HISTORYThe precursors of chess originated inIndiaduring theGupta
Empire,where its early form in the 6th century was known
aschaturaga, which translates as "four divisions (of the
military)":infantry,cavalry,elephantry, andchariotry, represented
by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn, knight,
bishop, and rook, respectively.Chess was introduced to Persia from
India and became a part of the princely or courtly education
ofPersiannobility.InSassanid Persiaaround 600 the name
becamechatrang, which subsequently evolved toshatranj, and the
rules were developed further. Players started calling "Shh!"
(Persian for "King!") when attacking the opponent's king, and "Shh
Mt!" (Persian for "the king is helpless")when the king was attacked
and could not escape from attack. These exclamations persisted in
chess as it traveled to other lands.The game was taken up by
theMuslim worldafter theIslamic conquest of Persia, with the pieces
largely keeping their Persian names. TheMoorsofNorth Africarendered
Persian "shatranj" asshaerej, which gave rise to
theSpanishacedrex,axedrezandajedrez; inPortugueseit becamexadrez,
and inGreekzatrikion, but in the rest of Europe it was replaced by
versions of the Persianshh("king"). Thus, the game came to be
calledludus
scacchorumorscacc(h)iinLatin,scacchiinItalian,escacsinCatalan,checsinFrench(Old
Frencheschecs);schakeninDutch,SchachinGerman,szachyinPolish,ahsinLatvian,skakinDanish,sjakkinNorwegian,schackinSwedish,akkiinFinnish,ahinSouth
Slavic languages,sakkinHungarianandahinRomanian; there are two
theories about why this change happened:1. From the exclamation
"check" or "checkmate" as it was pronounced in various languages.2.
From the first chessmen known of in Western Europe (exceptIberiaand
Greece) being ornamental chess kings brought in as curios by Muslim
traders.The Mongols call the gameshatar, and in Ethiopia it is
calledsenterej, both evidently derived fromshatranj.Chess spread
directly from theMiddle Eastto Russia, where chess became known as
(shakhmaty, treated as a plural).The game reached Western Europe
and Russia by at least three routes, the earliest being in the 9th
century. By the year 1000 it had spread throughout
Europe.Introduced into theIberian Peninsulaby theMoorsin the 10th
century, it was described in a famous 13th century manuscript
covering shatranj,backgammonanddicenamed theLibro de los
juegos.Chess spread throughout the world and many variants of the
game soon began taking shape.Buddhistpilgrims,Silk Roadtraders and
others carried it to theFar Eastwhere it was transformed and
assimilated into a game often played on the intersection of the
lines of the board rather than within the squares.Chaturanga
reachedEuropethrough Persia, theByzantine empireand the
expandingArabian empire.Muslimscarried chess toNorth Africa,Sicily,
andIberiaby the 10th century.The game was developed extensively in
Europe, and by the late 15th century, it had survived a series of
prohibitions andChristian Churchsanctions to almost take the shape
of the modern game.Modern historysaw reliable reference
works,competitive chess tournamentsand exciting new variants which
added to the game's popularity,further bolstered by reliable timing
mechanisms (first introduced in 1861), effective rulesand
charismatic players.[edit]India
KrishnaandRadhaplayingchaturangaon an 8x8 AshtpadaThe earliest
precursor of modern chess is a game calledchaturanga, which
flourished in India by the 6th century, and is the earliest known
game to have two essential features found in all later chess
variations different pieces having different powers (which was not
the case withcheckersandgo), and victory depending on the fate of
one piece, the king of modern chess.[9]Other game pieces
(speculatively called "chess pieces") uncovered
inarchaeologicalfindings are considered as coming from other,
distantly related, board games, which may have had boards of 100
squares or more.Findings in theMohenjo-daroandHarappa(26001500 BCE)
sites of theIndus Valley Civilizationshow the prevalence of a board
game that resembles chess.Chess was designed for
anashtpada(Sanskritfor "having eight feet", i.e. an 8x8 squared
board), which may have been used earlier for abackgammon-type race
game (perhaps related to a dice-driven race game still played in
south India where the track starts at the middle of a side and
spirals in to the center).Ashtpada, the uncheckered 88 board served
as the main board for playingChaturanga.Other Indian boards
included the 1010Dasapadaand the 99Saturankam.Traditional Indian
chessboards often have X markings on some or all of squares a1 a4
a5 a8 d1 d4 d5 d8 e1 e4 e5 e8 h1 h4 h5 h8: these may have been
