Does playing chess increase intelligence and give longevity?

Do you want to develop your brain and start making the right decisions? Learn to play chess - a game that is synonymous with intelligence and brain power. Many studies have proved that chess helps to develop mental skills, and at the same time they are becoming more and more popular in the world.

The popularity of chess

In accordance with the extensive survey conducted in 2012, 70 percent of adults at a certain moment of life played chess, and there are about 605 million chess players worldwide. The number of active chess players in different countries turned out to be as follows: 15 percent of the US population plays chess, 23 percent in Germany, and in Russia - as much as 43 percent. Incredible figure was demonstrated by India, where 85 million people play chess, which is due to the popularity of former world champion Viswanathan Anand. Some more recent data from the organizers of the World Chess Championship in 2014 report that 1.2 billion viewers watched the competition.

What it is?

How to play chess? In short: it is a board game played by two opponents, each of which has sixteen pieces. Opponents use strategic thinking to put the enemy king's figure in a situation from which he can no longer get out - "checkmate".

History of the game

Chess is an ancient game, which is at least 1500 years old. Most likely, it originated in India, becoming a branch of another strategic game called Chaturanga. This game took various forms, until its rules were standardized in the nineteenth century, then the first world championships were held. To date, the world champion is the Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, who defended his title in confrontation with the Russian Sergey Karyakin. Women's World Chess Champion is Hou Yifan from China.

The smartest people in the world

There is nothing surprising in that world chess champions are usually one of the smartest people in the world. One of the most famous chess players and the recent world champion Garry Kasparov had an IQ of 190, while the most famous female world champion Judith Polgar, who became a grandmaster at the age of 15, has an intelligence rating of 170. If you Still need to be persuaded, here are five reasons why this board game should find a place in your life. Each of them is quite reasonable and logical, so if you want to become smarter, improve your memory and protect yourself from brain problems in old age, then chess will become your ideal hobby. This is a very exciting game that makes you think logically, strategically plan, but at the same time allows you to get a lot of fun from the process.

Chess improves key thought processes

Since the game is based on logical thinking and processing of numerous potential combinations of moves simultaneously, it is ideal for activating the basic functions of your brain. There are a lot of studies that demonstrate how chess can improve your thinking. And one way is directly related to pattern recognition. Studies, which involved former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, demonstrated how quickly a chess player of this level can recognize different images. Also, studies have shown that the best chess players use both hemispheres of the brain for decision making. They apply the part of the brain responsible for processing visual information to look for specific images, and the analytical part is used to select the best move. Other studies emphasize one interesting fact: the brain of elite chess players is actually smaller in size than the brains of lovers. This is probably due to the "localized compression" that occurs in the brain to increase neuronal efficiency.

Chess can improve your memory

Chess is a great exercise for the development and training of memory, as they force you to memorize moves that serve different strategic goals. The best players fill their memory with possible combinations. Studies have shown how the brain of grandmasters worked, which recalled thousands of possible moves.

Chess players are usually successful people

The 2012 poll also found a direct link between regular chess games and various success measures. 78 percent of regular chess players are graduates of higher educational institutions. In 20 percent of families in which their members constantly play chess, annual earnings exceed 120 thousand dollars. Chess players have five times more chances to read a deep analysis or scientific publication and understand what they read. They also have a propensity for wealth, 40 percent of regular chess players buy luxury goods. Peter Thiel, a well-known venture capitalist, co-founder of Paypal and a major figure in the presidential election in 2016 in the United States, is also an avid chess player. And he is not alone: among famous people, very many like to play chess. The founders of Microsoft Bill Gates and Paul Allen constantly played chess among themselves, and the same did and continues to do other giants of Silicon Valley. Legendary actors Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando throughout their lives were fans of chess. Like John Wayne. Like the genius director Stanley Kubrick. Among other celebrities who are also fond of chess, you can see Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nicolas Cage, Ray Charles, Ben Affleck, Bono, Will Smith and Howard Stern.

Chess can make your children smarter

Several studies have been conducted to show that playing chess (in one case for 18 weeks) can increase the intelligence of children. Other studies show that chess improves analytical and critical thinking, as well as the ability to visualize in school-age children, which significantly contributes to their development. Chess is also known for improving students' oral skills, as well as their results in mathematics and reading.

Chess can help keep the acuteness of the aging mind

It has been proven that chess helps protect the elderly from degenerative diseases of the brain, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease. That's why often in parks you can see how the elderly are going to play together in chess. This game allows them to communicate with each other, in parallel protecting their brain and stimulating thought processes.