Does Chess Make Kids Smarter?

Parents who know little or nothing about chess often sign their children up for clubs or lessons because they’ve read that this will improve their children’s academic performance. Is there any truth in this?

Despite popular claims, there’s no strong evidence that chess has a unique, long-term impact on academic performance. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) conducted a large-scale study in UK schools and found that chess instruction did not lead to lasting improvements in maths or literacy scores. Short-term gains in engagement were noted, but they faded over time.

“There is no evidence that chess instruction leads to long-term improvements in academic attainment.”
— EEF Summary

I’d suggest that young children should be encouraged to play a wide range of simple, developmentally appropriate games at home with their family, and perhaps also at school outside lesson time. Card games, board games, table games, strategy games, games of luck, games of skill, games which combine both luck and skill. Game playing of this nature should be a vital part of the natural arc of childhood.

Each game they try will, if it’s taken seriously, provide a range of both cognitive and social benefits. Different games will provide slightly different benefits.

However, chess is neither simple nor, in general, developmentally appropriate for very young children.

If parents sign their primary school age children up for chess, whether at school, at an external club or with a private tutor, but are not able to support their learning at home, they’re probably wasting their children’s time and their money.

A much better approach for parents is to introduce simple strategy games at home, and, if they enjoy them and would like something more challenging, introduce them to chess at that point.

A better approach for primary schools might be to employ a trained teacher to run a strategy games club, and through this identifying children who might enjoy and do well at chess.

The truth is simple:

Children who are taught well, who have supportive parents and who like chess will benefit both cognitively and socially. Others won’t.

Chess isn’t for everyone – and it doesn’t need to be.