality momentous in chess. You need to recall previous moves and compare it with the current scenario (position) before placing a move since; it is very difficult to recall each and every move as there are thousands of moves and its is almost impossible to recall them at one time therefore your mind search for pattern and similarity in each scenario (position), thus improving pattern recognition.
5)According to recent studies, Chess assist the persons suffering from physical and emotional disability to recover completely.
6)Experiments revealed that, chess leads to improvement in cognitive functioning (as chess improves attention, memory, organization skills and perception). It improves the ability of cognitive-impaired individual to work on issues related to orientation, sensory stimulation and environmental awareness.
7)According to American Therapeutic Recreation Association (2005), the involvement of individual (suffering from spinal cord injury) in recreational activity specifically chess, improves his ability to enjoy life (life satisfaction), make social contacts or interaction and quality to overcome or suppress depression. This leads to decreased loneliness, increased social interaction, improved morale and ability to manage stress efficiently.
8) Chess (as recreational therapy) prevents or reduces non-adaptive or inappropriate behavior (American Therapeutic Recreation 2005).
9)Chess prevents anxiety and depression by encouraging self improvement, improving self esteem and self confidence.
10)Chess improves visual memory and visual perception in addition to this; it improves caution/ attention and awareness.
Chess is extensively healthy activity or game. It should be encouraged to a great extent to ensure a happier and healthier life on planet as it degrades or eliminates disability, inflates growth in various aspects of routine functioning, improves independent functioning and quality of life.
Chess has evolved into a well-loved strategy game among people of all ages since it was first played in Afghanistan back in 600 AD. Since the very nature of the game calls for mental acuity and perceptiveness among many other skills, a person’s expertise in the game can easily convince someone else of his overall intellectual adeptness. Such may be actually based on legitimate stereotypes backed by scientific proof, but it may also be deduced based on the image that prominent figures have established in the world of chess. This begs the question: Does playing chess really make a person smarter? This article attempts to provide the answers to these questions by using different scientific and logical perspectives.
What Cognitive Neuroscience Has to Say
In a study conducted in Tübingen, Germany, chess experts and novices were shown geometric objects and chess positions, and were later asked to identify each one of them. Their reaction times and brain activity were closely monitored with the use of functional MRI scans. On the first part, which was recognizing the geometric objects, results reveal that the subjects’ performance didn’t show any dissimilarities, which implied that the experts’ visualization skills are no better than the amateurs’. However, during the identification of the chess positions, the experts were seen to have performed significantly faster and better.
As the researchers geared toward an element of a study previously conducted on pattern and object recognition by the chess experts, they had anticipated to notice areas of the left hemisphere of the experts’ brains (involved in object recognition) to be more reactive when they performed the tasks. However, the reaction times of the subjects were virtually identical. The very thing that sets the experts apart from the amateurs is that the former’s right brain hemispheres (involved in pattern recognition) were to seen to have also lit up during the activity. Therefore, both sides of the experts’ brains were active, processing information in two places simultaneously. The researchers added that when they showed the chess diagrams to the subjects, they observed that the amateurs relied on looking at the pieces intently to be able to recognize them, whereas the experts merely relied on their peripheral vision and looked across the boards.
Merim Bilalic, a member of the German researchers team from the cognitive psychology department of the University of Tübingen, stated in an interview that the experts’ brains handled the chess tasks quite remarkably compared to that of the novices. The study inferred that expertise is an acquired–and not an innate–skill. It drew a very sobering message: constant exposure to the game cultivates intellectual adeptness.
The Cognitive Benefits of Chess According to Other Relevant Studies
According to studies performed in various institutional settings, the game of chess has shown to yield a number of cognitive benefits in children and elderly alike. Here are some of them.
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Chess boosts brain power in kids.
Kids, between grade school and high school, are seen to reap the most brain benefits from playing chess, according to experts. Chess has shown to enhance the analytical, critical thinking, and visualization skills most particularly those of second to third graders. This is attributed to the rapid development of children in these age groups.
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Chess improves IQ.
