"Chess trains logical thinking. It teaches how to make decisions, trains memory, strengthens will power, motivates children to win, and teaches them how to deal with defeat. It’s the only school subject that can do all of this."

https://en.chessbase.com/post/why-che-should-be-required-in-us-schools-170413

What do you guys think?

Of course chess should be taught in Nigerian schools, after we learn to count with ludo.

Trying to sponsor a chess club in a school, but coordinating is tricky. Will persevere though.

Naturally...

A lot of schools even have chess coaches and the feats of people like Tunde Onakoya feats both nationally and globally has helped put to put chess on the mind of the average Nigerian

budaatum:
Of course chess should be taught in Nigerian schools, after we learn to count with ludo.

Trying to sponsor a chess club in a school, but coordinating is tricky. Will persevere though.

Wow, that's really cool to hear. Wishing you luck!

What is Garry Kasparov’s net worth? Children should be taught real world survival skills. Chess na for who chop belleful.

chiboyo:
Naturally...

A lot of schools even have chess coaches and the feats of people like Tunde Onakoya feats both nationally and globally has helped put to put chess on the mind of the average Nigerian

"A lot of schools even", where? A lot more than in countries that are actively spending money to put chess in their schools?

The above was my initial intended response, till I saw you magically solved my problem in one. Thank you.

finallybusy:
What is Garry Kasparov’s net worth? Children should be taught real world survival skills. Chess na for who chop belleful.

Why does everything have to be about making money? Chess teaches critical thinking, planning skills, and problem-solving under pressure -- practical real world survival skills that will be valuable in nearly every field. Plus, it's just plain fun. 😁

JessicaRabbit:


Why does everything have to be about making money? Chess teaches critical thinking, planning skills, and problem-solving under pressure -- practical real world survival skills that will be valuable in nearly every field. Plus, it's just plain fun. 😁

At the end of the day everyone judges the next person using their net worth.

finallybusy:
At the end of the day everyone judges the next person using their net worth.

True. But don't forget that well-rounded thinkers can achieve success beyond just a paycheck. 😉

JessicaRabbit:


True. But don't forget that well-rounded thinkers can achieve success beyond just a paycheck. 😉

We'll never come to an agreement on the subject matter.

finallybusy:
We'll never come to an agreement on the subject matter.

I'm okay with that. I think I've made my points and shown that there's actual value in teaching chess in schools, even if we don't see eye-to-eye on the importance of financial success.

If you're hoping that teaching chess in schools will help students become better at thinking, problem solving or learning, I think you might be greatly disappointed.

While chess certainly requires a lot of thinking (if you want to play it well), I do not think that by getting better at chess, you invariably become markedly better at performing other activities that involve significant levels of critical reasoning. In other words, improved chess playing skills does not necessarily mean improved thinking capacity. As a matter of fact, I think when you learn to play chess better, all that has happened is that you have mastered certain positional patterns and understood how to use different chess strategies and tactics well.

If you take Kasparov and Carlsen to the class room, they will not necessarily learn better than a typical smart student. Give them puzzles and problems outside of chess to solve and their performance may not be so outstanding. How many real-life problems have been solved or innovations birthed by great chess Grandmasters ?

If the goal is to make students better thinkers and problem solvers, I think it will be better to systematically teach them specific set of skills necessary for critical thinking and problem solving, skills that probably contributed to the emergence of people like Carlsen and Kasparov (and me 😁) as great chess players.

AlbertNewton:
If you're hoping that teaching chess in schools will help students become better at thinking, problem solving or learning, I think you might be greatly disappointed.

While chess certainly requires a lot of thinking (if you want to play it well), I do not think that by getting better at chess, you invariably become markedly better at performing other activities that involve significant levels of critical reasoning. In other words, improved chess playing skills does not necessarily mean improved thinking capacity. As a matter of fact, I think when you learn to play chess better, all that has happened is that you have mastered certain positional patterns and understood how to use different chess strategies and tactics well.

If you take Kasparov and Carlsen to the class room, they will not necessarily learn better than a typical smart student. Give them puzzles and problems outside of chess to solve and their performance may not be so outstanding. How many real-life problems have been solved or innovations birthed by great chess Grandmasters ?

If the goal is to make students better thinkers and problem solvers, I think it will be better to systematically teach them specific set of skills necessary for critical thinking and problem solving, skills that probably contributed to the emergence of people like Carlsen and Kasparov (and me 😁) as great chess players.

You make some fair points. But even if we can come up with a dedicated critical thinking course that can definitely break down the skills we're talking about in a more structured way, how many of them can do it in a way that is as engaging as chess usually is?

When you're analyzing a chessboard, anticipating your opponent's next moves and formulating a strategy, that's all critical thinking in action! The only difference is that you're doing it in a context that's exciting and mentally stimulating. Learning those critical thinking skills in isolation might feel abstract to some students. Chess throws them into a situation where they have to apply those skills right away, and the competition adds a layer of pressure that forces them to think quickly and creatively. It's like a fun mental workout that gets these valuable skills ingrained almost subconsciously. Plus, chess teaches you valuable lessons about dealing with setbacks. You will lose games, especially when you're starting out. But you learn to analyze your mistakes, adjust your approach, and come back stronger. That kind of resilience is just as important in life as being a good problem solver.

