The brain also asks for gymnastics. There are specific activities that are as beneficial for our mind as moderate physical exercise is for our body. A study by the Radiological Society of North America advised reading the newspaper, writing, visiting a library or going to the theater. The last activity they proposed was playing chess.
It is one of the oldest games in the world and combines elements of sport, scientific reasoning and art. Currently more than 600 million people play chess regularly and it is estimated that 70% of the adult population of many countries has played it at some point in their lives. The United Nations considers that chess promotes justice, equity, inclusion and respect mutual.
Maybe the game of 32 moving pieces divided between white and black makes us better people, but what is certain is that it is a cognitive training tool. It helps us stay focused, solve problems, plan and control our impulses, says María Rodrigo Yanguas, health psychologist and high-performance coach for the Spanish Chess Federation.
Chess has the ability to benefit our brain at least in these six ways:
Create neural connections
Many daily processes create dendrites or neural connections, but chess is one of the intellectual activities that most helps our brain “connect” better.
It makes us use both cerebral hemispheres
Chess forces us to use the left hemisphere to recognize the objects (the pieces) and the right hemisphere to recognize the patterns or moves to be made. Practicing it helps us use both hemispheres more effectively.
Improves reasoning and problem solving in children
The ancient game improves thinking and problem solving, reading and mathematical results in children.
Prevents Alzheimer’s
Playing chess stimulates brain function, thus reducing the risk of suffering from dementia and combating its symptoms, in the same way that it can avoid depression and anxiety, explains the Alzheimer Universal website.
Develop self-control
The 32-piece game works on the development of self-control, María Rodrigo Yanguas tells Efe Salud. By playing chess you learn that impulsivity only leads to making mistakes and an attitude of calm and reflection is encouraged, as well as creative, critical thinking and memory.
Help in therapy and rehabilitation
Chess can be used in therapy for individuals with autism or various disabilities. Moving the pieces around the board can help as motor therapy, while contributing to extra mental effort and causing an increase in concentration.
Applications of chess in mental health
In recent decades, chess has been used as a cognitive training tool in different mental health pathologies. It is the case of patients with schizophrenia. According to a study by the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience of Lyon (France), schizophrenic patients who played chess daily improved, showing better attention, planning and reasoning.
Chess is affordable and inclusive and transcends barriers of language, age, gender, physical ability and social status
Also in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Rodrigo, author of the book, says Don’t cast yourselfwhich has been shown that regular chess training along with the usual treatment helps patients improve their attention and the symptoms of this condition.
But also in autism spectrum pathologieswhere chess is a good ally because the chess language is non-verbal and universal. Thus, it is not necessary to engage in spoken conversation, which is the main deficit of patients with autism.
Having said all this, we must not forget perhaps the most important thing when we start playing chess: that it is fun (a challenge for our mind). Plus, it can be played anywhere and anyone can play because it’s affordable, inclusive, and transcends barriers of language, age, gender, physical ability and social status. That is why the UN affirms that chess “contributes to peace, cooperation, solidarity and health at the local, regional and international levels.”
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