Benefits of Chess and the PowerChess Program

Educators and parents have long known that chess is an excellent tool to teach students mathematical concepts. However, recently, research has also demonstrated its connection to standards in the fields of language arts (reading, writing, oral presentation), social studies (geography and mapping), and science (graphing and critical thinking skills).

Some of the documented benefits of chess instruction include:

• Improved cognitive skills (including concentration, pattern recognition, decision-making, algebraic and geometric thinking, problem-solving, spatial reasoning, and critical thinking)

• Improved self-confidence and self-worth

• Increased attention span

• Increased memory capacity

• Better understanding of choice and consequences for problem-solving…helps students realize that they are responsible for their actions and must accept the consequences of those actions

• Offers a logical pattern and critical-thinking system

• Provides competition, fostering interest and promoting mental alertness

• Offers a variety of quality analytical problems from which to choose

• Teaches good sportsmanship

• Improves communication through written and oral presentation skills

• Increases math and verbal test scores.

Source: Teaching Chess in the 21st Century: Strategies and Connections to a Standards-Based World by Todd Barwick.

PowerChess uniquely combines the expertise of US Chess Federation Candidate Master, Powell Walker, and a proven curriculum to help your students achieve these results. PowerChess balances the use of the ChessKids.com curriculum, which is 100% student-safe and student-friendly, with in-person instruction and competitive classroom tournaments. This format allows students to learn the foundational principles of chess in just a few weeks and then dive deeper into chess strategies and complex problem-solving. PowerChess students have gone on from my program to win state titles and compete in national tournaments.

As your student learns how to play chess, they too will learn how to tap into a greater portion of their minds, unlocking the ability to think at a deeper level and perhaps go on to play at local, state, and national competitions throughout their lives.

For the Winter 2025 semester, PowerChess will offer once-a-week, 1-hour group classes in Salt Lake City and surrounding areas schools All registered students in a PowerChess After-School program will also have access to premium content on the ChessKid platform for additional at-home learning opportunities.