I might also need to address a veiled misconception I'm noticing here. Chess isn't about turning everyone into a Garry Kasparov. That's looking at the issue through a narrow lens. Chess is simply about training your brain in a way that benefits you across different areas. Kasparov and Carlsen are exceptional chess players because they've honed their critical thinking skills to a master level, through chess. It's just like going to the gym. You strengthen your muscles, which then helps you perform better in various physical activities. Applying this analogy to chess, the game can strengthen your cognitive muscles, making you a better problem solver in general.

I don't quite get your argument about the number of groundbreaking inventions directly linked to chess grandmasters and I don't think it's necessarily relevant to the topic in general. But for what it's worth, I've come across countless videos on YouTube of successful people from all walks of life, from CEOs to scientists, who have credited chess with sharpening their minds. It's not a guarantee of success, but it's a valuable tool in your mental toolkit.

And by the way, I don't think anyone seriously believes that chess mastery magically makes you a genius in everything, but the core skills you develop are absolutely applicable outside the game and practicing them intensely in chess could strengthen your neural pathways for broader use.

JessicaRabbit:


You make some fair points. But even if we can come up with a dedicated critical thinking course that can definitely break down the skills we're talking about in a more structured way, how many of them can do it in a way that is as engaging as chess usually is?

When you're analyzing a chessboard, anticipating your opponent's next moves and formulating a strategy, that's all critical thinking in action! The only difference is that you're doing it in a context that's exciting and mentally stimulating. Learning those critical thinking skills in isolation might feel abstract to some students. Chess throws them into a situation where they have to apply those skills right away, and the competition adds a layer of pressure that forces them to think quickly and creatively. It's like a fun mental workout that gets these valuable skills ingrained almost subconsciously. Plus, chess teaches you valuable lessons about dealing with setbacks. You will lose games, especially when you're starting out. But you learn to analyze your mistakes, adjust your approach, and come back stronger. That kind of resilience is just as important in life as being a good problem solver.

I might also need to address a veiled misconception I'm noticing here. Chess isn't about turning everyone into a Garry Kasparov. That's looking at the issue through a narrow lens. Chess is simply about training your brain in a way that benefits you across different areas. Kasparov and Carlsen are exceptional chess players because they've honed their critical thinking skills to a master level, through chess. It's just like going to the gym. You strengthen your muscles, which then helps you perform better in various physical activities. Applying this analogy to chess, the game can strengthen your cognitive muscles, making you a better problem solver in general.

I don't quite get your argument about the number of groundbreaking inventions directly linked to chess grandmasters and I don't think it's necessarily relevant to the topic in general. But for what it's worth, I've come across countless videos on YouTube of successful people from all walks of life, from CEOs to scientists, who have credited chess with sharpening their minds. It's not a guarantee of success, but it's a valuable tool in your mental toolkit.

And by the way, I don't think anyone seriously believes that chess mastery magically makes you a genius in everything, but the core skills you develop are absolutely applicable outside the game and practicing them intensely in chess could strengthen your neural pathways for broader use.

Chess is a game played according to a few, well-defined rules. All the critical thinking you do when you play chess is basically centered around these rules. As you play the game more and more, you learn different strategies and tactics (still based on the rules) that enable you to play the game better.
Hence, when people get better at chess, they are NOT really getting better at thinking, instead they just become better at using the different strategies and tactics they've mastered (through experience and practice) and at analysing the chessboard. So a good chess player is one who has simply excelled in strategic thinking and tactical problem-solving within the realm of chess. The skills he has developed are highly domain-specific and not transferable to other areas.
Therefore, when you teach someone to play chess and they learn to play it well, their overall critical thinking skills may not improve noticeably. Also, someone can be resilient when it comes to chess and not exhibit that same attitude in other areas.
This is the whole point I'm trying to make.

My reference to Kasparov and Carlsen was just to further buttress the point that playing chess will not necessarily significantly improve your thinking capacity. These are two of the greatest chess players, so if playing chess is an exercise for critical thinking, then they should be among the best thinkers. But can we really say this is the case ? Well, I think they are just experts in the game of chess and nothing more !

AlbertNewton:

Chess is a game played according to a few, well-defined rules. All the critical thinking you do when you play chess is basically centered around these rules. As you play the game more and more, you learn different strategies and tactics (still based on the rules) that enable you to play the game better.
Hence, when people get better at chess, they are NOT really getting better at thinking, instead they just become better at using the different strategies and tactics they've mastered (through experience and practice) and at analysing the chessboard. So a good chess player is one who has simply excelled in strategic thinking and tactical problem-solving within the realm of chess. The skills he has developed are highly domain-specific and not transferable to other areas.
Therefore, when you teach someone to play chess and they learn to play it well, their overall critical thinking skills may not improve noticeably. Also, someone can be resilient when it comes to chess and not exhibit that same attitude in other areas.
This is the whole point I'm trying to make.

