International Chess Day 2023: Here’s how playing this game boosts your brain health

“Having to remember the complex rules of chess while making moves and recalling previous mistakes or the opponent’s playing style, chess can help improve memory. Those who excel at chess possess good memory skills. Furthermore, it can greatly enhance an individual’ analytical abilities,” said Dr Sonal Anand, psychiatrist, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road.

She explained that playing chess is known to stimulate the brain as to master the game, one must be able to identify patterns, devise strategies involving lengthy sequences of moves, and recall their opponent’s previous moves to secure victory.

This game aids your brain health in many ways (Source: Pixabay)

“One will have to be always on toes, make quick decisions, plan the moves, and ensure they are not defeated. The game of chess requires strategy and critical thinking which will help each and everyone in the day-to-day routine,” Dr Anand said.

Agreeing, Dr Dilip Gude, senior consultant physician, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad said that playing chess is proven to improve one’s memory, IQ, decisive thinking, accelerated learning, planning, and reasoning. “Multiple cognitive functions have been shown to improve in regular chess players such as enhanced brain function, problem-solving skills, and visualisation skills,” he said.

Dr Gude highlighted that creativity is also known to be better in chess players as it is believed to activate the artistic side (right hemisphere of the brain) along with the calculative left side. “Some studies showed that incidence of Alzheimer’s and some dementia disorder incidence is less in those who regularly play chess.”

Experts note that people of all age groups will benefit from playing chess. “It will be a good idea to play chess on a daily basis. But, due to time constraints, playing chess twice or thrice a week can do the trick,” Dr Anand said.

Dr Gude concurred and said that playing at least 100 games per year has been shown to improve brain function.

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