Oct 35 min read

How Chess Reshapes Your Brain

I know what you're thinking: chess? Really? What could be so intriguing about a game confined to 64 black-and-white squares? I used to wonder the same thing—until I nearly gave it up for good. Why did I almost walk away from this ancient game of strategy and skill? Well, that's a tale for another time. For now, let me take you on a journey that changed my mind about chess forever.

I'm not here to discuss how chess can make you a better sportsman or improve your communication skills. I'm not discussing becoming a better problem solver or a more confident person through playing tournaments. Sure, those are valuable benefits, but they're the usual talking points. What most people don't tell you is the true thought process behind it. I know it might sound a bit weird, but when I say chess changed my mind forever, I mean it quite literally changed it forever. Chess rewires your brain, enhancing memory, creativity, strategic thinking, and overall brain function. That's what I'm here to share with you: three compelling reasons why chess has such a profound impact on your mind.

The Human Brain

Before we dive into the true neurological benefits of chess, it's essential to understand the human brain. I'll keep it brief: the human brain is the control center of the body and is responsible for our thoughts, memories, emotions, and actions. Weighing approximately three pounds, this organ comprises the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem, each playing a crucial role in our daily functioning.

The cerebrum, the largest part, is divided into two hemispheres and four lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital.

The frontal lobe orchestrates complex cognitive tasks, such as reasoning, planning, and problem-solving.
The parietal lobe processes sensory information like touch and spatial awareness.
The temporal lobe is key to memory and auditory perception.
The occipital lobe is primarily responsible for vision.

Beneath the cerebrum lies the cerebellum, which fine-tunes motor activity, balance, and coordination. The brainstem, connects the brain to the spinal cord, and regulates vital involuntary functions like heartbeat, breathing, and sleep cycles. Together, these parts work in harmony, enabling us to interact with and interpret our environment.

Source: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/

Growth and Development of The Brain's Lobes

The first reason for how chess benefits your brain is that chess fosters the growth and development of the brain's lobes, particularly the frontal and parietal lobes. This also collectively works both hemispheres of your brain, the left and right brain, due to its keen aspect of pattern recognition and strategic thinking. This is especially crucial during the formative years of children, as the brain, along with other organs, undergoes developmental stages. It's imperative to guide this development appropriately to ensure it reaches its full potential. Chess demands players to anticipate several moves ahead, thus engaging the frontal lobe's planning and reasoning capacities. Such continuous mental exercise strengthens neural pathways associated with these cognitive functions. Moreover, by regularly confronting challenging positions in games and studies, players can augment their frontal lobe's aptitude for information processing and strategic formulation. The game's reliance on memory and recall further exercises the parietal lobe, which plays a pivotal role in memory encoding and retrieval, as players often analyze and remember numerous game variations. Additionally, chess entails pattern recognition, wherein players learn to identify and retain various move sequences, positions, and tactics. This skill draws upon the parietal lobe's functions in visual perception and memory. Optimally developing the frontal and parietal lobes leads to significant cognitive, emotional, and motor benefits. Individuals with well-developed lobes in these regions tend to exhibit superior executive functioning, emotional regulation, spatial awareness, and sensory perception.

Improving Focus and Concentration

Furthermore, chess is beneficial because it improves the mind’s ability to focus and concentrate on a single task for extended periods. It builds mental stamina, enabling individuals to sit at a board, think through multiple lines for hours, and repeat this process until the end of the game. The mind's ability to focus depends on several factors, including neurological, physiological, psychological, and environmental influences. Chess primarily trains the neurological aspects of these factors. Achieving a flow state during chess, where one is fully immersed and engaged, can significantly enhance focus and mental endurance. This state is characterized by complete absorption in the activity, loss of the sense of time, and a high level of intrinsic motivation. Engaging in complex cognitive tasks like chess can stimulate neurogenesis, the formation of new neurons, particularly in the hippocampus, which is associated with memory and learning. Repeated practice in chess can also lead to increased myelination, the process of forming a myelin sheath around the nerves, which enhances the speed and efficiency of neural transmission. Neurologically, chess helps build the brain’s capacity to focus, while the physiological aspect is evident when the mind takes control and remains resilient, persevering through long games. This not only aids in further advancement and improvement in chess but also fosters consistency in other areas of interest, such as sports and academics.

Cognitive and Neurological Benefits

The final reason is that chess is increasingly recognized as a therapeutic tool for neurological disorders due to its significant cognitive and neurological benefits. Research has explored the use of chess-based cognitive remediation training for individuals with alcohol and tobacco use disorders, finding that it can enhance cognitive functioning, which is critical for preventing relapse and improving treatment outcomes. This training led to significant improvements in neural activation and neuropsychological task performance, suggesting that chess can modulate brain activity and support cognitive rehabilitation. Additionally, chess engages various brain regions associated with strategic thinking and problem-solving, which can be beneficial for cognitive health. This makes chess potentially useful in managing various neurological conditions. Beyond its therapeutic uses, studies have shown that playing chess can also help prevent and avoid neurological disorders such as dementia. Overall, chess displays clear signs of promoting positive growth and recovery in many individuals.

Conclusion

Although I've only highlighted three neurological benefits in this article, there are countless more fascinating advantages to playing this game for individuals of all ages, with new discoveries emerging every day. Whether it's enjoyed casually at a bar or library with friends, or competitively at the state or national championships, the dedication and practice one invests are crucial, as with any pursuit, for realizing true growth and improvement.

Now, to talk about why I nearly gave up on this game. It stemmed from back-to-back defeats in a tournament. I learned an impactful lesson: to keep improving my knowledge of this game to become a better player. Despite the initial disappointment, I persisted, continuing to play and dedicating time to both enhance my skills and share the beauty of the game with others. So, the next time you consider learning something new, consider chess. With numerous online platforms fostering global communities, you don't even need a physical board to engage. I hope you've learned something valuable today, and remember to stay engaged in whatever pursuits you choose!

Written by Varun Kolluri

References