Chess, a game designed for mind suitable for people in all age ranges

A hobby, yet a true “gym for your mind”: here’s how to improve your own cognitive skills, concentration, problem solving, memory capacity and learn how to best handle stress by playing chess.

A real “gym for mind”: this is how the game of chess is often defined, among the most loved, inclusive and ancient strategy games ever, so much so that it’s usually considered a real sport and not just a hobby. The preparation required to play chess competitively is similar to what other sports need, indeed: constant training, in-depth study of tactics and openings, development of mental resistance and optimal management of emotions and thoughts.

It is therefore no coincidence that chess is played at a competitive level in real tournaments, ranging from local competitions to prestigious international events, attracting thousands of enthusiasts and professionals from all over the world every year. And just like sports, there are world championships, professional teams and coaches too, who work with great passion to improve the performance of players, honing their techniques and cognitive skills.

Although it doesn’t involve physical movements, playing chess stimulates brain intensively, testing analytical skills, memory, concentration and strategic thinking, yet self-confidence in one’s skills, as well as the ability to make decisions quickly and rationally. Furthermore, it teaches how to manage pressure and keep emotional control even in critical situations, a factor that makes it a valuable ally to learn how to face challenges with greater resilience, readiness and positivity.

At the same time, it’s an activity extremely equal by nature: in a game of chess, each player has the same chances of success, regardless of variables like gender, age, origin or cultural background, since it is rather mental preparation, study and the ability to make quick and accurate decisions that make a difference, skills to refine with constant practice and a great desire to overcome one’s limits. Official chess competitions are usually mixed and include people of all ages, even children up to older players, enabling anyone to win with a good dose of commitment and a pinch of talent.

On the other hand, this means that anyone, once they’ve learned rules and basics of chess, can find out the benefits that this game can offer: from beginners to experts, it allows to hone a wide range of cognitive and psychological skills. This explains its growing popularity in educational contexts, such as schools, where chess games represent a fun and stimulating tool to develop crucial skills in children, such as concentration, problem solving, creativity, stress management and self-confidence.

Playing chess: a discipline to stimulate mind, self-forcefulness and social skills

Its fame has grown over the centuries, from a court game to a popular hobby, until reaching its current dimension, recognized worldwide as one of the most complete and beneficial mental exercises. Yet, while many know the rules of the game of chess, the awareness about how much it can positively influence the development of cognitive abilities is still little.

The game of chess stimulates different areas of the brain, including those that affect logic and the ones responsible for memory, concentration, creativity and resilience, which makes it an ideal “training” to sharpen all mind’s abilities. Moreover, the dynamics of chess games and its rules contribute to improving numerous cognitive and psychological skills, such as stress management, quick decisions-making and adaptability, skills easily transferable to many other areas of life.

What does really make chess such a special game?

Why is there so much talk about chess’s ability to stimulate brain, and how can it become a tool to improve intellectual abilities? The answer lies in the complex dynamic of the game and the challenges players must deal with. Playing chess in fact means constantly facing new problems to solve, strategies to develop and the need to train your mind to think critically and rationally, in order to anticipate and respond to the opponent’s moves and strategies.

In today’s world, increasingly fast and stimulating, we are constantly flooded by information, which usually requires immediate but superficial attention. This approach can weaken the ability to focus in the long term, to think strategically and alternatively. The game of chess invites people to slow down, to ponder each move and consider long-term repercussions of any choices. In fact, each game is a journey that requires to make decisions with a fast and deep analysis of positions, opponent’s next potential moves and one’s own future strategies.

From a cognitive point of view, playing chess activates many areas of the brain. Visual and spacial memory are continuously focused, enabling the player to remember the position of all the pieces on the board and anticipate the next moves. Same goes for logical thinking and problem-solving skills, constantly put to the test as each move must be carefully pondered evaluating the opponent’s possibilities. Playing chess also develops greater awareness of one’s emotions, learning how to manage frustration, impatience and pressure.

But it’s not only rational thinking and cognitive well-being that benefit from playing chess. Several studies show how a game of chess significantly helps improve stress management and social skills, strengthen mental discipline thus make individuals with greater resilience and discipline, precious mental skills to overcome obstacles with serenity and positivity. It also teaches that every win requires commitment and strategy, a more positive conception of oneself and one’s abilities to successfully face unexpected events and difficulties.

On a psychological level, chess indeed stimulates self-discipline and patience, significantly contributing to strengthen self-confidence. Every successfully planned move and every game won represents a positive reinforcement to increase self-efficacy and the perception of one’s abilities. This process of “success in small doses” helps build a stronger mentality, making players more aware of their potential and capable of facing increasingly difficult challenges with confidence. Furthermore, the ability to stay focused and make quick decisions in game develops a sense of control that positively affects daily life, empowering confidence.

