“When you see a good move, look for a better one.” – Emanuel Lasker
Chess might be one of the toughest board games out there but it also counts among the popular ones. Thanks to its widespread adoption during the pandemic, online Chess for kids has been in vogue like never before, with more and more youngsters showing interest in not only learning how to play Chess but also improving their game.
At DIY, we have been keeping a close eye on these trends and have found a major significance of including Chess as a part of our courses According to the experts who are work on our courses/workshops, this board game is unlike most other board games: it lays a lot of importance on mental development.
In the world of Chess, a common adage dictates that it’s never too early to start Chess. Kids are best suited to improve their techniques and show remarkable progress. The best part being, there are several reasons why Chess comes recommended for children.
Here’s listing out 10 of them –
Memory
While learning Chess, it becomes obvious that every piece’s name, designation and movement matter. As a result, the young students are bound to see their memory turning sharper with time. Remembering the lessons and applying them during an ongoing game helps with building the attention span as well.
Strategy
In Chess, nothing is at ease. Unlike most other games, there’s no “going with the flow” either. The black-and-white squares demand that its students learn to come up with strategies inside their heads, and that translates to thinking a lot. This process helps a child realise the importance of precision in every single move made.
Patience
Chess are mostly played in 3 formats (classical, rapid and bullet) but the factor common to three of them is patience. By nature, Chess requires patience, not just in learning but also executing one’s lessons on board. With practice, children learn the significance of patience and the advantages of not making moves in haste.
Focus
Almost all disciplines – be it music or dance or sports or literature – expect the students to maintain focus. What separates Chess from the rest is it can’t be played with divided attention. So, as a habit, it helps children build focus from a young age that can be applied to other aspects of their lives later.
Decision
When you are playing a game of Chess, you are completely isolated and every move you make is your decision. As a result, young students get to learn at an early stage that only they are responsible for their decisions (and consequences). It ultimately helps the kids realise the importance of action and impact.
Brain-ness
It’s established that playing Chess encourages a scientific way of thinking. During a game, a child plays out their next moves, project opponent’s moves, build piece variations, compute effective moves, and a lot more – all inside their head – without uttering a word. This facet also helps a child use both sides of their brain.
Passion
If your child enjoys Chess, then there is no looking back. Children tend to stick with Chess all through their adulthood. This strong inclination towards a particular activity also results inthe kid getting into research and reading up about the game, players, and how to get better at it, etc. In other words, a long-term passion is developed.
Gracefulness
Most parents encourage their kids to win but they seldom teach their kids how to lose with their chin up. Besides, winning and losing is a part of every game. We at Kyt understand that for kids, it can be hard to grasp this concept. But Chess is admired for helping kids acknowledge that losing gracefully is a part of the game.
Creativity
There are more possible iterations of Chess games than there are atoms in the observable universe! Yes, that’s how expansive a Chessboard of 64 squares can be. This is why kids learning Chess tend to push their creative buttons to get ahead in a game. The more they play, the more creative they turn out to be.
Solution
Chess features some of the most exquisite puzzles out there and this is what makes Chess interesting. It keeps throwing several challenges at the kids every step of the way. In the process, it helps build a kid’s rational thinking and looking at problems with a solution-driven approach, instead of shying away from them.