| Mastering the moves of the chess pieces is only a | | | | others. Data that used to take substantial |
| small part of the game. Children as young as five have | | | | commitments of time and specialized skill to dig out is |
| the cognitive development, the eye-hand coordination | | | | now available in a fraction of a second from an |
| and the dexterity to be able to move the six different | | | | Internet search on a home computer. The ability to |
| pieces around the chess board properly. However, | | | | analyze and manage multiple considerations is a skill |
| becoming skilled at the strategies for winning at chess | | | | that can make the difference between responding |
| requires a great deal more. | | | | with agility to new situations and becoming paralyzed |
| Certainly, the first capabilities tested are the abilities to | | | | with information overload. These torrents of |
| concentrate and analyze. Any lapse in concentration | | | | information, whether the subject is managing your |
| or failure to correctly analyze the situation on the | | | | business or monitoring family health options, must be |
| chess board will most likely result in a loss. All chess | | | | met with critical thinking to sort out the useful |
| players experience losses, even the grandmasters of | | | | information from the spurious. Then, the new data |
| the game, so players also learn the consequences of | | | | needs to be adapted into our current plan, as |
| their decisions, and to win and lose gracefully. | | | | appropriate. Nowhere are these skills (critical thinking, |
| There are more talents exercised through playing | | | | analysis, managing multiple considerations, adapting to |
| chess than just these first obvious few. Studies | | | | new data, decision making, and planning / thinking |
| conducted over the past thirty years have been | | | | ahead) better honed than from engaging in regular |
| discovering that playing chess affects a number of | | | | games of chess. |
| aptitudes; from spatial relationships to persistence and | | | | After all is said, chess is a game. In addition to |
| focus, exercising both numerical and verbal skills, all | | | | exercising these many abilities and skills, chess is still a |
| working together when playing chess. A 1992 study in | | | | moment of sportsmanship and recreation. Playing |
| New Brunswick, Canada found that primary school | | | | games with people provides opportunities to develop |
| children showed significant improvement in their | | | | social bonds and offers a diversion from the stresses |
| problem solving skills when chess was added to their | | | | of the day. With so many benefits, it’s easy to |
| regular mathematics curriculum. Other studies, from | | | | understand why chess is increasing in popularity. For |
| Venezuela to Zaire, have found improvements in | | | | years, people have associated playing chess with |
| students’ memories and increased IQ scores | | | | smart people. Now, the evidence is suggesting that |
| among teenagers who play chess regularly. | | | | playing the game of chess is not attracting smart |
| The benefits of playing chess are not confined to | | | | people so much as it is contributing significantly to the |
| school age children. In this Information Age, we are all | | | | abilities and skills of the people who participate in |
| bombarded continuously with incoming information of all | | | | playing chess on a regular basis. |
| types from many sources, some more credible than | | | | |