Playing chess to improve math ability

I am a student in high school and I aim to become an engineer, however math is quite hard. I'm fairly certain I can handle the math, but if I improved my mathematical ability then it would make things much easier. A friend of mine told me that playing chess once a day could make you better at math.

I don't know if this is true or not. That's why I decided to ask the experts. Could playing chess improve my mathematical ability?

I study a lot during my spare time so it's not worth saying "You should focus on your studies instead". I'm simply asking whether chess could help me or not.

Nope.  It won't help a bit.

Since there may be intuitional patterns associated with mathematical learning, then I'll have to say that it is unknown whether or not the exercise of playing chess may help in opening a door to mathematical thought. I could be more vague I guess

I don't think it does help with math (I've done Calculus I, II, and III and played chess for two years).

It's my experience it does not help at all.

People are often strong in both fields, if they practice enough and if they have the ability. I think the two go hand in hand, but the one does not facilitate the other. 

buddy  i am civilengineer...playing chess improves your chess n cant b linked to improving maths 

for maths u just  need to understand the concepts and then solve as many questions as u like but  the trick is to doit regularly

At the very least, I've noticed that transitioning from a poor to a strong player because of improvements in discipline, focus and thought process translate to all other mental activities one engages in life.   I became a better engineer because I started learning to play this game better.

If you sucked at math because you lacked patience or never checked your work or rushed without being systematic  ... or worse yet, you kept hand-waving through answers without being thorough .... THEN after learning to play chess better by changing all of these bad behaviors ... then yes, your math will improve! 

If you sucked at math because you just can't understand abstract ideas, well ... you're going to keep sucking at math.

hmm u r right well that can be  done without playing chess  also..

I beleive chess improved my attitude towards math by a great deal. I used to be very bad at math. I sat down with my book read it for five minutes and then I decided I don't have the "talent" for this.

Then came chess which is considered a game that needs talent(just like math). But that is a false statement. You can improve your tactical ability and there is a plenty of positional concepts to learn. This game is actually learnable.

So I said to myself If chess, which is such a complicated can be learned than math can't be much more different. So a few weeks ago I sat down with my high school math book again and put a lot more effort into trying to understand concepts. I'm not saying I became an expert but I could solve some problems that I have never been able to do when I was younger. Only because of chess.

However it made me bored pretty quick even if I understood it. Keeping on doing something that you are not really interested in is what I consider the real talent.

Many years of studying math taught me that the best way to improve at math is doing math. In fact it is pretty much the only way.

I don't think it helps, but it can't be bad either! 

In fact I know an International Master who is also a psychologist and not particulary good at math...and he is incredible at chess

Use your chess study time for math directly.  Much bigger payoff.

exactly very true

Maths isn't one thing. People tend to be excellent at the variety of maths they are required to use. You don't get better at the variety of maths you are required to use, without practising the variety of maths you are required to use. I haven't sat a single maths exam and found a chess tactic to come in handy yet. 

+10

Oh, I see just about everyone said the same thing.  Yes, to get better at math practice math.  To get better at chess, practice chess.  There is nearly zero cross over.  Concentration and problem solving I suppose, but if that's what you want you could also do a jigsaw puzzle.

I would say that many individuals who are gifted with the ability to think critically are usually above average naturally at chess and math. However, thinking that playing chess will increase your ability to learn math is wrong. 

I'm not exact sure what you mean by "better". I assume you mean "quicker to learn". Although chess may help keep your mind active, I would like to make this analogy...

If I am a Basketball player and I decide to play football very seriously will this help me be a better basketball player?

Both games require some atheletic talent and are somewhat related, however, they still require different skill sets. You may become more fit in general but no matter how much you train to play football, this will not necessarily translate into you becoming a better basketball player. 

A field of mathematics, game theory, is directly related to chess.  Studying and playing chess from a game theory perspective will help you with mathematics if the field of game theory is a perspective that you understand.  As you probably know all fields of mathematics are related to each other.  Mathematicians specialize in fields whose perspective of mathematics as a whole they understand.  

How exactly does one play chess from a game theory perpective?

Well, at this point it has to be mentioned that math is not something you just "learn", but instead an art in which you develop your own style, requiring imagination and creativity.

That being said ... back to topic ...

People who play chess are more likely to be good at math and vice versa. This is not because one helps with the other but because an obsessive mind is needed to excel in both.