Research

The question of the extent to which teaching children to play chess leads to a positive transfer to mathematics, reading and general cognitive skills is the subject of ongoing research across the globe. In total, there are over 4,000 research articles or live research projects examining the subject.

In general, early studies were hampered by problems in their design, most notably in the use of both do-nothing and active control groups, an issue common in education research. More recent studies support the use of chess as an intervention tool, particularly in the development of mathematical skills, improved behaviour, and for children with special educational needs. Importantly, the studies support the use of a year-long chess intervention, with several finding that the benefits of learning the game become apparent after 25 hours of tuition. This ties in with the CSC Schools’ Programme in which pupils receive 30 lessons over the course of a school year.

There are links to some of the key research findings below. You can read more about the impact of the CSC schools programme here. Please contact us to find out how we can help bring these benefits to your school or community.

Links to research on how chess can benefit older people can be found here. 

  • Meloni & Fanari (2021), “Does chess training affect meta-cognitive process and academic performance?” Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age. This study compared the results of two groups of children, one which had taken place in a 30-hour chess programme, the other in a 30-hour programme of physical sports. The results showed a significant gain in mathematical solving ability for the children in the chess programme.

  • Boruch (2011), “Does chess playing improve math learning? Promising (and inexpensive) results from Italy”, Educ 680, University of Pennsylvania. This study looked at the effect of a 30-week chess intervention on Y4-aged children in Italy. The results showed that achievement in mathematics improved by one third of a standard deviation. It also suggested that children with lower prior attainment showed a greater improvement than those of higher prior ability.

  • Kamilla Gumede and Michael Rosholm (2015), “Your Move: The Effect of Chess on Mathematics Test Scores” Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit, IZA DP No. 9370, September 2015. This study looked at the effect of replacing one mathematics lesson per week with a chess lesson for a group of Y4 children. It demonstrated that this led to positive results in the children’s performance in mathematics tests. A subsequent study in 2017 suggested that the chess programme had most effect on those children who were struggling to engage with their normal mathematics learning; the chess lessons gave them an alternative learning route.

  • Blasco-Fontecilla, Gonzalez-Perez, Garcia-Lopez, Poza-Cano, Perez-Moreno, Leon-Martinez, Otero-Perez (2014). “Efficacy of chess training for the treatment of ADHD: A prospective, open label study.” Revista de Psiquiatria y Salud Mental. This study examined the effect of a chess training programme on 44 children with a primary diagnosis of ADHD. It found that the chess training was an effective treatment for ADHD, with children with a high IQ benefitting most. The efficacy of the programme exceeded that of some of the commonly-used clinical treatments, without any of the negative side effect.

  • David I. Poston and Kathryn K. Vandenkieboom (2019), “The Effect of Chess on Standardized Test Score Gains”. SAGE Open. This study looked at children who played competitive chess. It found that this led to substantially improved attainment in mathematics tests.

  • Aciego R. et al (2012), “The Benefits of Chess for the Intellectual and Social-Emotional Enrichment in Schoolchildren”. The Spanish Journal of Psychology. This study showed that chess can improve cognitive abilities, coping and problem-solving capacity, and the social development of children.

  • Gliga F. and Flesner P.I. (2014), "Cognitive Benefits of Chess Training in Novice Children” Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 116 (2014) 962 – 967. This study compared the effect of a mathematics programme with one which consisted of a blend of mathematics and chess. The chess group showed a significantly greater improvement in their school performance tests.

  • Chitiyo, Zagumny, Akenson, Littrell, Davis, Besnoy, (2019). “The Alabama Chess in Schools Programme.” University of Alabama. January 2019. This large study looked at the academic achievement of children in the Alabama Chess in Schools Programme. It showed that children in the intervention group in the lower grades (aged 9-11) achieved noticeably higher academic scores than those in the control group. This included gains in Affective Decision & Judgment Processes, Systems Thinking, Cross-Disciplinary Thinking, and Overall Engagement. The majority of teachers felt their students benefited socially (81%) and academically (73%) from the use of chess in instruction. 71% of the teachers enjoyed teaching through chess.

  • Joseph, Easvaradoss, Abraham, Vaddadi, (2020), "Malleability of Working Memory Through Chess in Schoolchildren— A Two-Year Intervention Study”. This study demonstrated that when systematic chess training with proper curriculum is offered, a significant gain in working memory can result, with significant educational benefits for children.

  • Forrest, D., Davidson, I., Shucksmith, J., & Glendinning, T. (2005). “Chess development in Aberdeen’s primary schools: A study of literacy and social capital.” University of Aberdeen. This study showed positive effects of learning chess on comprehension and arithmetic skills. It also showed positive social benefits, particularly for those children identified as exhibiting poor behaviour.

  • Markus Scholz et al, (2008). “Impact of chess training on mathematics performance and concentration ability of children with learning disabilities.” International Journal Of Special Education Vol 23 No 3 2008. This study offered children with learning difficulties a 1-year package of chess lessons in school. These children showed a significant improvement in simple addition and counting tasks compared with a control group.

  • EdDaou, Ed-Shamieh, (2015). “The effect of playing chess on the concentration of ADHD students in the 2nd cycle”, Procedia – Social and Behavioural Sciences, 192, 2015. This study examined the effect of playing regular chess on a group of children, aged 11-13, with ADHD. The study showed a significant increase in the length of time for which children could focus on a particular task before disruptive behaviour began, suggesting an improvement in self-regulation.

  • Vitaro, Tremblay, Park, Cote, Beasley, Algan (2022). "Early lessons in social skills and self-control bring lifelong benefits" Centre for Economic Policy Research, 2022.  This long-term study followed a group of boys with behavioural problems who were given social skills training in the 1980s. A recent follow-up showed that this programme led to a cascade of lifelong effects: one dollar invested in this programme at age 8 led to an estimated $11 in benefits at age 39.

  • Bart, W, (2023), "Chess training for the elderly: Insights and prospects as a dementia preventative treatment". Medical Research Archives, 11(7.2). This article describes a pilot study that provides evidence that chess training is a viable intervention to improve cognitive fitness among the elderly.

  • Cibeira, N, et al. 2021. "Effectiveness of a chess-training program for improving cognition, mood, and quality of life in older adults." Geriatric Nursing, 42(4). This 12-week pilot study showed that a chess program improved cognition and quality of life in a sample of institutionalized and semi-institutionalized older adults.

  • Islam, A, Lee, W-S, Nicholas, A, (2021) "The Effects of Chess Instruction on Academic and Non-cognitive Outcomes", Journal of Development Economics, vol. 150. This study looked at the effects of a chess programme on children's approach to risk-taking, noting that learning chess can lead to a more strategic approach to calculating risk. It also found a positive impact on the children's mathematics test scores.  

  • The report concluded that extra-curricular activities offer tangible long-term benefits to the children who participate, leading to greater opportunities later in life.