Seven reasons chess is the perfect exercise for your brain

We often read blog posts on how to care for our physical health. We know that heart diseases, viral infections, asthma etc. are on the rise and we look up preventive measures for them. And yet, there is one part of our body that most of us overlook but without which we are completely helpless. We are talking about the brain. 

The brain is as vulnerable to wear and tear as your heart, lungs, liver or kidneys. As we grow older, many people suffer degeneration of brain cells, and their neural pathways die. This results in problems such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and loss of cognitive skills.

However, with proper care, you can keep your brain healthy for as long as you live. One very effective way to do that is playing chess. People of any age can reap the benefits of playing chess.

Benefits of chess

Why is it so important to enrol in chess lessons? Because there are so many amazing health benefits of chess. It can improve your quality of life and turn you into a better and more stable human being.

Here are some of the most important benefits of playing chess:

1. Higher IQ

Who doesn’t want to be smarter? Well, the key is in your hands now. Higher intelligence is one of the most important benefits of chess. Chess makes you think hard. The gears of your brain work furiously. Grandmasters of chess have very high IQ. That is because they have been practising for years. You too can become sharper and smarter if you take up chess.

2. Work-out for both left and right brain

The left and right hemispheres of your brain are responsible for different types of thinking. The left hemisphere helps with logical thinking and the right hemisphere is responsible for creativity.

When you play chess, you have to apply both sides of the brain. Your left hemisphere strategizes and your right hemisphere has to come up with creative moves to attack your opponent’s chess pieces.

3. Faster reaction time

Chess is often played with a timer. You have to analyze your opponent’s gameplay, understand how you can trap and take his/her King and come up with your move in a fixed time. When you keep playing chess, your reaction time and your reflexes become faster and error-free. This will help in all aspects of your life.

4. Decision making

Being able to make the right decision at the right time is crucial to succeeding in life. Chess teaches your brain to do just that. This is a game of decisions. You decide how to move your pieces, you decide which strategy to apply at which stage of the game, and you decide which pawns you want to take to into enemy territory. You become familiar with the decision-making process, weighing risks and analyzing the outcome of your decisions. This can help you become a strong, independent and capable human being.

5. Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s strikes when brain cells degenerate in old age. One of the most vital health benefits of chess is that it can act as a preventive measure against dementia, Alzheimer’s or any kind of brain illness that causes memory loss or loss of cognitive abilities. Chess exercises the cells and muscles of your brain and keeps them active. Like all other muscles of your body, brain muscles need workout because exercise slows down your ageing and degeneration. Playing chess even produces more dendrites that help to conduct neural signals.

6. Problem-solving abilities

Human life is synonymous with problems - financial problems, relationship problems, workplace problems etc. Usually, these problems last longer than they should because we don’t know the right way to solve them. Problem-solving is one of the most exciting benefits of playing chess. You see, the chessboard represents problems. Your opponent has set up his/her pieces to check your King. Now, you will have to find a way to save your King with other pieces, attack your opponent’s pieces and prevent your Queen from being taken. The more you play, the more capable you become in finding solutions to traps and complications in life.

7. Mental peace and tranquillity

One of the most important benefits of chess is that it promotes mental peace. In this era of extreme stress, anxiety and depression, playing chess can help you elevate your mind from your daily worries and find tranquillity. It calms your frantic thoughts and helps you focus and concentrate. Chess is so good for mental peace that psychologists employ it as a therapy tool for people with Bipolar disorder, ADHD and depression.

Chess is your brain’s best friend. It is recommended that children start playing chess as early as possible for the robust development of their intelligence and cognitive skills. However, no matter what your age is, it is never too late to start playing this wonderful game. No matter when you start, you are sure to reap the benefits of chess.