Why Chess
For the last 1500 years, the game of chess has been captivating peoples minds the world over. The reason for this is quite elementary, chess is extremely fun! In recent years there have been scores of educational and psychological studies that examine the benefits of playing chess for children. An article entitled "The Case for Chess as a Tool to Develop Our Children's Minds, by Dr. Peter Dauvergne of the University of Sydney, surveys these studies. This is a list of benefits is taken directly from this article and are scientific fact. Chess helps to:
- Raise intelligence quotient (IQ) scores
- Strengthen problem solving skills, teaching how to make difficult and abstract decisions independently
- Enhance reading, memory, language, and mathematical abilities
- Foster critical, creative, and original thinking
- Provide practice at making accurate and fast decisions under time pressure, a skill that can help improve exam scores at schools
- Teach how to think logically and efficiently, learning to select the 'best' choice from a large number of options
- Challenge gifted children while potentially helping underachieving gifted students learn how to study and strive for excellence
- Demonstrate the importance of planning, concentration, and the consequences of decisions
- Reach boys and girls regardless of their natural abilities or socio-economic backgrounds