According to a study conducted in Venezuela, results have shown that children who took chess classes for 4 ½ months have increased their IQ points. This conclusion is also backed up by a 2003 study of Murray Thompson, a Ph.D. Education student at the Flinders University in Australia. In his research, participants who played chess also demonstrated improved IQ levels. Thompson ascribes this to the concentration and logical thinking a chess game calls for.
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Chess enhances arithmetical skills.
A 1998 study titled The Effects of Chess Instruction on the Mathematics Achievement of Southern, Rural, Black Secondary, conducted by James Smith and Robert Cage, has shown that chess is also crucial in the improvement of a child’s mathematical skills. The subjects, who were African-American high school students, were provided with 120 hours of chess instruction. The math proficiency test results reveal that the students from the experimental group showed better scores, in comparison to the results of the rest of the students who did not take the exam. James and Cage attribute the enhanced arithmetical skill of the subjects to the influence of chess on perceptual ability, which is a child’s capacity to deal and provide meaning to sensory stimulus. Dr. Eric Gottlieb of Rhodes University, on the other hand, cites objective reasoning (or the ability to think a few steps ahead) as the major reason why chess players are proficient in math.
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Chess hones verbal skills.
From 1973 to 1974, Albert Frank, a school director based in Zaire, studied the effects of chess on children who took classes for two hours every week. His study, which is published in the book Chess and Aptitudes, showed more than stellar results. After the chess lessons, he concluded that those who practiced chess demonstrated improved verbal skills, as well as enhanced mathematical skills and administrative-directional tasks. So how does chess enhance verbal skills, despite the absence of words or verbal communication in the game? Frank believes that chess improves verbal skills since it utilizes all the abilities of an individual, as many aptitudes or faculties of the mind are utilized whenever the game is played.
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Chess sharpens critical thinking skills.
In his 1995 study titled Chess in Education: Research Summary, Dr. Robert Ferguson (a cardiologist at the Northeast Georgia Diagnostics Clinic) had established that chess is instrumental in the enhancement of a child’s critical thinking and good judgment skills. Ferguson’s subjects, who were seventh to ninth graders, yielded a 17% improvement in the results.
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Chess boosts emotional intelligence and psycho-social skills.
Intelligence is not merely measured by IQ points; emotional intelligence plays a big role as well. Also known as EI, it is defined as the person’s ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. The game helps bring more and more people together regardless of race and socioeconomic status, according to Dr. Rose Marie Stutts of the Freedom Chess Academy. In effect, chess improves emotional intelligence, as well as psycho-social skills.
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Chess preserves mental acuity in the elderly.
While chess has already been proven to be highly beneficial for kids, studies have shown that it can help improve the mental acuity of the elderly as well. Chess hones an elderly player’s ability to determine cause and effect patterns, analyze the relationship between two ideologies, and understand key concepts. As such, chess has proven to be highly effective in protecting the elderly from neuro-degenerative conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Source:http://examinedexistence.com/does-playing-chess-make-you-smarter/
Grandmaster and world chess champion Bobby Fischer is famously quoted as saying, “Chess is life.” But can this two-player game, consisting of a square checkered board and playing pieces that are moved in different ways depending on their royal or military designation, benefit your mental and physical health? Absolutely! Check out these seven surprising health benefits of playing chess and then consider your next move.
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Grows dendrites:
Dendrites conduct signals from the neuron cells in your brain to the neuron they happen to be attached to. Learning and playing a game like chess actually stimulates the growth of dendrites, which in turn increases the speed and improves the quality of neural communication throughout your brain. Increased processing power improves the performance of your body’s computer, the brain.
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Exercises both sides of the brain:
To get the most benefit from a physical workout, you need to exercise both the left and right sides of your body. Studies show that in order to play chess well, a player must develop and utilize his or her brain’s left hemisphere, which deals with object recognition, as well as right hemisphere, which deals with pattern recognition. Over time, thanks to the rules and technique involved in the game, playing chess will effectively exercise and develop not one but both sides of your brain.
