Does Playing Chess or Puzzle-Solving Improve a Child's IQ?

There are many indicators of a child's intelligence, but perhaps the most recognizable signs are analytical, logical, and critical thinking. Activities like playing chess and solving puzzles are known to boost a child's intelligence. Let's see how.

Does playing chess and solving puzzles improve a child's IQ?

Whether a person's intelligence quotient is "natural" or nurtured is something that's been hotly debated for many decades no. But whichever side of the debate you're on, it's worth noting that practice and honing skills are a huge part of building intelligence.

Here are eight ways playing puzzles and chess builds a child's intelligence. Let's take a look.

1. They improve strategy skills

Many logic-based puzzles, most notably, chess, involve a lot of strategic thinking. By regularly playing these games, your child automatically learns to think ahead and anticipate diverse outcomes for a particular situation. Another benefit of being good at strategic thinking is that you can try to decipher and predict an opponent's moves.

Children can apply these skills in various aspects of their daily life too, such as sports or when they travel to different locations.

2. They help your child think faster

Chess and other time-based puzzles have an urgency to them. So being strategic and analytical is all well and good, but it only pays off when you're quick with your moves! Since time is a factor, you're forced to think on your feet. You're forced to make decisions with a long-term stake (as far as the game is concerned, at least) in a brief amount of time.

Quick thinking is a skill that can be universally applied to your life. So the next time you're in a difficult or sticky situation, your puzzle-solving skills could come in handy!

3. They improve decision-making skills

Making quick decisions during chess and other games is just practice for real life. Fortunately, the decisions you make in the game don't have too many dire consequences, but they are an excellent way for you to understand how you make choices throughout your day and life.

Chess and puzzles give you perspective on how decisions and made and give you insights on you can improve that skill in yourself.

4. They improve memory

Have you ever wondered how your favorite chess players remember so many complex moves? It's all practice.

Playing chess and puzzles regularly builds your (brain's) muscle memory. There are the common moves you have to remember, the potential routes the game will take, and the potential moves your opponent might make. Phew, that's a lot, isn't it?

The silver lining is that this is exactly the sort of intense exercise that will help you build memory skills in the long run.

5. They hone analytical thinking

Chess and logic puzzles take a lot of analysis. The analysis is what helps you make decisions and understand your competitors. And this is not just analysis before a game, but also during and after it. Regularly playing these puzzles will allow you to analyze gameplay and strategies from various angles.

As you keep playing chess and puzzles, preferably daily, analysis and critical thinking will become second nature to you.

6. They improve mathematical skills

Keeping track of points is a pretty common aspect of many logic puzzles and chess as well. This will help you build mental math skills — addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division which you'll have to do during the game.

One aspect of the strategy is also making decisions based on probability and statistics. These other aspects of mathematics that you can improve with games.

7. They build concentration and focus

Puzzles and chess also help build concentration and focus. Playing teaches you to be singlemindedly focused on making strategic moves that lead you to win the game.

In addition to concentration and focus, they teach your child to make patient and calculated decisions throughout the game.

8. They help your child think outside the box

By constantly playing games, you gradually learn what strategies work for you and what don't. You're also likely to experiment and try out new moves. The more you do this, the more you also explore new points of view that allow you to approach games from different perspectives.

A great way your child can hone chess skills is to work with a private tutor. If you are looking for chess tutors in Dubai, visit MyPrivateTutor UAE.  

Share this post:

MyPrivateTutor UAE

MyPrivateTutor is an online marketplace for all kinds of tutoring and learning services. We provide a platform to help learners find home tutors, online tutors, expert trainers,tutorial centers, training institutes and online tutoring schools. Learners can also find local classes, workshops, online courses and tutorials on a huge variety of topics. We operate in 12 countries worldwide and our community of learners, teachers and training businesses numbers over 200,000. We provide an opportunity for individual tutors and tutoring businesses to promote and grow their business.