"safe squares" where capturing was not allowed in a dice-driven
backgammon-type race game played on theashtpadabefore chess was
invented.TheCox-Forbes theory, started in the late 19th century,
mainly from the works of Captain Hiram Cox and Duncan Forbes,
proposed that the four-handed gamechaturajiwas the original form of
chaturanga.[19]Other scholars dispute this and say that the
two-handed form was the first.InSanskrit, "chaturanga" () literally
means "having four limbs (or parts)" and inepic poetryoften means
"army" (the four parts are elephants, chariots, horsemen, foot
soldiers).The name came from a battle formation mentioned in the
Indian epicMahabharata.The game Chaturanga was a battle simulation
gamewhich rendered Indian military strategy of the time.Some people
formerly played chess using adieto decide which piece to move.
There was an unproven theory that chess started as this dice-chess
and that the gambling and dice aspects of the game were removed
because ofHindureligious objections.Scholars in areas to which the
game subsequently spread, for example the ArabAbu al-Hasan 'Al
al-Mas'd, detailed the Indian use of chess as a tool formilitary
strategy,mathematics,gamblingand even its vague association
withastronomy.Mas'd notes thativoryin India was chiefly used for
the production of chess andbackgammonpieces, and asserts that the
game was introduced to Persia from India, along with the
bookKelileh va Demneh,during the reign of emperorNushirwan.In some
variants, a win was by checkmate, or bystalemate, or by "bare king"
(taking all of an opponent's pieces except the king).In some parts
of India the pieces in the places of the Rook, Knight and Bishop
were renamed by words meaning (in this order) Boat, Horse, and
Elephant, or Elephant, Horse, and Camel, but keeping the same
moves.In early chess the moves of the pieces were: King: as now.
Queen: one square diagonally, only. Bishop: In the version that
went into Persia: two squares diagonally (no more or less), but
could jump over a piece between In a version sometimes found in
India in former times: two squares sideways or front-and-back (no
more or less), but could jump over a piece between. In versions
found in Southeast Asia: one square diagonally, or one square
forwards. Knight: as now. Rook: as now. Pawn: one square forwards
(not two), capturing one square diagonally forward; promoted to
queen only.Two Arab travelers each recorded a severe Indian chess
rule againststalemate[24]: A stalemated player thereby at once
wins. A stalemated king can take one of the enemy pieces that would
check the king if the king moves.[edit]Iran (Persia)
Iranianshatranjset, glazedfritware, 12th century.New York
Metropolitan Museum of Art.[25] Persianmanuscript from the 14th
century describing how an ambassador from India brought chess to
the Persian court. Shams-e-Tabrzas portrayed in a 1500 painting in
a page of a copy ofRumi's poem dedicated to Shams.TheKarnamak-i
Ardeshir-i Papakan, aPahlaviepical treatise about the founder of
theSassanidPersian Empire, mentions the game ofchatrangas one of
the accomplishments of the legendary hero,Ardashir I, founder of
the Empire.The oldest recorded game in chess history is a 10th
century game played between a historian fromBaghdadand a pupil.A
manuscript explaining the rules of the game called
"Matikan-i-chatrang" (the book of chess) inMiddle Persianor Pahlavi
still exists[citation needed].In the 11th
centuryShahnameh,Ferdowsidescribes aRajavisiting from India who
re-enacts the past battles on the chessboard.A translation
inEnglish, based on the manuscripts in theBritish Museum, is given
below:One day an ambassador from the king ofHindarrived at the
Persian court ofChosroes, and after an oriental exchange of
courtesies, the ambassador produced rich presents from his
sovereign and amongst them was an elaborate board with curiously
carved pieces of ebony and ivory. He then issued a challenge:"Oh
great king, fetch your wise men and let them solve the mysteries of
this game. If they succeed my master the king of Hind will pay
tribute as an overlord, but if they fail it will be proof that the
Persians are of lower intellect and we shall demand tribute from
Iran."The courtiers were shown the board, and after a day and a
night in deep thought one of them,Bozorgmehr, solved the mystery
and was richly rewarded by his delighted sovereign.(Edward
Laskersuggested that Bozorgmehr likely found the rules by bribing
the Indian envoys.)TheShahnamehgoes on to offer an apocryphal
account of the origins of the game of chess in the story of Talhand
and Gav, two half-brothers who vie for the throne of Hind (India).
