A lot can be said about the benefits chess has on the development of children, but what are those benefits and why should your child start playing chess from an early age. In this article, we will discuss some of the benefits and see how it has relevance to daily life.
To understand the benefits of chess, let’s first understand what chess is.
Going back almost 1500 years, the game of chess originated in northern India but then spread to Persia. When the Arabs conquered Persia it was taken up by the Muslim world whereafter it was spread through to Southern Europe through the Moorish conquest of Spain. In Russia however, the game of chess came directly from Muslim territories to the south.
The way chess pieces moved originally changed during the 15th century. During the second half of the 19th century, people started playing modern tournaments as we know them today. The first world championship was held in 1886. In the 20th century, there were major advances in chess theory as well as the establishment of the World Chess Federation (FIDE). Chess, as we know it today, uses 16 pieces per side (32 in total) on a board of 64 squares arranged in eight verticle, and eight horizontal rows. These squares alternate in two colors (one light and the other dark). The objective of the game is to capture the opponent’s King.
Now that we understand the basics of what chess is, we can look at the benefits that chess has, especially in the modern world.
- Chess is very reliant on skill, but strategy and planning are vital. Chess, therefore, teaches people how to strategize to be able to achieve their goals. During your lifetime (be it at school, work environment, or in your personal life) you will have to strategize. Without a strategy, you would be like a person trying to get to a destination they have never been to, without a roadmap.
- Good chess players make purposeful moves that are always focused on achieving their objectives. Therefore chess helps you focus. This is very self-explanatory, but if you lose focus, you make mistakes, and sometimes these mistakes could be detrimental to achieving your goals.
- During the game of chess, players will be placed in stressful situations where the next move could de the difference between achieving their goals or failing. If chess gets introduced to children at an early age, they will learn how to not only work under pressure but how to deal with difficult situations and how to find alternative ways around them.
- Making the wrong move during a game of chess could lead to your King being captured. Therefore chess teaches children that there are consequences for their actions and that they need to plan every move. This is also where children learn that it is ok to make a mistake, as long as you learn from your mistakes. Another skill that they will develop is how to solve problems.
- Chess teaches children how to be creative. During the game of chess, an individual’s personality really shines through. If you are a reserved and introverted person you might play chess in the same way, whereas a more outgoing and social person might be bolder in their attack. The amazing thing about chess is that there is more than enough room for everyone’s personalities and styles.
- Just as chess teaches creativity, chess will also help build resilience and confidence. A confident person is more likely to make easier decisions, whether they are the correct decision or not. Through the game of chess, a person will also learn to be more resilient. You might lose a game or two but through learning from what you did right or wrong during a game of chess, you will learn to be more resilient.
- It has been proven that chess exercises both sides of the brain. During each game, you will have to use logic, start recognizing patterns, make both visual and analytical decisions, and really test your memory. Why is this important though? An active brain is a healthy brain and this is also why chess is important for all ages.
Chess has been proven to be a very important educational tool because of all the incredible benefits but how does MiniChess assist in the development of children? MiniChess has been specifically engineered to use mini chess games or scenarios to teach kids during their development years all the benefits a normal chess game would teach them but through direct and strategic lessons. MiniChess uses all learning styles in every lesson, which literally makes it beneficial to every child. It is fun and engaging through storytelling and roleplaying, and it utilizes not just 2D, but also 3D perspective in each lesson.
To learn more, contact MiniChess now:
+2712 881 8875, info@minichess.co.za or book a free online informational session: www.minichess.co.za/book-a-demo
