The 9 Best Benefits of

Playing Chess

Share on Pint

The game of chess is loved all over the world.

Keep reading to learn what we know about the benefits of playing chess.

1. Chess develops the ability to

see from someone else’s
perspective
Skilled chess players learn to anticipate an opponent’s next moves. To predict what
another person will do next, a player must develop the ability to adopt another
person’s perspective and infer what action they are likely to take.
Behavioral scientists call this this ability to see from another viewpoint the “theory
of mind.” It’s an ability that is essential to exercising empathy and building healthy
social relationships. A 2019 studyTrusted Source found that chess develops this
perspective-taking ability in children who practice the game.

2. Chess improves memory

It might not be surprising to learn that expert chess players have strong memory
skills. After all, the game involves memorizing numerous combinations of moves
and their potential outcomes.

It’s also interesting to note that experienced chess players show higher
performance related to a particular kind of recollection: auditory memory. This is
the ability to remember what you’ve learned through hearing.

In one experiment, researchersTrusted Source compared the recall ability of expert

chess players to that of people with no chess-playing experience. They found that
the chess players were significantly better at recalling lists of words they’d heard
than people who had never played chess.

Skilled chess players also have a better than average ability to remember and
quickly recognize visual patterns, which researchersTrusted Source think comes
from memorizing complex chess positions.

3. Chess enables you to enter a

flow state
Flow is a deeply rewarding sense of total involvement, in which you’re operating
at a peak performance level in a challenging task. Athletes, artists, and performers
often describe entering a kind of time warp, where they are so wholly focused on
the task at hand that their awareness of anything beyond the performance seems to
disappear.
ResearchersTrusted Source who study brain activity noted that theta waves are
heightened in electroencephalograms (EEGs) taken when people are in a state of
flow. Studies have shown the same high levels of theta waves in brain scans of
experienced chess players during increasingly difficult chess matches.

4. Chess elevates your

creativity
Researchers at a school in India tested the creative thinking skills of two groups of
students. One group was trained in chess playing, and the other was not.

The tests asked students to come up with alternate uses for common items and to
interpret patterns and meaning in abstract forms. Students who played chess scored
higher on tests. Researchers concluded that chess increased the students’ ability to
exercise divergent and creative thinking.

5. Chess leads to better

planning skills
Chess games are known for long periods of silent contemplation, during which
players consider each move. Players spend time anticipating their opponents’
responses and attempting to predict every eventuality.

That habit of mind — careful contemplation and planning — is one of the

cognitive health benefits of playing chess.

Behavioral scientistsTrusted Source gave two groups of people the Tower of

London test — a cognitive functioning test involving pegs and beads — and
measured their planning skills. The group that regularly played chess demonstrated
significantly better planning skills than the group that did not play chess. Also,
people in the chess group spent a lot more time making decisions during the test.
 6. Chess can make therapy
more effective
Some counselors and therapists play chess with clients as a means of increasing
self-awareness and building more effective therapeutic relationships.

Considered a creative therapy strategy, chess allows you to see your reactions to
stress and to challenges as they arise in the course of a match. Your therapist is
present to help you evaluate your responses and learn more about why you respond
to problems the way you do.

7. Chess may offer protection

against the development of
dementia
In a 2019 research review, scientists found that the complex mental flexibility
chess demands could help protect older people from dementia.

Researchers found evidence that the game, which challenges memory, calculation,
visual-spatial skills, and critical thinking abilities, may help reduce cognitive
decline and postpone the effects of dementia as you age.

8. Chess can improve the

symptoms of ADHD
In a 2016 study involving 100 school-age children with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, researchers included regular chess playing in a multi-
faceted treatment approach.
Students who participated in this treatment method experienced a 41 percent
decrease in both inattentiveness and over-activity following the course of
treatment.

9. Electronic chess may help

stave off a panic attack
There haven’t been any large-scale studies to support the use of chess apps to help
reduce panic attack symptoms. In one 2017 case study, an individual who
experienced panic attacks was able to use a chess app on a phone to increase the
sense of calm and keep a panic attack from progressing.

The key to success was in finding just the right level of challenge to occupy his
attention and distract from unpleasant feelings. For this user, difficulty levels 2 to 4
provided just the right amount of engagement.

Does chess have special

benefits for kids?
StudiesTrusted Source show that chess enhances the development of these abilities
in children:

 problem-solving skills
 social and relationship-building skills
 thinking skills

Want to inspire a student to try chess?

The films Magnus, Brooklyn Castle, and The Queen of Katwe all feature young
people rising to greatness in the world of competitive chess.
Are there any downsides to
playing chess?
As with any hobby or activity, there may be a few drawbacks to playing chess.
Here are some things to know if you’re thinking about chess as a pastime.

Playing chess can be stressful

Competitive chess players feel a great deal of anxiety about their performance
during matches. Some have even described the game as mental torture.Trusted
Source Stress over competitive rankings or performance may even interfere with
healthy sleep.

ResearchersTrusted Source have analyzed the heart rate variability in chess players
who were engaged in solving difficult chess problems. Heart rate variability is an
indicator of increased sympathetic nervous system activity and stress.

In experienced, skilled players, heart rate variability didn’t change even when the
problems became more difficult — but less experienced players had a drop in heart
rate variability. Researchers think this change is related to increased stress from the
cognitive challenge of the chess problems.

Playing chess may not boost test performance

very much
If you’re one of the many parents and educators who train students in chess in the
hopes that the game will improve performance on standardized tests that feature
math and problem-solving, you may be disappointed in the gains.

Multiple studiesTrusted Source have shown that while chess playing does improve
cognitive, memory, and math skills, it doesn’t necessarily translate into higher test
scores. Research has produced mixed results on the effects of playing chess on test
scores.
Becoming a chess expert requires a significant
time investment
You have to practice, deliberatelyTrusted Source, and often alone, in order to reap
the benefits of playing chess.

Players who excel at the game, and who experience the mental gains that the game
can stimulate, invest hours of study over the course of years. Although there are
prodigies, most people take many years to master the game.

Takeaway
Chess has many cognitive benefits, including the ability to improve your:

 intelligence
 empathy
 memory
 planning and problem-solving skills
 creative abilities

Chess can also help with the symptoms or severity of several health conditions,
including dementia, ADHD, and panic attacks. In addition, playing this
challenging game can help you find a sense of flow or improve the effectiveness of
your therapy sessions.

If you’re considering chess as a hobby, you should know that it can be time-
consuming and stressful, especially if you plan to master the game or compete in
tournaments. Whether these drawbacks outweigh the potential cognitive health
benefits is something you’ll have to determine for yourself. It’s your move.