 published a study that tracked more than 10,000 older Australians over the course of a decade and concluded that chess and other cognitively stimulating leisure activities may help reduce the risk of dementia. It's a view shared by Barbara Sahakian, a neuroscience professor at the University of Cambridge, who says that chess players, particularly those who play competitively in leagues and tournaments, become fast thinkers. 'Chess games are good for the brain as they require concentration, working memory, planning and problem solving,' she says. 'Therefore, they activate the brain regions involved in those cognitive processes. This is like a brain workout but also means you get better in those forms of cognition.' But chess is not the only skill that researchers have found t){kind=link}
There is some wisdom to Rishi Sunak’s belief that chess is good for the mind, a new study reveals
The Soviet, and later Swiss grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi, was renowned for not only being the strongest player never to become world chess champion, but also for his exceptional longevity in the game.
Korchnoi, who was still ranked in the world’s top 100 at the age of 75, retained his remarkable memory and calculating abilities right until the end of his life, playing competitively until just a few months before his death at 85 in 2016.
Was his chess-playing skill the secret to his life-long mental agility? It’s a theory our Prime Minister, who has repeatedly promoted the benefits of the game, may believe in.
During a visit to Washington this week, Rishi Sunak commented, “I’m actually doing a little bit of work now on how we can get more people in the United Kingdom to play chess, because it’s so good for you. It’s a great skill, and it’s really good for helping you think.”