They meet in battle and Talhand dies on his elephant without a
wound. Believing that Gav had killed Talhand, their mother is
distraught. Gav tells his mother that Talhand did not die by the
hands of him or his men, but she does not understand how this could
be. So the sages of the court invent the game of chess, detailing
the pieces and how they move, to show the mother of the princes how
the battle unfolded and how Talhand died of fatigue when surrounded
by his enemies.The poem uses the Persian term "Shh mt" (check mate)
to describe the fate of Talhand.The appearance of the chess pieces
had altered greatly since the times of chaturanga, with ornate
pieces and chess pieces depicting animals giving way to abstract
shapes.TheIslamicsets of later centuries followed a pattern which
assigned names and abstract shapes to the chess pieces,
asIslamforbids depiction of animals and human beings in art.These
pieces were usually made of simple clay and carved stone.[edit]East
Asia[edit]ChinaAs a strategy board game played inChina, chess is
believed to have been derived from the Indian Chaturanga.Chaturanga
was transformed and assimilated into the gamexiangqiwhere the
pieces are placed on the intersection of the lines of the board
rather than within the squares.The object of the Chinese variation
is similar to Chaturanga, i.e. to render helpless the opponent's
king, sometimes known asgeneral.Chinese chess also borrows elements
from the game ofGo, which was played inChinasince at least the 6th
century BC. Owing to the influence of Go, Chinese chess is played
on the intersections of the lines on the board, rather than in the
squares. Chinese chess pieces are usually flat and resemble those
used incheckers, with pieces differentiated by writing their names
on the flat surface.An alternative origin theory contends that
chess arose fromXiangqior a predecessor thereof, existing
inChinasince the 2nd century BC.David H. Li, a retired accountant,
professor of accounting and translator of ancient Chinese texts,
hypothesizes that generalHan Xindrew on the earlier game ofLiuboto
develop an early form of Chinese chess in the winter of 204203
BC.The German chess historian Peter Banaschak, however, points out
that Li's main hypothesis "is based on virtually nothing". He notes
that the "Xuanguai lu," authored by theTang DynastyministerNiu
Sengru(779847), remains the first real source on the Chinese chess
variant xiangqi.[
CHESSBOARD
Achessboardis the type ofcheckerboardused in the very
famousboard gamechess, and consists of 64 squares (eight rows and
eight columns)and 32 pieces.The squares are arranged in two
alternating colors (light and dark). Wooden boards may use
naturally light and dark brown woods, while plastic and vinyl
boards often use brown or green for the dark squares and shades
such asbufforcreamfor the light squares. Materials vary widely;
while wooden boards are generally used in high-level games,vinyl,
plastic, and cardboard are common for low-level and informal play.
Decorative glass and marble boards are available but not usually
accepted for sanctioned games.Each square on the board has a name
from a1 to h8.
