Youngsters in chess.

I am sure the benefits have been thrashed out in great long reports and studies.

What is your first thoughts on the benefits of Chess for kids of school age?

Quick replys prefered rather than essays. I am penning a small thing for the local paper and want my thoughts confirmed (or perhaps even changed?).

I appreciare your time and will award you a trophy for your content.

I think it helps concentration

Focus, visulalization, pattern recognition,brain development, memory,calculation,community,logical thinking. Training intuition.

It can benefit on so many levels.

It helps showing the benefits of planning ahead and can help with impulse control.

I think it improves cognitively, all kinds of concentration aspects, joined up thinking, like giving babies the shaped bricks to put in the holes of the bucket shaped toy. I don't see any pitfalls.