Numerous studies have shown that chess is a powerful educational tool that can aid the development of students in many areas. That means chess can have a profound effect on the education of students when used to enhance their acquisition of scholarly competency. Currently, there is a sufficient literature to prove that chess has educational value or benefits for students. Generally, chess has been proven to enhance development of mathematics skills and logical thinking in students. This article presents a critical review of the educational value that chess provides to students.
Chess and science
Numerous studies (Bilalić et al., 2007, Doll and Mayr, 1987, Frydman and Lynn, 1992 and Grabner et al., 2007) show that chess players are more intelligent than non-players. Chess has also proven to develop a scientific culture or a way of thinking among players. While playing chess, you generate several variations in mind. You also explore new and diverse ideas while predicting possible outcomes and interpreting surprising revelations. Playing chess entails deciding on hypotheses and making moves to test them.
Basically, chess training and playing improve scholastic achievements especially for science students because to play this game, you must learn and understand chess positions and induce patterns using chess pieces. This is an indication of concentration capacity and fluid intelligence. Chess positions are sometimes very complex, including up to 32 pieces from 6 piece types on a 64 square board. To be a successful chess player, you must formulate possible moves and evaluate them. This indicates critical thinking and executive functioning which are important skills in scientific studies.
Chess positions are sometimes very complex, including up to 32 pieces from 6 piece types on a 64 square board. To be a successful chess player, you must formulate possible moves and evaluate them. This indicates critical thinking and executive functioning which are important skills in scientific studies.
Below is a table of recent studies on the education value for students of chess:
| Study | Results | Published | Hours | Design quality |
Special needs |
Grades | Results measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aciego, Garcia, and Betancort (2016) |
Cognitive | Yes | 96 | 1 | No | Both | WISC-R |
| Aydin (2015) |
Cognitive&Math | Yes | 48 | 1 | Yes | Secondary | Unknown |
| Barrett & Fish (2014) |
Cognitive&Math | Yes | 25 | 2 | Yes | Secondary | TAKS |
| Gliga & Flesner (2014) |
Cognitive | Yes | 10 | 3 | No | Primary | Krapelin Test; RPM,Rey Test |
| Sala et al. (2015) |
Math | Yes | 18 | 3 | No | Primary | OCDE-Pisa |
Chess and Mathematics
Playing chess entails making an infinite number of calculations. This includes counting the possible number of defenders and attackers in an event of a simple exchange and calculating long continuations. Basically, you don’t have to be a genius to figure this one out. Perhaps, a major reason why chess players are good at mathematics is the fact that they don’t use little machines like calculators to do these calculations. Instead, they use their brains.
Recent studies (Sala et al., 2015, Scholz et al., 2008, Trinchero, 2012 and Trinchero and Sala, 2016) show that chess improves the mathematical skills of players because it has common elements with mathematics. It also fosters suitable mental habits. By playing this game, students acquire numerous context-independent skills like the ability to comprehend the fact that a problem exists and correlate reasoning. They transfer these skills to the mathematical domain. That’s because chess and mathematics share common features that include spatial and numerical relationships.
By playing this game, students acquire numerous context-independent skills like the ability to comprehend the fact that a problem exists and correlate reasoning. They transfer these skills to the mathematical domain. That’s because chess and mathematics share common features that include spatial and numerical relationships.
Problem-solving strategies are also the same in chess and mathematics. For instance, math students and chess players focus on and interpret problems or game situations, select relevant information, and come up with accurate arguments. They also need meta-cognitive and cognitive skills to solve problems.
Chess and Technology
While playing chess, players behave like computers. They engage in the search for the best moves within a limited time-frame. That’s precisely what you are doing at the moment. You are using a computer to learn.
In an article titled, “Chess as a Way to Teach Thinking,” Dianne Horgan notes that chess teaches players to plan ahead, think logically, and make the best possible decisions.
She says that acquiring these skills is important for intellectual development later in life.In a nutshell, chess seems to have educational value on students. It improves their development in many ways. Therefore, it can be a great educational tool if integrated in the current learning system.
In a nutshell, chess seems to have educational value on students. It improves their development in many ways. Therefore, it can be a great educational tool if integrated in the current learning system.
Sources
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1747938X16300112
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4126200/
http://chessedu.org/wp-content/uploads/EducationalTool.pdf