Chessboard withStaunton chess pieces[1]According toFIDEequipment
standards, the size of a square should be twice the diameter of
apawn'sbase.[2]Inmodern commentary, the columns (calledfiles) are
labeled by the lettersatohfrom left to right from the white
player's point of view, and the rows (calledranks) by the
numbers1to8, with 1 being closest to the white player, thus
providing a standard notation calledalgebraic chess notation.In
olderEnglish commentary, the files are labeled by the piece
originally occupying its first rank (e.g. queen, king's rook,
queen's bishop), and ranks by the numbers1to8from each player's
point of view, depending on the move being described. This is
calleddescriptive chess notationand is no longer commonly used.
Basic chess rules
Setting up the board: The board should be set up with the white
square in the nearest row on the right, white on the right. If this
isnt done the king and queen will be mixed up. Shake hands across
the board before the game starts. White always moves first. Ranks
and files: Going from left to right, the vertical rows on the
board, called files, are labeled a through h. The horizontal rows,
called ranks, are numbered 1 to 8. The 1 is whites side of the
board; 8 is blacks side. This system can be used to show what
square a piece is on in a way like the game Battleship. When the
board is set up the square a1 will be on the white players left
side. Pieces and how they move: In our club, once you move a piece
and take your hand off it, you cannot change your move, unless your
opponent lets you, which they do not need to do. However, you may
touch a piece, consider a move, and put the piece back in its
original position, as long as you dont take your hand off of the
piece during the process. Pawn (P): White pawns start on rank two,
black pawns on rank 7. The first time a pawn is moved it can move
forward either one or two ranks. It cannot jump over another piece.
After it has moved once, whether it has moved up one or two, a pawn
can only move one square forward at a time, and it cannot move
backward. If a pawn advances to the end rank (8 for white, 1 for
black) then it is promoted, which means it is exchanged for any
other piece, with the exception of a king or another pawn. No
pieces are moved from the chessboard itself; in this way a color
can have two (or more!) queens at the same time. The pawns value is
1. Knight (N): Knights move in an L-shaped pattern. A knight moves
one square over and two squares up, or two squares over and one
square up, one square over and two squares back, etc. as long as
the same shape and size of the jump is maintained. The knight is
the only piece that can jump over other pieces; it jumps straight
to a square without disturbing any of the pieces in between.
Knights are generally brought out early, and this is good. The
knights value is 3. Bishop (B): The Bishop moves diagonally, any
distance along a diagonal, without jumping over any pieces. A
bishop that starts on a black square will always be on a black
square, so it can only get to half the squares on the board. The
bishops value is 3. Rook (R): The Rook moves in a straight line in
any direction, as many spaces as it likes, without jumping. Rooks
shouldnt usually be used until later in the game, and should almost
never be brought out at the beginning, because they will be
harassed by pawns and other pieces, wasting time for the player who
brought out the rook. This piece might also be lost by being
brought out early, which is bad because the rook is valued at 5.
Queen (Q): The Queen is the most powerful piece, as it can either
move diagonally or in a straight line, which makes it like a bishop
and rook put together. The queen cannot move like a knight. When
the board is set up the queen always starts on her own color, so
the white queen always starts on a white square. The queen is worth
9 points because she can move to so many places on the board so
quickly. King (K): The most important piece on the board is the
King. The king can move one and only one space at a time, in any
direction (left, right, forward, backward, and diagonally). The
capture of the king is the object of the game.Capturing, check, and
the end of the game Capturing: A piece captures an opponents piece
by moving onto the square occupied by the opponents piece. That
piece is removed from the board and replaced by the capturing
piece. Knights, Bishops, Rooks, Queens, and Kings capture by moving
in their normal way. The pawns capture differently, by moving one
square diagonally, either to the right or left, onto the piece to
capture. They cannot capture by moving straight forward. At no time
may more than one piece stay in any square, and pieces cannot
capture a piece of the same color. Check and Checkmate: When a
piece would be able to capture the opposing king on the next turn,
the king is said to be in check. The king in danger must get out of
check on the next turn, either by moving out of the way, blocking
the check with another piece, or by capturing the attacking piece,
whatever removes the threat. It is illegal to move your king into
check, so, for instance, you cant move your king next to the
opponents king. The goal of the game is to put the opposing king in
checkmate, which means he is in check and cannot be saved by any of
the ways of escaping check. At this time the game is over, with the
player whose king cannot escape check losing. The first player to
get the opponents king wins; if white checkmates black, black has
lost, even if the black player could have checkmated white on the
next move. If you see that you are going to lose, you can resign by
knocking over your king, gently!. After checkmate or a resignation,
shake hands across the board with your opponent and congratulate
him or her on a good game. Draws: If a king is not in check, but no
legal move can be played without putting the king in check, then
the game is a stalemate, which is a tie, or draw. This usually
happens when a player has only a king left and the other player,
with many pieces left, creates a position in which the king cannot
move but is not threatened. Another way to draw is if both players
move 50 times in a row (a total of 100 moves) without capturing a
piece or promoting a pawn. Players may also agree on a draw when
they see it coming; to do this, extend your hand over the board, to
shake hands, and say, I offer a draw. If the opponent shakes your
hand, its a draw. The opponent does not need to accept! They may
think they can win. The last way to draw is through three-time
repetition, where the same sequence of moves is repeated three
times in a row. This means not only one players moves, but both
players doing the same thing three times in a row.