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Prevents Alzheimer’s disease:
A medical study involving 488 seniors by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine shows that playing chess, which stimulates brain function, measurably decreases the risk of dementia and combats its symptoms. Instead of letting the brain deteriorate, keeping the brain functioning at a normal rate, especially with a mind exercising activity like chess, will reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s disease as well as depression and anxiety.
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Helps treat schizophrenia:
Doctors at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience in Bron, France, found that schizophrenic patients who were directed to play chess on a daily basis showed improvement in their condition when compared to patients who did not play. The chess-playing patients exhibited increased attention, planning, and reasoning abilities and interestingly, elected to continue playing chess as part of their daily routine, even after the study had concluded.
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Improves children’s thinking and problem-solving skills:
A child who is introduced to chess at a young age is likely to do better in school for years to come. Research shows that playing chess improves a child’s thinking, problem-solving, reading, and math scores. Educators and chess experts generally agree the second grade is the ideal time to introduce children to chess, although some as young as four or five may be ready to learn and play.
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Builds self-confidence:
With role models that include the young Norwegian grandmaster Mangus Carlsen as well as hip-hop producer RZA, the game of chess only seems to get cooler with every generation. But no matter what your age, playing chess will build up your self-esteem. When you play, you’re on your own, and if you lose, you have to take stock and analyze just where you went wrong. Playing and analyzing why you lost or won a game increases the level of mental strength and self-confidence that you bring to the world beyond the chessboard.
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Helps with rehabilitation and therapy:
Chess can be used to help rehabilitate patients recovering from stroke or a physically debilitating accident and as a form of therapy for those with autism or other developmental disabilities. Moving chess pieces across the board can help develop and fine tune a patient’s motor sills, while the mental effort required to play the game can improve cognitive and communication skills. Playing can also stimulate deep concentration and calm, helping to center and relax patients who are experiencing different degrees of anxiety.
SOURCE:http://www.onlinepsychologydegree.net/2012/09/24/7-surprising-health-benefits-of-playing-chess/
Hey every one saw this on chess.com so cool had to put it here. The Legend of the Chessboard !
Long long ago in an ancient land, there lived a very wise man who happened to be the Vizier at the court of a great Sultan.
Months and years passed by and the great Sultan died, and his young prince replaced him. Being young, the prince lacked experience. He started spending more than what his father used to. The wise Vizier decided to teach the brash prince a lesson!
The prince set a contest and as a reward, decided to give the winner whatever he wishes, boasting of his wealth, being under the illusion that his wealth is virtually endless. The Vizier won, and asked the prince for the prize: a single grain of wheat and a chessboard!
"What?! Just a grain of wheat! Are you insulting my wealth?" yelled the prince.
"No! Your majesty!" The Vizier explained. "You have to promise to double that grain of wheat until the chessboard is full, so on the first day you give me one grain of wheat on the first square of the chessboard, on the second day you double it on the second square (giving me two grains), on the third, you double that on the third square (giving me four grains), and so on, until the sixty fourth square on the chessboard."
"I would thought you being so smart", the young prince said. "You would ask for something more substantial. Anyway, if this is your wish I will grant you that."
And so, on the second day, the Vizier got 2 grains, on the third, he got 4 grains, and the young prince couldn't help himself making fun of the Vizier.
By the sixth day, the Vizier got 32 grains of wheat. By the eighth day and the end of the first row, he got a mere 128 grains. By the sixteenth day and the end of the second row, he got 32,768 grains.
Where was this leading to? Was it worth it for the Vizier?
By the end of the game (it was a mind game, wasn't it?) can you guess how many grains the Vizier would get in all?
The prince could not provide enough grains to give the Vizier a chessboard's worth of grains. Why? Study the progress of the number of grains on the individual squares and the corresponding running total in the table below. There are not enough grains in the whole world to give the Vizier the sum of 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 grains! Indeed, that many grains would cover the entire earth several inches deep.
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Chess.com 10 pieces not to survive.http://www.chess.com/article/view/the-10-chess-pieces-least-likely-to-survive-a-game
http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/paralyzation