Chess is one of the most popular board games on the planet. 30 million people play it across 150 countries and it is widely popular with children, and for good reason. Teaching your children how to play chess has many benefits. That’s why there are platforms like Chessable that have 40,000 users and have hundreds of different chess courses from the pros. In this article, we dive into some of the top benefits of playing chess.

Here are the top 5 benefits of teaching your children how to play chess

1. Chess improves memory

Chess takes a lot of concentration and focus and requires the player to remember the opponent’s last moves. When you start learning chess you learn the classic openings, the moves it takes to counteract them and you start picking up patterns. This is a really good memory exercise for any kid, and way better at improving memory than playing computer games.

2. Chess improves the spatial skills of your child

Recent research shows that it’s predominately men and boys that play chess and the reason for that is because the game requires spatial abilities. Men are good at visualizing objects in space and mentally maneuvering the images. This is a great skill to learn for your child that will help them throughout their school and work life.

3. Chess exercises both sides of your brain

Another unique thing about chess is that it develops both sides of the brain. Researchers analyzed this back in 2010 and found that more advanced players use the right side of their brain to recognize patterns in the game and their left side to analyze and make the most logical move.

4. Chess increases the IQ of your child

A study in Spain showed that chess increases the IQ of your child. The study was conducted with 170 schoolchildren and they compared activities like soccer and basketball with chess. It showed that chess increases cognitive abilities, coping and problem-solving skills.

This is not to say that chess is better for your child than sports. Of course, both activities have their advantages but it’s really important to enrich your child’s life with

5. Chess increases your child’s social skills

In a world of smartphones and Snapchat, it’s really great to get your child to interact with real humans their age. It’s important for your child to socialize and chess is a great way to do that. When your child learns how to play and gets interested they can participate in the local chess club, go to tournaments and even travel to chess conventions.

A great way to get started is by checking out chess courses online. For example, Chessable has great beginners, intermediate and advanced courses that teach strategy and tactics.

Takeaway

Chess is a really great game to teach your children for many reasons. It helps children develop their spatial skills, improves memory, helps them use both sides of their brain, improves IQ and social skills. So next time you are deciding on a great game to teach your children consider chess, you won’t regret it.