Special moves: Castling: If both the king and a rook have not
been moved yet during the game, there are no pieces between them,
and the king is not in check, then the king and rook can move in a
special way called castling: the king moves two spaces toward the
rook, and the rook moves to the other side of the king, right next
to the king. Often, this puts the king in a more protected
position, behind some pawns. The king cannot castle out of,
through, or into check. He cannot move through a square threatened
by an enemy piece. Capturing en passant: en passant is a special
way a pawn can capture another pawn. It is French for in passing,
which is helpful to know because the rule applies to a pawn which
has just moved up two spaces, skipping over the square threatened
by the opponents pawn. Here is an example: a black pawn is on b4.
The white pawn on c2 has not moved yet. On whites turn the pawn on
c2 is moved to c4, evading capture by the pawn on b4. But the pawn
on b4 has the option, for one turn only, of capturing the white
c-pawn. The black pawn moves to c3, and the white pawn is taken off
the board. If black chooses not to capture immediately, then the
chance is lost, and black may not capture en passant at a later
time. En passant is always a one-turn chance for a pawn to capture
a pawn which has evaded capture by moving up two spaces on its
first turn. It does not apply to any other positions and only
concerns pawns.
Chess Game Daily Principles
Chess game principles will help you develop a winning chess
game. Every day a new chess game principle will beshould be looked
at as well as the chess game principles that follow. Print them
out! Keep these chess game principles by your side as you play
chess. You will quickly improve your chess game by taking these
chess game principles to heart!!Chess Game Principles Do not make
careless pawn moves. They cannot move back. Don't castle if it
brings your King into greater danger from attack in your chess
game. After castling, keep a good pawn formation around your King.
If you only have one Bishop, put your pawns on its opposite color
in your chess game. Trade pawns pieces when ahead in material or
when under attack. If cramped, free your game by exchanging
material in your chess game. If your opponent is cramped, don't let
him get any freeing exchanges. Study openings you are comfortable
with. in your chess game Play over entire games, not just the
opening. Blitz chess is helpful in recognizing chess patterns. Play
often. Study annotated games and try to guess each move in your
chess game Stick with just a few openings with White, and a few
openings with Black. Record your games and go over them, especially
the games you lost. Show your games to higher rated opponents and
get feedback from them. Use chess computers and databases to help
you study and play more. Everyone blunders. The champions just
blunder less often in their chess game. When it is not your move,
look for tactics and combinations. Try to double Rooks or double
Rook and Queen on open files in your chess game. Always ask
yourself, "Does my next move overlook something simple?" Don't make
your own plans without the exclusion of the opponent's threats.
