Why Chess? What Are The Benefits?
The game of Chess has taken a quantum leap as people around the world have realized that Chess is an important tool that helps students to excel at school. Chess playing kids do better at school and therefore have a better chance to succeed in life!
Studies have proved that Chess lessons improve students’ scores, help their social interaction, teach responsibility, and have a positive effect on their behavior.
For example, The 1979-1983 Venezuela `Learning to Think Project,” which trained 100,000 teachers to teach thinking skills and involved a sample of 4,266 second grade students, reached a general conclusion that Chess, methodologically taught, is an incentive system sufficient to accelerate the increase of IQ in elementary age children of both sexes at all socio-economic levels.
To quote Nadine Kee, a special Education Teacher in USA, on the influences of Chess on her special needs students
When students start playing chess, you can see the [academic] improvement immediately. From the first day when a child learns how to move a pawn, you’ll a difference in their attitude, their behavior, and their success in school!!
Thus, it is hardly surprising to learn that Chess is part of the curricula in nearly 30 countries. InVenezuela,Iceland,Russia and other countries, chess is a subject in all public schools!!
As far as our country is concerned, Chess is extremely popular and we are considered as one of the powerhouse of Chess however; it is yet to reach all the Schools. The Government of Gujarat is the 1st State in India who has taken a step in this direction by introducing Chess as one of the subjects in all the Schools from the last academic year!
As regards Mumbai, Don Bosco High School, Borivali has introduced Chess as one of the subject in their curricula to support our project of “Chess-in-School”.
The advantages accruing to the children playing Chess are:
- Chess Develops Memory
- Chess Improves Concentration
- Chess Develops Logical Thinking
- Chess Teaches Self Reliance
- Chess Motivates
- Chess Improves Grades
- Chess Opens The World For You