Does Playing Chess Diminish Cognitive Aging?

Naman Kumar

3/24/2024

Cognitive aging occurs naturally to people as they get older. There is usually a decline in their memory and processing speed, and some people experience a greater decline in their cognitive abilities. Even though this process is inevitable, there are potential ways to reduce its effect. As a chess player, I was very surprised to learn that the game of chess can be an effective tool to mitigate the adverse effects of cognitive aging. Several recent research studies find that consistent chess practice can lead to an improved cognitive, social, and psychological well-being. Even a few chess training sessions over a three-month period can improve cognition.

I am currently trying to develop research projects to examine the benefits of chess against cognitive decline associated with aging. A growing literature examining the link between chess and aging already finds that chess could potentially act as a preventive measure against dementia–a disease related to memory loss–among elders. Other mental games, such as Go, have similar effects. Therefore, a collection of brain games like chess could be used as a preventive shield against cognitive aging.

Chess can also lead to other benefits, which may indirectly help reduce cognitive aging and may serve as an amplification mechanism. For example, mental activity leads to better physical health, which in turn results in better cognition and reduced aging effects. Social activities and staying active physically can cause similar improvements, but chess appears to have a stronger impact. Connecting these types of activities to build a community around chess could serve as an optimal solution. Since chess is popular across many age groups, younger kids can also join the chess network of their grandparents. Even having chess meetups once a month can lead to substantial improvements against cognitive aging.

Chess can act as a preventive measure against other brain-related diseases too. For example, it has shown promise in potentially slowing down Alzheimer's disease. Further research is needed to determine whether chess and other related brain games can provide at least a partial cure against already diagonosed aging effects. The realization that chess might offer such great mental health benefits has increased my commitment to this quest. Chess is not just a game; it is potentially a key ingredient to stronger brain health. The idea that something I have pursued for over a decade could play a bigger role in our society has motivated me to explore the connection between chess and cognitive aging further. In the next several months, I hope to share my findings through this website.