Watch out for captures by retreat of an opponent's piece in your
chess game. Do not focus on one sector of the board. View the whole
board. Write down your move first before making that move - it
helps avoid blunders. Try to solve chess puzzles with diagrams from
books and magazines. It is less likely that an opponent is prepared
for off-beat openings. Recognize transposition of moves from
main-line play in your chess game. Watch your time and avoid time
trouble in your chess game. Bishops are worth more than Knights
except when they are pinned in. A Knight works better with a Bishop
than another Knight in your chess game. It is usually a good idea
to trade down into a pawn up endgame. Have confidence in your chess
game. Play in as many rated events as you can. Try not to look at
your opponent's rating until after the game. Always play for a win
in your chess game.
Importance of Chess
Importance of ChessChess is one of the ancient games in the
world. It has been a source of sport, challenge and entertainment
to people for about 1,500 years. Although it is an ancient game,
yet it is suited for people of today. Chess has become so
increasingly popular that there was a time when chess was
considered "Royal Game", but is now a common source of
entertainment for a common man.
Why Chess?In many parts of the world (in schools) chess has been
introduced as major part of the curriculum, because chess increases
the mathematical and scientific skills of the students. Chess also
increases the problem solving skills of the pupils. It increases a
sense of confidence and self-worth of a student. It also increases
communication skills of a student. It gives us a lesson of hard
work and commitment. Chess teaches a child that he/she is
responsible for his own actions, and it gives him/her the
confidence and courage to confront all the inappropriate
consequences. Chess help the children to make more and more friends
(as it provides an easy and safe platform for discussion and
gathering). The importance of chess is also evident from the fact
that many organizations and federations have been established to
ensure the development of the sport (For example The United States
Chess Federation and Oklahomas scholastic chess organization).
Chess EntertainmentChess provides entertainment, relaxation and
intellectual exercise. Chess has all the great characteristics i.e.
it's free, it's entertaining and it's moral. Chess has the benefits
that can not be ignored in any way. Children whoplay chessare
competent in math, physics and they have a greater ability to carry
out research efficiently and independently. Research has shown that
playing chess optimizes the concentration ability as well as
logical thinking ability of children. It also optimizes the
competitive and improvement ability of children.
Chess and ChildChess is so important for children academically
that parents send their children to chess coaching classes, whereas
some parents try to teach chess to their children with the help of
many books available in the market.
Chess and HealthChess is also very momentous as far as the
health is concerned. A lot of therapies are carried out with the
aid of chess as it is considered as one of the form of recreational
therapy. Chess keeps mind healthy and healthy mind results in
healthy physique (mind controls each and every part of body). Chess
is helping and has helped the patients to recover from disabilities
and stroke. Chess optimizes the memory performance (as you will
have to remember tricks, techniques and rules).Chess improves
visualization as you will have to memorize the whole chess board
and the pieces. It improves pattern recognition as you will have to
remember each and every scenario and compare it with the current
scenario. It recovers persons suffering from physical and emotional
disability. It helps people to recover from cognitive functioning.
Chess prevents improper behavior. Chess prevents anxiety and
depression.Chess can not be ignored by all most all the peoples
from any walk of life, because it's a game that has only benefits.
It's a vital part of our lives and will be a vital part of our
lives even for the next 1,500 years due to its importance in
life.For more Chess Articles, Chess Tips, Chess Tactics and Chess
Strategies please visitChess Blog
BENEFITS
Not for nothing is chess known as "the game of kings." No doubt
the rulers of empires and kingdoms saw in the game fitting practice
for the strategizing and forecasting they themselves were required
to do when dealing with other monarchs and challengers. As we learn
more about the brain,someare beginning to push for chess to be
reintroduced as a tool in the publics education. With benefits like
these, they have a strong case.1. It can raise your IQChess has
always had an image problem, being seen as a game for brainiacs and
people with already high IQs. So there has been a bit of a
chicken-and-egg situation: do smart people gravitate towards chess,
or does playing chess make them smart? At least one study has shown
that moving those knights and rooks around can in fact raise a
person's intelligence quotient. A study of 4,000 Venezuelan
students produced significant rises in the IQ scores of both boys
and girls after 4 months of chess instruction.2. It helps prevent
Alzheimer'sBecause the brain workslike a muscle, it needs exercise
like any bicep or quad to be healthy and ward off injury. A recent
study featured in The New England Journal of Medicine found that
people over 75 who engage in brain-stretching activities like chess
are less likely to develop dementia than their
non-board-game-playing peers. Just like an un-exercised muscle
loses strength, Dr. Robert Freidland, the study's author, found
that unused brain tissue leads to a loss of brain power. So that's
all the more reason to play chess before you turn 75.3. It
exercises both sides of the brainIn a Germanstudy, researchers
showed chess experts and novices simple geometric shapes and chess
positions and measured the subjects' reactions in identifying them.
