CHESS FOR LIFE

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE

"Think, think, think...move."

DR. LANCE GRIGG, DR. ROBBIN GIBB, DR. CLAUDIA GONZALEZ,

JADE OLDFIELD, KAILEB OLSON

Chess for Life is a unique, restorative justice program that has

been officially recognized by Alberta Justice. As an alternative
sentencing measure, youth, ages 12-18, come to the University
of Lethbridge for 25 hours of chess instruction.

Chess is used as the vehicle for change because it provides

safe and structured opportunities for youth to practice and
develop skills such as:
Inhibitory Control (look before you leap)
Working memory (keeping things in mind to complete a task)
Cognitive flexibility (consider good alternatives and shift
between them)

These skills, among others, are often referred to as executive functions. Executive
functions are skills that give rise to a person’s ability to control their thoughts, attention
and focus (Diamond, 2013). This includes tasks such as resisting one’s first impulse to
act, shifting between different tasks or different people’s perspectives, as well as being
able to hold in mind, and manipulate, different pieces of information.

The reality is that executive functions are a better predictor of life success than IQ or
educational attainment (Diamond, 2013). In addition to the skills previously mentioned,
chess also promotes other executive functions such as self-regulation and planning. All
of these skills are essential components of a person’s everyday life, throughout their
lifespan (Table 1, Diamond, 2013), and these skills are even more critical for our youth at-
risk.

In addition to executive functions, chess has been shown to have positive effects on
participants’ language and mathematical abilities (Gliga & Flesner, 2014), ADHD
symptomatology (Blasco-Fontecilla et al., 2016), and overall general cognitive
improvements (Aciego et al., 2012; Gliga & Flesner, 2014). Finally, chess has also been
shown to have positive effects on socioaffective development (Aciego et al., 2012) and
hot executive function skills (also known as emotional control; Urra, 2015); being able to
manage emotions and social interactions is a crucial skill for these at-risk youth.

Chess for Life has experienced years of anecdotal success with well over 50 participants
having completed the program; now, in collaboration with the labs of Dr. Gibb and Dr.
Gonzalez, we are taking an analytical approach to better understand why the program has
been so successful. Ethics permission has been granted to allow us to work with multiple
sites in Alberta, and the assessment process takes approximately 45-60 minutes per
youth; once upon intake, and once upon completion of 25 hours within the chess
program.

For more information, check out our website: HTTPS://CHESSFORLIFE-ULETH.WEEBLY.COM/

CHESS FOR LIFE
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
"Think, think, think...move."

This assessment consists of a demographic questionnaire, a survey of the

participant’s executive functioning (one self-report and one caregiver report), five
psychometric tests administered via an iPad, and a Lego motor task. Upon the
enrollment and assessment of approximately 30 participants in each of a control
group (no chess play), and an experimental group (25 hours of chess), we will then
compare the findings to determine the level of improvement in the participants’
executive functioning skills.

As part of this process, we are looking for organizations that are working with justice-
involved youth to collaborate with us in the answering of this question. Organizations
will be supported in the purchasing of materials for the youth (chess board, t-shirt,
chess socks), in developing content for the program, and in administering the testing,
among other things.

WORKS CITED

Aciego, R., García, L., & Betancort, M. (2012). The benefits of chess for the intellectual and social-emotional
enrichment in schoolchildren. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 15(2), 551–559.
https://doi.org/10.5209/rev_SJOP.2012.v15.n2.38866

Blasco-Fontecilla, H., Gonzalez-Perez, M., Garcia-Lopez, R., Poza-Cano, B., Perez-Moreno, M. R., de Leon-Martinez,
V., & Otero-Perez, J. (2016). Efficacy of chess training for the treatment of ADHD: A prospective, open label study.
Revista de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental (English Edition), 9(1), 13–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rpsmen.2016.01.003

Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168.

https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750

Gliga, F., & Flesner, P. I. (2014). Cognitive benefits of chess training in novice children. Procedia - Social and
Behavioral Sciences, 116, 962–967. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.328

Snyder, C. R., Lopez, S. J., Marques, S. C., & Edwards, L. M. (2021). The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology.
Oxford University Press.

Urra, J. C. (2015). Cognitive tests battery to evaluate the executive functions of chess players. Lecturas: Educación
Física y Deportes, 204, 6. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=5386778

For more information, check out our website: HTTPS://CHESSFORLIFE-ULETH.WEEBLY.COM/