Numerous studies have found an integral relationship between chess and academics. In a Texas study, non-honors elementary students who participated in a school chess club showed twice the improvement in reading and mathematics between third and fifth grades when compared to non-chess players.

New Jersey has a state law that recommends second graders be taught how to play chess. J. A Bain reports in Chess Tactics for Students that “the educational value of chess instruction in public schools is notable.

A New York public school study shows chess playing students gain in reading comprehension skills at greater rate than non-chess playing peers.”

Anecdotally, chess masters and teachers alike suggest that chess improves critical thinking, mentally analyzing and cataloging large volumes of information, the ability to detect patterns, focus and concentration, overcoming obstacles and then applying this information to create effective solutions, and creative problem solving.

Relationship between Chess & Achievement:
Math teacher and chess-club sponsor Jan Brandt, a Richmond Virginia, mother of four, describes chess as "probably the best game there is for developing logical and precise thinking." In Brandt's view, chess also helps to encourage patience, sharp memory, the ability to concentrate, problem-solving skills and the understanding that certain behaviors carry certain consequences.

Pete Shaw, a computer-science teacher has taught hundreds of kids in Pulaski Virginia, to play chess. "It's like turning on switches in their heads," he says. "You fell as though you can watch the brain working through a window. The game demands both inductive and deductive reasoning. You see the kid looking at a problem, breaking it down, then putting the whole thing back together. The process involves recall, analysis, judgment and abstract reasoning."

Some researchers in this field have suggested a link between mathematics skills and chess skills. Jeffrey Chesin, who teaches inner-city kids in Philadelphia agrees that the thought processes in math and chess are similar. "But that's not the whole story," he adds. "Youngsters who are good in chess will probably be good in math or in any problem-solving situation," Chesin says, "but kids who excel in math will not necessarily be good chess players."

Chess and Standard Test Scores:
Regular (non-honors) Elementary students who participated in a school chess-club showed twice the improvement of non-chess-players in Reading and Mathematics between third and fifth grades on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills.

In fifth grade, regular-track chess-players scored 4.3 TLI points higher in reading (p<.01) and 6.4 points higher in math (p<.00001) than non-chess players. The purpose of this study is to document the effect of participation in chess club upon the standardized test scores of elementary school students. The study was conducted in four of the elementary schools in a large suburban school district near Houston, Texas.

It compared the third grade and fifth grade scores on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) of students who participated in a school chess club in fourth and/or fifth grade with the scores of students who did not participate in a chess club. Significant improvement in math and reading scores were found among the regular track chess students.

Chess and Standard Test Scores:
The mathematics curriculum in New Brunswick, Canada is text series called challenging Mathematics, which uses chess to teach logic from grades 2 to 7. Using this curriculum, the average problem-solving score of pupils in the province increased from 62% to 81%.

Reports from students, teachers and parents not only extol the academic benefits of chess on math problem solving skills and reading comprehension but also report increased self-confidence, patience, memory, logic, critical thinking, observation, analysis, creativity, concentration, persistence, self-control, sportsmanship, responsibility, respect for others, self esteem, coping with frustration and many other positive influences which are difficult to measure but can make a great difference in student attitude, motivation and achievement.