A Summary Of Chess In Education

There is some debate about whether there is a place for chess in education

Chess in education is a popular subject these days.  and arguments on both sides that have their supporters. The idea of chess as an educational tool very old though many think it’s a newer issue. In fact many benefits to being skilled in chess are well known. Some of these are more obvious than others such as better memory and concentration. However chess also helps in other areas that are not as well known. Cognitive development, creativity and adaptability are just a couple of examples.

Studies on chess in education

There are many studies on the benefits of using chess in education, many tens and even hundreds of years old. There is a great collection of some of the most critical studies prepared by Dr. Robert Ferguson. You can find it at http://www.scholasticchess.mb.ca/docs/ciers.pdf.

In this 14-page essay Dr. Ferguson summarizes the findings of several different studies. All of these studies show a meaningful difference in performance between a chess group and a non-chess group, even in tasks that are not directly chess related.

In his summary Ferguson writes, “Chess is proven to enhance creativity, concentration, critical thinking skills, memory, academic achievement, problem solving, cultural enrichment, intellectual maturity, self-esteem, standardized test scores, and a score of other qualities that every administrator, school board director, parent and teacher desires.” In conclusion, it seems that the use of chess in education is a viable way to enhance performance and results. Many countries around the world already have chess as a part of the core curriculum, and there are academies in the USA that have followed suit.