They expected to find the experts' left brains being much more
active, but they did not expect the right hemisphere of the brain
to do so as well. Their reaction times to the simple shapes were
the same, but the experts were using both sides of their brains to
more quickly respond to the chess position questions.4. It
increases your creativitySince the right hemisphere of the brain is
responsible for creativity, it should come as no surprise that
activating the right side of your brain helps develop your creative
side. Specifically, chess greatly increases originality. One
four-year study had students from grades 7 to 9 play chess, use
computers, or do other activities once a week for 32 weeks to see
which activity fostered the most growth in creative thinking. The
chess group scored higher in all measures of creativity, with
originality being their biggest area of gain.5. It improves your
memoryChess players know as an anecdote that playing chess improves
your memory. Being a good player means remembering how your
opponent has operated in the past and recalling moves that have
helped you win before. But there's hard evidence also. In a
two-year study in 1985, young students who were given regular
opportunities to play chess improved their grades in all subjects,
and their teachers noticed better memory and better organizational
skills in the kids. A similar study of Pennsylvania sixth-graders
found similar results. Students who had never before played chess
improved their memories and verbal skills after playing.6. It
increases problem-solving skillsA chess match is like one big
puzzle that needs solving, and solving on the fly, because your
opponent is constantly changing the parameters. Nearly 450
fifth-grade students were split into three groups in a 1992 study
in New Brunswick. Group A was the control group and went through
the traditional math curriculum. Group B supplemented the math with
chess instruction after first grade, and Group C began the chess in
first grade. On a standardized test, Group C's grades went up to
81.2% from 62% and outpaced Group A by 21.46%.7. It improves
reading skillsIn an oft-cited 1991 study, Dr. Stuart Margulies
studied the reading performance of 53 elementary school students
who participated in a chess program and evaluated them compared to
non-chess-playing students in the district and around the country.
He found definitive results that playing chess caused increased
performance in reading. In a district where the average students
tested below the national average, kids from the district who
played the game tested above it.8. It improves concentrationChess
masters might come off like scattered nutty professors, but the
truth is their antics during games are usually the result of
intense concentration that the game demands and improves in its
players. Looking away or thinking about something else for even a
moment can result in the loss of a match, as an opponent is not
required to tell you how he moved if you didn't pay attention.
Numerous studies of students in the U.S., Russia, China, and
elsewhere have proven time and again that young people's ability to
focus is sharpened with chess.9. It grows dendritesDendrites are
the tree-like branches that conduct signals from other neural cells
into the neurons they are attached to. Think of them like antennas
picking up signals from other brain cells. The more antennas you
have and the bigger they are, the more signals you'll pick up.
Learning a new skill like chess-playing causes dendrites to grow.
But that growth doesn't stop once you've learned the game;
interaction with people in challenging activities also fuels
dendrite growth, and chess is a perfect example.10. It teaches
planning and foresightHaving teenagers play chess might just save
their lives. It goes like this: one of the last parts of the brain
to develop is the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain
responsible for planning, judgment, and self-control. So
adolescents are scientifically immature until this part develops.
Strategy games like chess canpromoteprefrontal cortex development
and help them make better decisions in all areas of life, perhaps
keeping them from making a stupid, risky choice of the kind
associated with being a teenager.
