Chess in Education Part I

History

The game of chess has long been associated with intelligence and mental development; some of the greatest minds that the human race has ever known have played chess for the challenge and enjoyment of matching their wits against a similarly gifted opponent. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica (Chess, 1993) the game of chess originated in either India or China around the 6th century A.D. and then migrated westward toward Persia and Arabia, finally reaching Europe by way of the Muslims and Byzantines. Chess master Jerry Meyers in the article Why Offer Chess in Schools? (2005) further amplifies this history; he reports:

"Chess is a classic game of strategy, invented more than 1500 years ago in India. Legend has it that the ruler of India asked his wise men to devise a way to teach the children of the royal family to become better thinkers…chess was the result." (History section, para. 1)

Indeed, Benjamin Franklin embraced chess as an educational tool for schools in the United States, and this support continues to the present by many in the teaching profession (Meyers, 2005). This paper intends to examine how the classical game of chess assists in mental development and how that is beneficial to students and educators. Additionally, and of equal importance, this paper will analyze how chess maintains cognitive ability and will argue that the game is effective in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, this report will deal the following issues:

1. Chess
2. Chess and mental development
3. Chess in education
4. Chess maintains cognitive ability