Foundation’s Summary of Chess Research Finds Results “Overwhelmingly Positive”

 

In a new review of the research on chess, the Chicago Chess Foundation finds the evidence overwhelming that chess provides significant benefits to kids.

The review is in five parts: 1) a Table with study results found to be of statistical significance; 2) a list of the major studies and collections of studies along with quotes from their summaries; 3) results from a survey of teachers about what they consider to be the benefits of chess; 4) a short list of recommended articles from mainstream media, including some CCF favorites on the capacity of chess to build resiliency and grit; and 5) an explanation of “why chess works” from the nation’s best-known chess researcher.

“We have tried to make the research accessible and to distill the argument to its essence,” says Jerry Neugarten, CCF’s Vice President and the review’s author. “Put most simply, chess has a unique ability to rivet kids’ attention and teach them the value of slowing down and thinking out their choices. It is no surprise that learning to concentrate and think methodically improves cognitive skills and strengthens academic performance.”