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Playing chess helps children excel in maths

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Chess is a thinking game. It is a fair game in that the player is responsible for the fate of the game and there is no other thing intervention in the game either in the form of luck or in the form of chance. One thing that can be said to be a chance or luck is nothing but the mistake of the opponent. In general, the player needs to think, analyze, visualize, plan, decide and execute a series of moves applying tactics and strategies to say “checkmate” to the opponent.

If children were taught this noble game at their tender age and encouraged to play the game, they will perform better in their academic career and outshine others – this is a finding of a research study. Many countries have introduced the game of chess as part of their school curriculum and have made it a subject or game that each child should learn and play regularly.

How the game of chess will help children perform well in mathematics? Read on….

One of the important subjects that a child is taught in his schooling days is the subject of mathematics. This is a very important subject and one needs to master it to have a better score in the examinations and also to pursue higher studies.

The importance of the subject of mathematics is that it cannot be learned by memorizing it by heart. If you are learning a subject like history or literature, then it is easy to memorize the lessons, reproduce the things memorized in the examination hall, get enough marks to promote to the next grade. You can safely forget about that subject, because history is not going to help you lead a life unless you want to choose to become a historian or an archeologist.

But that is not case with maths. You cannot just memorize the formulas of algebra, reproduce it in examination and get away. The basics of mathematics such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division needs to be understood thoroughly and will be of use during your lifetime. Memorizing the nuances of mathematics and making use of the same at times of necessity is next to impossible. One needs to understand the concept thoroughly and apply thinking to solve the problems of mathematics.

Thinking, concentration, problem-solving and analytical abilities are the pre-requisites for the game of chess as well. And the good thing is that these good skills are taught in a fun way. Children enjoy the game and as part of their play, they learn these good skills.

Understanding the concepts, applying concentration, attention and analyzing the various types of problems is what is required in mathematics.

Playing chess will not only help children perform better in mathematics, but also teach very important and invaluable lessons to the children. According to research, it has been found that playing chess helps children to develop and enhance their:

  • visual memory
  • attention span
  • spatial reasoning skills
  • capacity to anticipate events
  • capacity to predict events
  • ability to use analytical skills to make decisions, and
  • ability to evaluate alternatives.

Most of these things are used to learn and excel in the subject of mathematics and also to face the problems with confidence and lead a successful life.

Now, teaching children the game of chess and encouraging them to play the game with fun has become much easier, thanks to the advancement of technology and the increased use of the Internet. Online chess helps children learn the game in a playful way with innumerable puzzles and tutorials.

It is true that children would live to play a lot in their young age. Involving in physical exercises, games, and sports activities make their body stronger and healthier. If the game of chess is also taught to the children, their brain would also be exercised and the children will become a healthy one – both physically and mentally, filled with confidence.

Online chess helps improve the skills quickly

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The game of chess is a thinking game. More than providing just fun and entertainment, the game stimulates the mind and trains the mind in such a way that a person can face the life with more confidence, take wise decisions and have a better quality life.

Now with the advent of technology and the spread of Internet at a faster pace across the world, the number of people taking advantage of online chess is on the rise. Online chess has many advantages. There is no need to go in search for a partner as was the case earlier before the advent of Internet.

One more disadvantage in chess in earlier days was that a chess player, in his novice stage, would not get more opportunities to play with other novices and invariably there would be a mismatch between the two players playing in academic and amateur tournaments or games. Lack of encouragement at the early stages of the learning process also diminishes one’s appetite for the game and many people lose out in early stages due to this recurring problem.

It is in this context that online chess comes to the assistance of the chess player. He can find partners across the net at any point of time. He need not worry or go about searching for a partner to play the game. The skill set of the partner can also be decided in advance and such partner who is at par with your skill or slightly better than you can be chosen from the Internet. In this way, you can have a better experience and excitement playing with a player of equal skill than a game involving a mismatch of skill sets.

With online chess, a player can find the right partner to compete with and this helps in a long way in mastering the skills and improvising on the same at a relatively quicker time.

As there is no room for chance, luck or other outside influence in this game, the player will be ultimately responsible for all that he does in the game of chess. If he makes a wrong move or overlooks a threat to one of its pieces, then he is bound to lose that piece and ultimately the game itself.

The onus lies on the player to think, concentrate, calculate, analyze and then make an appropriate move aimed at cornering the opponent’s King. This practice of thinking before acting and taking wise decisions helps a player not only win the game, but also take important and wise decisions at real life. The more one practices the game of chess, the more matured and intelligent he will become in his approach towards the game, and towards the life in general.

Online chess has other advantages as well. The internet is storage for vast number of games played by grandmasters and others and some millions of games are available in the Internet.