Although the direct confrontation between two players is the core of chess, the dynamics that develop in game also stimulate the ability to read opponent’s emotions and non-verbal signals, encouraging dialogue and mutual respect. This social aspect is positively reflected in interpersonal relationships, enhancing the ability to socialize with a great impact beyond the chessboard as well!

Boost your mind by playing chess: 7 cognitive skills to develop game after game

Playing chess is not only about having fun, but also about training mental and intellectual skills that can play a significant role in many other aspects of daily life. Let’s find them out:

1. Strategic thinking

A chess game is an ongoing exercise in long-term planning. Each move must be pondered in terms of strategy and future moves, not just regarding the actual situation. This develops the ability to think ahead and foresee the consequences of any actions.

2. Problem solving

At the same time, each game can be seen as a real puzzle to solve: players must be able to analyze the situation quickly, identify problems and find creative and effective solutions. This type of training significantly improves problem-solving skills, a precious ability that can be transferred to work and/or personal life.

3. Memory

Memory, especially visual and spacial, is constantly challenged in chess. Players need to remember the positions of pieces, openings, previous moves, and their opponent’s overall strategies, thus improving their ability to visualize and recall information. A skill that can be significantly improved with a lot of practice and consistency.

4. Concentration

The game of chess requires full and prolonged concentration, in which each move must be carefully considered, taking into account the current position of pieces and all the potential evolutions of the chessboard. This process of continuous and intensive concentration trains the mind to stay alert and reactive along with developments in game, honing the ability to anticipate moves, improve prediction and strategic analysis. Not to mention the positive effects of chess on the ability to keep high attention when intense cognitive effort is needed, such as atwork for difficult tasks, or while studying for some hard exams, or still all those situations that require deep concentration.

5. Stress management and emotional self-control

During a chess game, players face high-pressure situations, especially when they’re going through some disadvantage and have to make a crucial move. This kind of situation provides key practical lessons on how to manage stress, keep calm, and make proper decisions.

6. Analysis and adaptation

Chess champions do not simply follow preset strategies, but constantly engage in an analysis of the ongoing game. Each opponent’s move is carefully evaluated, and responses adapt in real time, based on the situation, thus requiring a flexible mindset, capable of continuously reviewing different strategies and making new decisions in unpredictable circumstances. This mental training makes players more skilled at managing the game, preparing them to deal with changing and unexpected situations even in life, where adaptability is a crucial skill for solving problems and overcoming challenges.

7. Quick thinking and decision making

In some game formats, such as blitz or rapid, players have only a few minutes to make all their moves. This develops great ability in making quick and well-considered decisions, improving quickness in action even in everyday contexts, such as making decisions for some work negotiation, managing time when you have to meet tight deadlines or making sudden choices, where quick thinking and the ability to respond promptly to unexpected events can determine the success or, otherwise, the failure.

That said, how do you become a good chess player? How do you reap all the cognitive, psychological and social benefits that this game has to offer? The key is to adopt a structured and consistent approach, treating it like a real sport: it is not enough to play sometimes, but it is necessary to dedicate yourself to targeted training to stimulate all the skills you need.

From a solid understanding of the basics to daily practice with chess puzzles, each step helps improve memory, concentration, analytical skills and stress management, making players better at the game and as individuals in life. Competing with different opponents and reflecting on your games is essential to develop a more strategic and resilient mindset.

In this way, the game of chess becomes much more than just a hobby, but a real gym for mental and personal growth. Following, a few tips to fully exploit the potential of chess.

Playing chess: 9 tips to train your mind and improve its skills

Training mind and reinforcing cognitive skills with chess requires diligence, consistency and specific learning strategies. Here’s how to improve your skills with this entertaining game:

1. Begin by the basics with the essential rules

Before dealing with more complex games, it is key to understand the fundamental rules of chess, such as piece movements, the concept of checkmate, and openings. A solid overview of the basics help players to make more informed and strategic decisions, allowing to sharpen the cognitive skills since the very first games.

2. Refine visual and spacial memory

Visual and spacial memory is one of the main cognitive aspects stimulated by playing chess. To improve these skills, it is useful to analyze chess configurations of previous games and try to mentally reproduce them, focusing on the arrangement of pieces on the board. Moreover, training to memorize the most common moves or openings help make memory more agile, facilitating the retrieval of information at critical moments during a match.

