5 Reasons Why You Should Introduce Your Children to Chess

By Lea June 1, 2021 in Kids

As a parent, it’s almost automatic to try and better your children’s lives as much as possible. This includes making decisions about their education, their food and what hobbies they choose. We see many children glued to screens of tablets and phones. So it is understandable for parents to try to find healthy activities for their children. One of the best gifts you can give your children in their lives is to teach them how to play Chess. It is a fair game with no physical contact between players, it is only a battle of minds. Chess is called the king of board games, and there are many reasons for that. Here are a few of them:

Playing Chess helps avoid Alzheimer’s

Chess is a game of the mind. The player strategizes every move, learning different move combinations and their counters to best the other player. Just like any other muscle in the body, the mind also needs exercise in its own way to function efficiently. Someone who plays Chess regularly has decreased threat of dementia.

Playing Chess forms Dendrites

Dendrites are just like antennas; they catch and relay signals. The better antennas or, the more the quality of antennas, the stronger your functions will be. Dendrites transfer the information from the neurons they are connected to. Chess is a continuous activity of the brain that further supports the growth of dendrites.

It raises IQ

Due to the excessive use of the brain, Chess is known to improve a person’s IQ. A study on 4000 Venezuelan kids showed that just after 4 months, a group of children who played Chess regularly had a better IQ level than those who did not.

Improves Problem Solving Skills

We face countless obstacles in this fast-paced world of ours. Many of us cannot get through them without a hassle due to underdeveloped problem-solving skills. When someone plays Chess, they have to improvise and adapt to their opponent’s moves, significantly improving problem-solving skills.

It Improves Memory

It’s a common fact that Chess improves memory. This is because you need to keep track of each of your opponent’s moves in Chess. Just remembering all those strategies, movements, and positions is enough to improve the memory of a brain.

After reading these benefits, any parent will be inclined to get their child a chessboard and get them started with Chess as soon as possible. If you do not know about Chess yourself, you can get a rule book and learn it with your child! It will be a fun bonding experience. Share some of your favourite chess moments with us in the comments below!