The more chess that I play, the more I realize I do not know anything about chess. Recently, my third grader has taken an interest in challenging me. And it scares me. Not just because our chess set is made of good and evil Lego minifigures (with the evil ones being particularly menacing), but because my son is so darn good.
Study after study has shown that chess brings countless cognitive benefits to learners of any age group and ability. Anyone can play, and the cost of starting is minimal. Plus the benefit of losing a game of chess is that both players stand to benefit when examining why someone lost.
Indeed, chess does not discriminate. It does nothing but teach the value of strategic thinking, advanced planning, inductive and deductive reasoning, and pattern recognition.
Is there a chess club in your school? Do your students play? Share your thoughts on the value of chess in the comments below. If you’d like more information about how to get a chess club started, let us know.