A person aspiring to excel in the game of chess, can exploit this vast storage of data in the Internet to look at the great games played by grandmasters since the 1900s when the first professional championship tournaments began up to the latest tournament. Looking at those games, playing out those moves, analyzing the moves and their ultimate objectives will go a long way in helping a player gain the much-needed insight about the game. This will help in understanding the game to its core and help in improving the skills.

Surefire Reasons Why You Should Play Chess

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Are you wondering why there are a lot of people who love playing chess? You might probably ask, what is in chess that makes these people fascinated with it. To make everything clear to you, below are the many reasons why people including yourself should play chess.

Chess is the game of individuals from all walks of like. Anyone of any age can learn how to play this game. Compare to other sports, there is no need to retire in chess.

Chess enhances memory. The theory of chess is complex and majority of players learn various opening variations. Also, you will learn different patterns and memorize extensive variations.

Chess develops concentration. When playing the game you concentrate on mainly one objective and that is to checkmate and win the game.

Chess enhances logical thinking. This game needs some knowledge of logical tactic. You are able to learn how to create techniques in order to secure you king. Although it is inevitable to make mistakes with chess, still it is comparable to life as it offers a continuous learning process.

Chess improves creativity and imagination. It motivates a person to be imaginative. There are indistinct quantities of pleasing combinations that are until now needed to be created.

Chess encourages independence. A person playing the chess is forced to crate significant decisions manipulated merely by his or her own opinion.

Chess improves the ability to foretell and anticipate consequences of any action. It will instruct you to consider both ways before doing any decision.

Chess arouses self-motivation. It promotes the search for the finest move, the greatest plan, the most pleasing continuation beyond nonstop possibilities. It persuades the endless objective towards improvement, always searching for ways to light the fire of victory.

Chess enhances academic performance and grades. Many studies have shown evidences that kids get a greater reading level, math level and a higher learning capability in general because of playing chess. For all of the reasons already mentioned above, kids playing chess perform well at school and thus have greater opportunity to be successful in his or her life.

Chess introduces you to the world. You don’t have to a top ranked chess player to join huge important competitions. Tournaments like the World Open and US Open receive players of different levels of strength. This game will offer you a lot of chances to travel not just your country but the entire world. The game is a universal language. Many people speak its language and you can communicate with them through the checkered plain.

Chess gives the chances of meeting interesting individuals. You can able to make long-term friendships with individuals you meet up with chess.

Chess is affordable. You do not necessarily need an expensive equipment to play this game. In fact, you might just need your computer. Also, it is great to play chess set with your family at home.

Chess is a total fun! This is not a simple board game. Every chess game is unique as you need to make a lot of new ideas for every game. It definitely never gets dull.

Therefore, to make this short, chess is a lot of things!

7 ways chess is beneficial to your mind

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1. Improving memory

Chess players will always strive to improve their games so that they can win more games. This incentive of satisfaction in working out a win provides an urge to learn the opening theories, the variations, tactics in middle game, end game theories and so on. Through your effort to memorize such things, you will find an improvement in your memory. Like body muscles, memory also needs exercise to develop. Playing chess automatically provides this exercise. The improved memory has another positive effect. It helps to guard against the onset of Alzheimer’s disease that tends to affect a good number of people at their old age.

2. Improving concentration

The very nature of chess requires a player to concentrate on his own moves and his opponent’s. This continues from move to move and you try to be alert so that you do not make a wrong move or fall into some trap laid by the opponent. This type of focused thinking helps the concentration power of your mind.

3. Stoking imagination and creativity

Because of continued research by experts to find the best openings for both the players, you will often find the same set of initial moves. But have you ever found any research on the best set of middle game moves? No, because the possibilities are so numerous that no one can foresee how the game will move. In middle game, you are on your own and you see the complex positions in your own way. You also try to visualize the position after your own set of planned moves and the opponent’s expected responses. Thus, you get to be creative and your imagination provides the lead. Your ability in other fields gets a boost through the development of these aspects of your mind.

4. Developing logical thinking

In chess, neither you nor your opponent makes a move randomly. Each has certain plans and ideas, and moves are made to give shape to it. This is an automatic logical process and over a time, this kind of thinking becomes a habit in your other activities also.

5. Building self-confidence

When you are playing, you are the master of your decisions as there is nobody else to help you out. You take those decisions after analyzing the game situations to the best of your capability. This builds up the mental strength to take decisions in other situations in life and that develops your self-confidence also. Even when you lose games, you will not get deterred if you are in the habit of post-play analysis to find out where you went wrong and this knowledge will add to your confidence.

6. Improving ability to plan

In chess, you are always planning your actions and trying to foresee what results will be achieved through those actions. This planning ability will soon become your second nature.

7. Improving overall mental abilities

Any chess game will try your patience and nerves and test your will-power to prevail upon your opponent. Your mind will benefit from these demands of the game.

If you are a chess enthusiast and play games regularly, you will get not only the above benefits but also many others if you think about it.