My reference to Kasparov and Carlsen was just to further buttress the point that playing chess will not necessarily significantly improve your thinking capacity. These are two of the greatest chess players, so if playing chess is an exercise for critical thinking, then they should be among the best thinkers. But can we really say this is the case ? Well, I think they are just experts in the game of chess and nothing more !

Just because chess has its own set of rules and strategies doesn't mean that the critical thinking skills developed through playing chess are not applicable elsewhere. Strategic thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills are all valuable assets that can be applied to various areas of life, from business to science to everyday decision-making. Research has shown that expertise in chess can lead to improvements in cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and processing speed. These cognitive enhancements can benefit individuals in various areas of life, not just in chess. So, the critical thinking skills developed through playing chess are not entirely domain-specific.

JessicaRabbit:


Just because chess has its own set of rules and strategies doesn't mean that the critical thinking skills developed through playing chess are not applicable elsewhere. Strategic thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills are all valuable assets that can be applied to various areas of life, from business to science to everyday decision-making. Research has shown that expertise in chess can lead to improvements in cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and processing speed. These cognitive enhancements can benefit individuals in various areas of life, not just in chess. So, the critical thinking skills developed through playing chess are not entirely domain-specific.

I don't trust all these psychological research easily, compared to research in physical and biological sciences.

Anyways, you're obviously a very smart person and I presume you've been playing chess for sometime. So in your own personal experience, would you say that playing chess significantly contributed to how good a thinker or problem solver you are now ? In other words, would you say that if you had not started playing chess then you wouldn't be as smart as you are today ?

AlbertNewton:

I don't trust all these psychological research easily, compared to research in physical and biological sciences.

Anyways, you're obviously a very smart person and I presume you've been playing chess for sometime. So in your own personal experience, would you say that playing chess significantly contributed to how good a thinker or problem solver you are now ? In other words, would you say that if you had not started playing chess then you wouldn't be as smart as you are today ?

I wouldn't say that I wouldn't be as smart without chess, but I do think that playing chess has been a valuable addition to my cognitive arsenal. It has helped me develop a unique perspective and approach to problem-solving.

JessicaRabbit:


I wouldn't say that I wouldn't be as smart without chess, but I do think that playing chess has been a valuable addition to my cognitive arsenal. It has helped me develop a unique perspective and approach to problem-solving.

Alright, fair enough.

Actually, upon thinking about the matter more carefully, I think I might be committing hasty generalisation fallacy.

My belief that chess has little or no impact on one's critical thinking skills is based on my personal experience as a chess player myself. I have been playing the game for many years now and in all honesty, I wouldn't say that all the hundreds of hours I have spent exerting my mental energy on chessboard have had any significant, noticeable impact on my critical thinking skills.

But here's an important point I think I was missing. Before I learned to play chess in my second year in the university, I was already fairly good at logical and critical thinking (by the way, I believe this is usually the case for most people that love and enjoy chess). I was good at maths, further maths and physics, and enjoyed solving challenging problems in these subjects. After years of playing chess, I don't think there's anything I can do cognitively that I wouldn't have been able to do just as well without playing chess.

So, I think perhaps for people who lack critical thinking skills, it's possible that playing chess might help them improve or develop the skill.

And now that I'm curious about it, I will like to make findings about schools that teach their students chess to see if such training has any significant impact on the academic performance of the students. You should do this too before you start advocating for the teaching of chess in schools.

AlbertNewton:


Alright, fair enough.

Actually, upon thinking about the matter more carefully, I think I might be committing hasty generalisation fallacy.

My belief that chess has little or no impact on one's critical thinking skills is based on my personal experience as a chess player myself. I have been playing the game for many years now and in all honesty, I wouldn't say that all the hundreds of hours I have spent exerting my mental energy on chessboard have had any significant, noticeable impact on my critical thinking skills.

But here's an important point I think I was missing. Before I learned to play chess in my second year in the university, I was already fairly good at logical and critical thinking (by the way, I believe this is usually the case for most people that love and enjoy chess). I was good at maths, further maths and physics, and enjoyed solving challenging problems in these subjects. After years of playing chess, I don't think there's anything I can do cognitively that I wouldn't have been able to do just as well without playing chess.

So, I think perhaps for people who lack critical thinking skills, it's possible that playing chess might help them improve or develop the skill.

And now that I'm curious about it, I will like to make findings about schools that teach their students chess to see if such training has any significant impact on the academic performance of the students. You should do this too before you start advocating for the teaching of chess in schools.

Duly noted. Actually, I think those findings do exist already, and I'll cite them when I can come across them. But for what it is worth, I appreciate you sharing your personal experience and insights about the relationship between chess and critical thinking skills. Your perspective is valuable, and I commend your willingness to consider alternative viewpoints.