September 2015 is here, the summer is over, children and students return to their schools to learn something new. Believe it or not some elementary schools have chess classes part of their syllabus. Only three hours per week but the children who sign up for this class will be somehow different to their class mates who don't.
They will learn how to play chess but not only that, they will learn to concentrate better, imagine better, think forward better, decide better, analyze better, plan better and overall have better multiple views. Here are few reasons why children should learn how to play chess at early stages of life:
1) Concentration: Children learn to observe and stay focused. IF they are not focused they cannot react to the situation no matter how smart of fast they are.
2) Imagination: Children have to imagine the sequence of the actions before they happen. The training will improve this skill by moving figures forward in their mind by one move only and later by several moves.
3) Think forward: Children learn to think first and then act. We teach them to answer their own question : If I do this what can happen then and how can I answer. In time, they learn how to be patient.
4) Decision making: Children learn not to take the first thing immediately, they learn to distinguish opportunities and analyze them deeply in different situations.
5) Analysis: Children lean to analyze and resolve specific actions and plans. Will their decision help them or not. It is better to take it logically then with impulse.
6) Abstract thinking: Children observe in each step small details but they have to put it to a big picture after all. They learn how to use the given laws and use it in the practice.
7) Planning: Children learn to watch many goals and find the ways and paths which would bring them to these goals. They learn to change plans while on the path if strategy requires it.
8) Multiple-views: Children are supported not to stay with one decision no matter what (stubborn) but think about several other factors and several other point of views.
All these above and many more are developed in children who play chess much faster than with class mates who don't know how to play chess. It is up to the parents do decide. Of course your child doesn't not have to become grand master or play chess professionally, no matter what, chess will help them in many life situations.
Best regards,
Alexander Horvath
CEO OpeningMaster