Chess is one of the most strategic games out there. It is a challenging game that requires lots of patience and intelligence. It requires you to plan and think several steps ahead of your opponent. In our academy, we believe that learning chess is a valuable life skill that will help you to better yourself. Below are some of the many benefits of learning to play chess.
Develops Critical Thinking Skills
Learning chess will help you to develop your critical thinking skills. Critical thinking involves observing and evaluating a situation to form a judgment. In chess, you must take your turn to observe and analyze the chessboard and determine the best possible move. You look at all possible moves and make your judgment as to what the best move is in order to get ahead of your opponent. The act of having to critically think about each and every move ultimately helps you to practice your critical thinking skills.
Improves Memory
Chess improves your ability to memorize and retain information. There are a variety of different complex rules that you have to remember as a chess player. Chess requires a lot of planning as you have to not only think about your next move but your next 10 moves! As you go along in your chess game you have to remember your strategy and what your plan was. You also have to be able to remember how your opponent plays if you’ve played them in the past. Research finds that the auditory memory of expert chess players is not only better, but significantly better than that of non-chess players.
Teaches Patience
Aside from the cognitive benefits that we’ve discussed regarding chess, it’s also a game that builds patience. Chess requires you to take your time, plan and think about the moves you’re going to make. Impulse control is something chess teaches and will not only teach patience but help you to make good decisions whether small or big. If you rush or fail to plan your moves ahead of time, you will make huge blunders and likely end up losing against a skilled player. In a world that is so impatient and bombarded with technology that provides instant gratification, chess is a world away from our frantic society.
Morality
Chess has a variety of different moral benefits. For one, it teaches you the consequences of your actions. Even one wrong decision can lead to defeat. This will teach you that every action you take has repercussions. It also teaches good sportsmanship. Chess is a classy game. If you are in a proper chess environment whether it be a class or a club, the reaction of chess players after wins and losses is always friendly. Players that win usually show the loser where they went wrong and there is always respect shown to one another in competition. The culture of chess is centred around classiness and sportsmanship which is contagious to everyone who participates.
LSA’s Chess Classes
At LS Academy, we do a great job of instilling a good chess culture in our programs. We believe in chess as a great exercise for one’s brain and a game that can help teach key life skills. Click on the button below to learn more about LSA’s chess class as well as our other in-school programs.
In-School Programs
