Playing chess to improve math ability

It helps for counting! In the diagram, is it safe to capture the d5-pawn? You must be able to count to four to find out!

I've actually never used counting, I visualize it every time I want to check (that way you can notice in between moves and the like).

I don't know if that's weird or not.  I know a lot of players count, but I wonder how many.

4 attackers, 3 defenders.. but what of the final position...

It's the same skill, isn't it? When you count "one," your mind marks the number one as counted. When you count "two," your mind marks the number two as counted. Just like how you mark the Knight as moved, how you mark the pawn as gone.

On a serious note, I suppose playing Chess and seeing several actions into the future is much the same as performing several mathematical actions in your head.

Sometimes it helps to visualize things when wrapping your head around a mathematical concept or doing certain operations... so maybe, I guess.  But really both are such specific skill sets that there's no practical benefit of doing one to get better at the other.

shure you r right

I am a retired civil engineer (60 years experience) and a chess lover, and a mathematics fanatic and I would say that math and chess are different things.

You do not need one of them to practice the other.

The only thing, that I believe make people think math is needed to play chess, is that in both cases (math and chess). . .

. . . you should have an orderly mind. . .

Regards to all

I wouldnt be surprised when structures in the brain, that allow a person to be (very) good at math, are also geared up to play chess.

Both chess and math ask for very logical concrete thinking. My guess is that both these tasks happen in the neo neo neo cortex :D This is what seperates us humans from animals!
 

I do think that math requires more of the brain. Chess has a strong visual/spatial aspect, but so does math with geometry and more. Chess requires memory: openings and recognizing tactical lines. Math ofcourse also requires memory, and in a way has tactical lines too. In a problem you have to apply the right strategy (in the correct order) to come to a good result.

Chess also requires an instinct: having a gutfeeling that the position is bad/good, but you cant tell why. My believe is that an instinct is an unconsious interpretation of latent signals + a huge bank of memories that are not easy to consiously remember, but the 'conclusion' (the most important lesson for you to survive ) is still in your memory.

But math in the end is more versatile, I think. Chess has 5 different kinds of pieces that move in their own way, and cooperate in unique ways. Math however has infinite formulas, principles, fields of expertise, etc. Also math can be very abstract, but very much connected to the real world. Where would science be without math?

This is what seperates us humans from animals!

How fun would it be if there where animals that enjoyed math and chess! There could be interspecie worldcups!  

Could today the smartest monkey be trained to play at a 500 rating? (no offense meant to 500 rated players.. u are 2000+ potential! ;))

A tribute to Octizani (Copenhagen)

Dare Jensen today has revealed the statue in memory of the late Octizani. Octizani dominated the Animal Worldcups eversince it was discovered that several kinds of octopuses and the (not so succesfull) spider monkeys where able to play chess. His biggest achievement was his victory at the Daniel Red Elementary School Open with a tournamentrating of 1152.

 Big Octopuses , it is octopuse photoshope picture or rel picture  

Playing chess improve logical skills and problem solving, not math skill

may be u are right . 

do you have some examples for people who  are  playing chess and solving problems ?

Math is also logical thinking... ALOT!

And problem solving!

So according to K4rbon playing chess improves skills that are essential to mathematics, but it doesn't improve math skill?

My long explanation is in post #48. I think it helps a little, but I think math has a much larger skillset that is needed than in chess. So yes, your math will improve a little bit, but you have to learn broader to become good at math.

People with dyscalculi (numberblindness) for instance are worthless at math, but I see little reason why they cant be good at chess.

you might inform math teachers of this, they don't seem aware of it.

From a bowl with 32 chess pieces you randomly take 5 pieces (you keep them in your hand). What are the odds that:

1. All pieces are white?
2. All pieces are pawns?
3. None of them are bisshops?
4. You take both kings?
5. All pieces are black?

Just 1 example that already requires alot of logical thinking:
Ok, so there are 32 pieces. What makes them unique? color, shape. What does the question ask me? 1. = chance for color. 16 white, 16 black, so 50% chance in first grab. But after that there are 31 pieces left.. What strategy will I use to solve this? You need to think logically to change the question to something that makes sense in math.

Also a logical thinker would not calculate anything to solve question 5.

yes ur thinking will improve and thinking patterns may become more creative but it is up to u to put that into practise onto a page. I do maths quite well and pick up things easily as well but all this came after one year of failiure and frustration solving problems in a "different way" as i term it. What i usually do is learn the basic concepts (very very important as these are the tools to work with) and then go about doing the different questions without looking at examples. If i get the answer right I just usually look at the example once to see if my method is quicker or slower and if slower why it is so(usually my methods are faster and simple) . If i failed to do a question completely I go thru the answer while asking why is it so at every step. Since i never worked hard i my primary classes I had to go thru the very base of maths for one trully gruelling year but it has all come worthwhile cuz I have found my thinking process has become refined , helped in other subjects as well and made me more "innovative".

Sry to deviate from the main question asking to connect chess to maths , I just thought u were weak in maths so these steps might help.