The Neuroscience of Chess: How Playing Chess Can Make You Smarter

Netflix

In the past year, I've seen a surge of people making Chess.com accounts and playing chess all the time. Chess is definitely not for the feeble-minded. It requires a lot of strategic thinking and careful planning. As someone who likes playing chess, I can attest to this. Since I have a neuroscience and psychology blog, I wanted to talk about how our brain's inner workings allow us to master this timeless game. 

When playing any sort of game, especially games that require more than two people, we need to be adaptable and be ready to face any sort of changes that can arise. This obviously lends to the brain's plasticity, which is a unique ability to reorganize and adapt in response to experiences and challenges. While playing chess, the brain's plasticity allows chess players to adapt their game plan to checkmate their opponent, no matter what their opponent throws at them. 

Have you ever watched "The Queen's Gambit" on Netflix? There are so many chess techniques that expert chess players must know like the back of their hand. In a game, players need to be able to recognize complex patterns and recall vast amounts of information, which can lead to an increase in synaptic connections within the brain. As chess players play more and more games, these connections are strengthened, which allows the players to facilitate faster information retrieval and decision-making. Beth Harmon definitely had strong synaptic connections.

Chess is a very mentally stimulating activity, and it is well-known that participating in mentally stimulating activities may help reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and dementia. It's basically a brain exercise. It is definitely helpful to maintain and strengthen neural connections as we age. 

Overall, chess serves as a powerful example of the brain's remarkable plasticity and its capacity to improve cognitive functions essential for daily life. I know that those who dedicate themselves to this game, not only nurture their love for strategy and competition but also foster the longevity and health of their most vital organ—the brain. 

I guess this means if you don't play chess, start playing.