3. Challenge abilities with quick chess gaming

Although it is initially a stressful experience, training with quick matches develops reactivity and allows to deal with high-pressure situations quickly and rationally, both in game and in life. For example, in game formats like blitz or rapid, in which time is limited, players are forced to make quick and targeted decisions. This kind of training promotes a significant enhancement in quick thinking and in adapting to change of circumstances, refining the skill to process information in a short time and take precise choices.

4. Learn opening moves and strategies

Spending time in learning the most common chess openings and basic strategies provides a solid know-how to build a game strategy: recognizing patterns and sequences in openings allows to confidently anticipate the opponent’s moves and plan your own more accurately. This training stimulates the ability to analyze and predict, developing a mindset oriented to long-term planning and adapting to subsequent moves, essential to tackle game successfully.

5. Practice chess problem solving

Chess problems are exceptional for honing analytical and problem-solving skills. These exercises require to deal with specific situations and solve them with a limited number of moves, encouraging strategic thinking and the ability to make effective choices in short time. This stimulates creativity and alternative thinking, empowering the search for innovative solutions to complex issues.

6. Learn from the previous games

At the end of each game, it’s important to take time to analyze the moves, understand if and where mistakes were made, what was right and what could have be done better, in a self-assessment process that stimulates critical thinking and helps understand the dynamics of the game. On the other hand, studying games played by other players, especially masters, represents a great opportunity to learn new strategies and approaches, to be successfully applied in future games and therefore enriching and improving the player’s repertoire.

7. Focus on concentration and stress management

Chess requires good concentration and great stress management, since games can quickly become very intense and competitive. Practicing to keep calm and stay focused when the game turns tough is certainly a good way to strengthen your mental discipline. It is useful to focus on a single move at a time, avoiding to be thinking too much in advance, concentrating exclusively on the current game situation.

8. Play against different opponents

Facing players with different playing styles is important to develop greater adaptability and improve analytical skills. Each opponent masters their own approach, moves and strategies, and exposure to multiple diverse styles is key to growing as a player, in order to analyze the same situation from different perspectives and increase the ability to make proper decisions.

9. Learn to best handle your emotions and understand opponent’s ones

Chess is not just a test of technical skills, but also involves fundamental psychological factors. Indeed, learning to read opponent’s intentions and manage one’s emotions is key to success. To train this, it’s useful to regularly practice stress management techniques, like visualization and breathing exercises, that help keep calm during the game and not to be overwhelmed by pressure. Another useful way refers to meditation, which promotes concentration and mental serenity. Furthermore, training in high-pressure situations, such as tournaments or rapid matches, can further improve this skill.

Finally, it is important to never forget to have fun! The game of chess, after all, is a source of pleasure and growth, which stimulates mind giving a chance for relaxation and socialization.

Learn the secrets of the game of chess at the Chess Academy by Forte Village

The ideal place to learn and practice these skills, maximizing all the potential offered by the game of chess, is the Chess Academy by Forte Village, a renowned five-star resort immersed in the uncontaminated nature of Santa Margherita di Pula, in South Sardinia, near some of the most beautiful beaches on the island, only 45 minutes by car from Cagliari, which makes the wide range of excellent academies (sports and more) for the whole family its signature great strength. Academies that allowed the Resort to be awarded, respectively for the twelfth and sixth consecutive time, the titles of “World’s Leading Sports Academy 2024” (for the best world sports academies), and “World’s Leading Sport Resort 2024” (for world’s excellence in sports-resorts) at the recent World Travel Awards 2024 in Funchal.

Under the guidance of chess champions, including Russian Anatolij Karpov, winner of many world titles and true living legend of the discipline, beginners and amateurs of all ages (the academy is open to children aged 4+) will learn the basics of the game, hone their strategies, master new ones and put them into practice right away, based on their level.

The courses, which will take place from July 15 to August 16, 2025, will be divided into different levels, offering beginners the opportunity to learn the basic rules and experts a chance to tackle more advanced strategies, transforming themselves into true aces of chess. Group lessons can then be accompanied by individual sessions, ideal for those looking for more personalized support and guidance.

Week after week, participants will have the opportunity to practice what they have learned at the lessons with tournaments and competitions designed to stimulate skills and fun playing. So each challenge becomes an engaging experience, where competition blends with the pleasure of fun in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Not to be missed also the chance to participate in simultaneous games with chess masters, an exclusive opportunity to directly challenge professionals, learning from the best players.

For further information or for booking individual or group lessons at the Forte Village Chess Academy, please call to +390709218818 or send an email to holiday@fortevillage.com.

Do you want to discover the secrets of the game of chess and experience a dream holiday in a true paradise? Discover Forte Village Resort in Sardinia