Chess and Cognition: Is Chess Good for Your Brain?
Brain health is something we’re all becoming more aware of lately. As people live longer, with more active lives, they want their brains to keep up. Modern life and livelihoods demand as much (or more) from our brains as our bodies. We are constantly bombarded with microdecisions and attention grabbers, and we’re juggling digital life with our real lives. Healthy cognition skills are not just an advantage; they’re a requirement. We know chess is an enjoyable pastime, but is chess good for your brain?
Studies show that people who play chess can develop and maintain important cognitive skills, preserve cognitive function as they age, and even lessen the effects of neurological differences like ADHD. In this article, we’ll sort out some of the facts and myths around how playing chess can maintain your brain.
What the Studies Say
What Is Cognitive Function?
Our brains do a lot for us. Some of the key functions of our brains, beyond the autonomic operations that keep us alive, are remembering things, making decisions, and analyzing information to plan or understand. If your cognitive function is normal and healthy, you will be able to care for yourself and tend to your responsibilities on a day-to-day basis. There is a normal pattern of mild cognitive decline as people age, affecting almost everyone. A medical condition or brain injury may also negatively affect cognition. Other responsibilities of the brain, like emotional and motor functions, form the suite of abilities that make up an individual’s understanding of the world.
Chess and Cognitive Decline in Aging
Concerns about cognitive conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s have been increasing as medical advances keep our bodies healthier for longer. People spend thousands of dollars on supplements, special diets, and other treatments that claim to support brain health. Studies show that regular leisure activity of all types reduces the risk of dementia for people over 75. (Coyle, 2003) Some specific aspects of cognitive decline of concern include memory loss, attention issues, and impaired speech and reasoning. Chess inherently flexes your memory, attention span, and reasoning skills. Sitting down to a game with a friend is a social activity that helps keep speech flowing. One advantage of chess in aging is that almost anyone can play. Per researchers, starting before there are noticeable symptoms of decline is key.
Chess and ADHD
There have been multiple studies on the effectiveness of chess training as part of a multimodal treatment plan for ADHD. These studies and pilot programs have consistently shown that regular chess training can increase the time between disruptive behaviors and improve task attentiveness. (Agarwal, 2023) While the studies to date have focused on children, it can be speculated that some of the same benefits would apply to adults with ADHD. The great thing about chess as a therapeutic tool is that it has no side effects and costs little. If you or your child has ADHD, it’s worth a try in concert with your doctor’s recommended treatment plan.
Chess and Children
Researchers have extensively studied the benefits of playing chess for children. Around the age of seven, children hit a peak learning period for chess. They are old enough to respect rules and etiquette, and their brains exhibit high levels of neuroplasticity. This neuroplasticity means they can form new skill patterns very quickly and effectively. If children are the perfect sponges to soak up new skills, should chess be on the menu? The answer is yes—but keep your expectations reasonable. Studies show modest gains when chess instruction is introduced in reasoning, test-taking, and concentration. This is likely due to the development of context-independent skills like decision-making and spatial relationships, the “habits of mind” that give students an advantage. (Costa and Kallick, 2008) The bigger benefits for kids may include the “soft skills” like emotional regulation and good sportsmanship.
Real Benefits of Chess
- Improved memory, focus, and concentration: Chess players memorize complex positions and strategies, which can improve overall memory. Chess games are also a period of quiet focus and concentration. Players may even enter a “flow state,” a period of calm absorption that can lead to higher performance. (Palomaki, et al, 2021)
- Increased pattern recognition and problem-solving skills: One of the cornerstones of playing chess is pattern recognition. As you become more skilled, positions on the board become familiar. You’re able to respond with more effective moves. This kind of pattern recognition and problem-solving is a transferable skill! Not only can it help your chess game, but it can also help with many analytical and mechanical tasks. Chess may also help you become more decisive, as your decision-making skills at the board improve.
- Better emotional control: Playing chess requires good emotional control. Players need to stay calm and reason their way out of tough and stressful situations. Tournaments involve nerves and higher stakes. Practicing good emotional regulation regularly can improve those skills in every aspect of your life.
- Social Interactions: Many people play online, and that’s a great way to study and practice chess. When and if you want it, however, there’s a whole world of social opportunities related to chess. Look into local chess clubs, online groups and chat boards, and tournaments in your area.
- Good substitute for “bad” brain stimuli: Adopting chess as a hobby can take the place of some of our modern bad habits, like social media doomscrolling or online shopping. Trading an activity that may harm your attention span or addict you to quick dopamine for a skill that helps cognition is a definite win.
A Few Myths to Bust
Chess is a wonderful activity for social and cognitive reasons, but some claims about chess are a little off base.
- Myth: Playing chess raises your IQ. There isn’t strong evidence that playing chess does anything to change your base IQ score. Because the IQ test is meant to measure innate ability, the number doesn’t move just because you learn new skills. Chess can build skills that support test-taking and pattern recognition, which are key to performing well on an IQ assessment. That isn’t changing your IQ, however, it’s just measuring it with greater precision.
- Myth: You have to start chess as a kid to see any benefits. Absolutely not! Several studies support teaching chess to seniors as part of a cognitive support program. Speed of processing training for older adults, a type of cognitive exercise similar to playing chess or other strategy games, has been shown to reduce the risk of developing dementia by as much as 30%. (Edwards et al, 2017)
- Myth: Chess can make you a math wizard or testing prodigy. While chess thinking does flex some intellectual skills that are helpful in test-taking, such as focus and pattern recognition, it won’t increase your math skills unless you also work on your math skills. It can support math learning, however, as pattern recognition is a key building block. Similarly, test scores in standardized tests do generally improve for chess students, but that “generally” is doing some heavy lifting. The improvements are usually small and don’t affect all students.
When Can You Start?
We've proven that chess is good for your brain. The best time to start playing chess for cognitive benefits is now! It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old; there is a benefit to training your brain with strategy games like chess. There are many ways to get started now. A book, a local chess club, or online tutorials are all great resources for beginners. Even a modest improvement in cognition is a great side benefit to what might turn out to be your favorite new hobby.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Researchers do not believe that playing chess raises IQ directly, as IQ is a measure of innate ability, not skills. That said, the skills that are improved by playing chess, such as recall, focus, and pattern recognition, are also good test-taking skills! That probably says more about the limitations of a test in measuring innate ability than an actual improvement in IQ.
Playing chess isn’t all fun and brain games. One, serious play requires a big-time investment, mostly in solitary study. Additionally, you may be disappointed if improvements are limited or less noticeable. Finally, chess matches can be stressful in competitive situations or if you push yourself too hard. If you’re considering taking up chess or expanding your study for its brain-boosting benefits, be realistic about how much time you have and what results you might see. Play the long game for a well-balanced result.
Some studies do show that chess can lower the risk of dementia or slow its progress. It’s believed that playing strategy games such as backgammon or chess strengthens synaptic and processing functions. People who engage in these activities regularly may see a reduction in dementia symptoms or a slower onset. You don’t have to be a life-long chess player, either. Get started where you are!
There are two key factors in getting the most brain boost out of your chess time. First, playing and studying regularly is important. Making time to solve a few puzzles or play a quick game online every day will keep those synapses firing. Second, find a way to make chess into a social opportunity. Joining the local chess club, attending an open chess event, or even playing with a friend can help boost your brain chemicals. Engaging in a leisure activity with others is good for your brain, stress levels, and overall sense of well-being.