Chess Benefits

Chess benefits are immense. Chess is a free mental competition which is played without dice or any element of chance has been a source of benefits for many centuries. Here are a few examples:

An antidote to gambling-related compulsions[edit]

The completely deterministic nature of chess -- without any role for chance -- makes it a superb antidote to demonic gambling in all its many varieties, including emotional gambling.

Vulnerability awareness[edit]

Chess trains the mind to protect against vulnerabilities, and to identify "accidents waiting to happen" and thereby prevent them.

Multitasking[edit]

Multitasking multiples one's productivity, and chess is excellent at developing that skill. It requires and rewards the ability to juggle multiple positions and strategies at the same time.

Helps overcome substance abuse[edit]

Many have commented, and even written scholarly papers about, the ability of chess to help individuals overcome substance abuse (for example, please read: Chess as a therapeutic medium in a substance abuse rehabilitation centre: A Narrative study by Denise Frick (Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MA Counselling Psychology degree in the Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria) and Chess addiction).

Several reasons have been advanced for why:

1. Chess, perhaps more concisely than any other activity, illustrates the stark difference in consequences depending on choices made;
2. Chess engages the mind more than most sports do, and substance abuse directly interferes with mental processes; and
3. Chess can be consuming in a positive way, which drives out harmful proclivities.

Famous athletes have continued to succeed at sports, though not at their highest potential, despite having substance abuse problems. But no one is going to be able to thrive at chess while continue substance abuse.

A "Checkmate" that is the result of substance abuse is a personal defeat and no chess player wants to put himself in that position.

Time Management[edit]

Speed chess, such as blitz chess, time management is as important as pieces and position. Mastering time management in chess is a good habit to develop.

Winning despite mistakes[edit]

In chess, victory is often possible despite glaring errors, as opponents miss opportunities or a mistake is overcome by a brilliant move later. Seeing this happen repeatedly in chess makes it easier to overcome or avoid regret in life.

Protection of the queen[edit]

The queen in chess must be protected itself against attacks. The game embodies chivalry, which has many benefits beyond the Middle Ages.

How the queen is protected is enlightening. In contrast with most other pieces, the queen is not protected by capturing a piece which captures her. Instead, she is protected by preventing any possibility of an initial attack.

Decision-making[edit]

Chess requires decision-making, as many as 50 or so per player per game. Making decisions and then moving on to the next decisions, without being burdened by prior ones, is a healthy mindset to develop and chess promotes that.

Top players in chess can assess their optimal next move without feeling bound by their prior ones. An early chess strategy is abandoned for a better one by top chess players when the changing circumstances on the board warrant it. This trait is healthy and reinforced by economic principles such as the Coase theorem. Chess reinforces this.

Mental Acuity[edit]

Physical exercise is good for the body; mental exercise is good for the mind. Chess exercises both sides of the brain: its right hemisphere, for pattern recognition, and its left hemisphere, for object recognition. Some suggest that chess adds up to 14 years the life of the mind,^[1] which in many people fails before the bodies do.

According to one study:^[2]

“

[P]eople over 75 who engage in brain games like chess are less likely to develop dementia than their peers who don’t play. Dr. Robert Freidland, the study’s author, found that unused brain tissue weakens, just like unused muscles.

”

Blitz chess, with its demanding time constraints, helps improve mental quickness.

In contrast, obsession with gambling or watching football may be linked to dementia.

References[edit]