Does Chess Make You Better In Math?

counting pawns help

Chess improves your maths like backgammon improves your geography.

math is math , chess is chess imo, but chess increase your logical ability i think

I am a professor of math and physics and I suck at chess.

But, I have only been playing chess for about three years and am told I am rather proficient for such a short time playing.

There could be some overlap, chess does develop skills which are applicable in other areas. The calculation and visualisation will be useful in some areas of mathematics.

What's funny though is when you get these geniuses in things like maths and physics who think that automatically makes them good chess players, then they turn up at the chess club and get stuffed by an eight-year-old (I've seen this happen, it's hilarious)

Yes. No. Maybe.

But for the real sum... check out Australian ABCTV1 And The 4Corners documentary. At 11.20 AEST tonight. You can also catch it on I View ABCTV online. 

A chessboard is useful for teaching kids their multiplication tables up to 8x8.

I'm (probably unrightfully) mildly irritated everyone's calling arithmetic or calculation "math". That's like calling tactics "chess".

Arithmetic is simple stuff like 1+1, 2^3 or ln(3245) x 71.82265. Numbers.

Calculation is simple stuff like the above, or including things like simple algebra (3x^2 + 4x + 1 = 0, solve for x.)

Even calculus is fairly simple if only basic questions are asked. (Differentiate w.r.t. y (e^(sqrt y)); integrate 2x sin x cos x.)

All of the above is the simple hammer-and-screwdriver, basic tools of maths. (In chess terms, this is hanging pieces, this is forks/pins/skewers, this is mate-in-twos.) Obviously mathematicians don't sit in their chairs all day and do inane things.

To start with, they have heavy power tools to use. The chess equivalent of more intense tactical combinations to calculate, maybe mate-in-fives. (Ordinary/partial differential equations, matrices and linear algebra, different kinds of integration like path integrals, Riemann integrals etc.)

Then they have horribly open-ended problems, with that blasted word "prove". The chess equivalent is evaluating positions as win/draw/loss, especially nasty complicated endgames. (Prove that <insert pretty-looking equation in x> is true for all x in R; prove that <insert intuitively obvious but non-trivial to prove statement> is true in general; prove that...)

To do this, you need abstract visualisation and creativity. There isn't really a chess equivalent for that. The closest analogy I can think of is formulating a plan, whereby you stare vaguely at the board/problem and think "wouldn't it be nice if I did this? Then this happens and then..." and so forth until you reach an epiphany.

So no, I don't think chess makes you better at math in terms of understanding what's going on while you're proving or deriving something. It may or may not help you with basic calculations. Certainly not with comprehending the mathematical ideas or the direction your proof/dissertation should take.

EDIT Bonus answers for the examples!

1+1=2, 2^3=8, ln(3245) x 71.82265 = BLARGH

3x^2 + 4x + 1 = 0; x= -1 or -1/3

differentiate e^(sqrt y) = (e^sqrt y)/2 sqrt y

int 2x sin x cos x = int x sin 2x = -0.5x cos 2x + 0.25 sin 2x + c

@Remellion Well explained. I sucks at typing and would take lots of time to type that much. Mathematics is more complex than chess. The latter is just more fun.

Sorry I was bored please ignore post thanks

I like the bits in red but you missed a solution to the quadratic equation. Always reminds me to look for alternative solutions to a position, but i prefer to get by with basic arithmetic.

No but Math makes you better at Chess!!

No it doesn't. I really like math and i do a lot of competitive math but i still hate chess and for the time i've been playing, i suck. i've been playing for about 5 years and im still a 1000 something, my highest rating being 1198. 

YES

something that helped me get to 1500 is making moves that feel like they could go some where usually there just plain bad and I lose but I learn from my mistakes then I make the correct moves that look crazy more often just a thought its up to you if you want to try its only an online rating that does not mean anything in the real world.

Chess is good for general logical thinking.

Not that these forums would lead you to believe that....

Well for me it helps me see problems from different aspects, just like in Chess you need to see the board in different ways (figuratively) in order to make the right move. This helps me in trig when they make us do proofs and such.

Maybe for basic math and basic chess, there could be a correlation.  I doubt chess is going to improve your ability to unwind differential equations or that solving those will help your chess.   Chess could help your ability to concentrate and think ahead, which is useful in math (if I do this, what is the next step, does that lead toward a solution?) and math could do the same for chess (concentration, thinking ahead, etc). 

Mathmatical proofs, for the same reason (thinking ahead with a plan, concentration) could help, which is usually mid to high level math, and again, the reverse may be true. 

You might think some linear algebra could help chess as well, but I am not so sure about that.  

Pattern recognition is useful for both. 

I guess what i am saying is that chess & math share many thought processes that can play off each other (improve it for one, and your ability improves for both disciplines), so indirectly at least, they can build each other.

Hey everyone I wrote a blog a while back which presented the same inquiry about transferable skills and if chess had any direct linear/cumulative correlation to intelligence/memory or ability to solve problems.... Please have a read...

http://www.chess.com/blog/kiwi_overtherainbow/the-invisible-gorilla-formula-to-success