With the development of information technology, chess has not lost its popularity – it has gained new forms and uses. Through chess, children also learn a great deal about friendship, because every opponent can also become a new friend.
Why Chess Is Good for Children
Goethe said that chess is a test of the mind, while Voltaire went even further, saying that of all games chess deserves the greatest honour of the human intellect. The great thinkers of the world were not alone in praising the 64 squares and 32 pieces: a contest on the chessboard has always been regarded as both an intellectual and a sporting challenge.
Research indicates that chess is an excellent training ground for developing intelligence, memory, concentration and creativity. Through regular practice, young chess players learn patience and discipline, solve problems more efficiently and organize their time better.
Petar Benković from Sremska Mitrovica, an accomplished chess master with numerous awards from domestic and international tournaments, confirms this from experience. As a chess teacher working with young players, he says that chess changed his own life for the better.
“Chess, with all the ups and downs that are part of competitive life, has given me many wonderful things. I travelled the world, discovered different countries and cities and the cultures of other peoples, made many friends, became independent, learned to make my own decisions and to communicate in two foreign languages.”
He is always happy to share his story with children interested in chess, trying through each game to pass on sound values for life.
Children become curious at a very early age and try to uncover the secrets of chess. Because there is always more to discover, their interest can continue to grow. The most important thing is that a child has the desire and willingness to learn; the rest can develop naturally.
Children who come to love chess and compete from an early age often continue to enjoy it throughout their lives. Chess can become a special, difficult-to-explain passion. Some children take to it immediately and some do not, but educators, teachers and coaches can make a great difference by introducing the game in the right way.
After several training sessions, an experienced coach can begin to see a child’s natural aptitude for chess. The way the child thinks, develops ideas, notices details and uses memory are among the qualities a teacher can observe early on.
Because chess also has an artistic dimension, Benković says that during play he tries to recognize a child’s creative potential. Since chess combines sport, art and science, the goal is not only to achieve the best competitive results, but also to learn useful values for life.
When children learn to think ahead, make sound decisions, develop memory and combine ideas, they can apply those skills in ordinary schoolwork as well.
The good news for chess lovers is that anyone who truly wants to improve can become very good at the game. As in other fields, children differ in natural talent, but consistent work and training are decisive.
As László Polgár famously argued, a genius is not simply born but is developed through persistent work. Talent is only the beginning; everything else depends on work, discipline and love for what we do.
Source: newspaper interview “Mali igrači, veliki mudraci” (“Young Players, Wise Minds”), Dečja planeta, 24 March 2019. Interview by Tatjana Loš.