Knowing how to play chess can be extremely beneficial to children – 

here's why

I never understood the benefits of chess because I never learned to play the game. As a kid I would watch the adults play the game and sit for hours methodically choosing their moves. In fact, I thought the game took too long and they were just being picky about moving their pieces across the board. What I didn't know was the level of intelligence, planning, patience and just the mere thought process that was required to win.

学习下国际象棋会对孩子产生至关重要的帮助—为什么我要让孩子学棋

因为我从来没有学过国际象棋所以一直不了解学棋的好处。当我还是个孩子的时候，看到过大人们在下棋时可以一连坐上几个小时思考他们接下来的棋。实际上，我当时认为下棋太花时间了，不过就是在棋盘上移动棋子而已，可那些人对他们下的每步棋都太讲究了。当时的我不明白，智力，计划，耐心以及如何思考的过程都是赢棋所必需的要素。

Knowing how to play chess, in fact, helps you in so many other areas in 

life. When I realized this, I knew that chess was a game I wanted my kids 

to play. There are some great benefits to introducing this game to all children, and here's why.

实际上，学习下国际象棋能帮助到你生活中的方方面面。当我认识到这个后，我就意识到我想让我的孩子们学习下棋。学习国际象棋对少儿来说有巨大的裨益，为什么呢？

1. Critical thinking

Moms can really be "mama bears" at times. If you're a mom who finds it easier to answer a question for your kids instead of requiring them to think it through, or you are always quick to come to their defense, then you'll want your child to play chess. Chess requires critical thinking skills. Your child will have to think ahead several moves before moving. Chess is methodical. Sometimes as parents we coddle our kids and think for them. We are always quick to do things for them instead of allowing them to use their own brains to conjure up a solution. As a parent, if you're having problems pulling back and allowing your child to do things on their own, enlist them in a chess class and allow them to learn and think on their own. This is a great way to do that.

1.  批判性思维

不得不说，妈妈们很多时候会对孩子们过度保护。如果你也是位认为替你的孩子解决问题比让他们自己想办法来得容易的妈妈，或者遇到任何事你总是立即赶去帮助他们，那么你就该让你的孩子学习国际象棋。国际象棋需要批判性思考能力，你的孩子需要在行棋前思考好几步。国际象棋需要有系统性的思考。有时候，作为家长我们一味地爱他们什么都为他们考虑。我们总是很快帮他们把事情做好却没有给他们机会让他们自己动脑子想办法。如果你确实很难做到放手，让他们独自解决问题，那么就让他们上国际象棋课，让他们自己学会如何独立去思考，这是很好的一个途径。

2. Pump up the brainpower

I don't want to get too technical but there's something called dendrites in the brain that grow exponentially when kids are engaged in a game like chess. What this means is that your child gets increased brain power potential and capacity. Our children need brain power to survive in the classroom these days with mandated state tests that are truly difficult for some kids to master. Every little bit helps and there aren't many games that help the brain to get a little pumped.

2.脑力发动机

我不想把这个说得太玄乎，但是孩子们进行国际象棋之类的脑力运动时，在人脑里面叫做脑触的部分会加速增长。这代表了你的孩子的智力和潜能的提高。现如今学好学校的课程并不简单，并且各种大小考试对很多孩子来说也是非常的困难。不是所有的锻炼都能帮助他们的大脑变得更强大，而国际象棋的训练，即使只做了一点点也都让他们受益匪浅。

3. Life skills

Ever heard the saying, common sense is not common? Well at least with chess your kids develop analytical, synthetic and decision-making skills, which they can transfer to real life. We all know real life skills are essential.

3. 生活技能

你听过这个谚语吗？常识并不平常。起码国际象棋帮助你的孩子提高他们的分析能力，综合思考和决策能力，这些他们将运用到真实的生活。我们都知道生活中的技能都是至关重要的。

4. Higher order thinking

Chess calls upon higher-order thinking skills, helps them analyze actions and consequences and visualize future possibilities. What are higher-order thinking skills? With kids you want them to be able to truly analyze information on a higher level. Students must master the lower-level skills before they can engage in higher-order thinking and playing chess helps them do that.

4.处理复杂问题的能力

国际象棋要求有处理复杂问题的能力，这些帮助孩子们分析行为和后果并且想象未来的不同可能性。什么是处理复杂问题的能力？对于孩子而言，你希望他们能够站在一个更高的水平上来正确地分析信息。学生在学会复杂问题的处理能力之前必须掌握解决基础问题的技能，而国际象棋能够很好地帮助孩子们学会这点。

5. Learning discipline

Chess teaches discipline from a very early age. This is one of the best parts of having your child learn chess, if you know what I mean. Chess teaches kids to anticipate and to plan ahead. That's a very useful skill that they can apply to planning out their clothes for the week for school. Also with playing chess, you have to plan things out. Another plus is that your kids  learn if they plan well, they get rewarded in chess. If you don't plan well, you suffer the consequences and get punished. That also applies in real 

life.

5. 学习纪律

国际象棋教会学生在很小的年龄就懂得纪律的重要性。这个也是孩子学习国际象棋最大的好处之一。国际象棋教会学生去参与并且提前做好计划。这个是很有用的技能，比如说他们要提前计划好在学校的一周该穿什么。下棋的过程中，你也要有好的计划。同样的，你的孩子若知道他们对这盘棋有好的计划，他们下的过程中会有收获连连，反之，他就会在下面的一步步中越走越糟，受到惩罚。真实的生活也是如此。