The Game of Chess

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Why Chess is Beneficial

Adam Mekhaldi

Michigan Islamic Academy

Senior Project

Sr. Samar Abbasi

December 21, 2023

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Chess is a game that has fascinated and challenged people for centuries. It is a game of

strategy, logic, and creativity, where two players try to outsmart and defeat each other on a board

with 64 squares and 32 pieces. Chess is a fun, engaging activity and a powerful tool for

education and personal development. Teaching chess to middle and high school students has

many benefits, including problem-solving, critical thinking, creative thinking, planning, and

decision-making skills. In this essay, this paper aims to explore chess's history, rules, and

benefits, as well as a plan to create a chess club at Michigan Islamic Academy. Additionally, this

paper will discuss the Islamic perspective on chess and how it can be a positive and halal activity

for Muslim students.

The game of Chess has a very long history, dating

back to 600 BCE. It was based on an Indian game that was

known as Chaturanga. The word Chaturanga meant four parts

of an army (Gendler). The game consisted of four types of

pieces: elephants, chariots, kings, and ministers, and these

pieces represented the structure of the Indian army of that

time (See Figure 1). Historians state that the pieces moved in different ways, similar to chess, but

the specific rules of this game are unknown. Chatuangua then spread to Persia, where it was

called Shatranj. The Persians chose to add another piece known as the counselor, or firzan

(Gendler). During this time, around the tenth century, the first chess game was recorded. It was

played in Baghdad between a historian and his student. Shatranj was adopted by the Muslim

world and reached Europe through the Arabian conquest of Spain and the trade routes of the Silk

Road (Gendler).

Once the game of chess reached Europe, it underwent many changes. One significant one
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was the addition of the queen, which is known as the most substantial piece on the chess board.

Another was the bishop (Gendler). Both of these pieces were added in the 15th century. As time

went on, chess became more and more popular. In 1749, the world's first chess book was

published by a French chess master named Francois-Andre Philidor. Francois-Andre Philidor

was famous for defense in pawn and rook endgames (Gendler). The book he published was

called Analyse du jeu des Échecs, which translates to The Analysis of the Game of Chess in

English. Later, in 1886, the first official chess championship between Wilhelm Steinitz and

Johannes Zukertort was held in the United States. Wilhelm Steinitz would then be the one to win

(Gendler).

Today, the game of chess is played between two players, and each player will take either

black or white. The chess board consists of 64 squares and

32 pieces, with each player having 16 pieces (Kasparov).

Each player will have eight pawns, two knights, two

bishops, two rooks, a king, and a queen (Jarvis). The

pawns are placed in the front, and behind them are the

other pieces (Figure 2). Pawns can only move forward one

square at a time except for when the pawn is first moved,

where it can move two spaces. The pawn is able to

capture another player's pieces one space diagonally. If

the pawn is able to reach the other side of the chess board,

it can be promoted into any other piece except for the king (Jarvis).

A rook, located on the corners of the board, is known to be the second strongest piece

(Kasparov). Rooks can move any number of squares, but they can only move horizontally and
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vertically; they cannot move diagonally. Next is the knight, located next to the rook and looks

like a horse (Jarvis). The knight is one of the more unique chess pieces due to its ability to move

in L-shapes (two squares in a vertical or horizontal direction, and then one square perpendicular

to that). Because of this, the knight is able to jump over obstacles such as other pieces like a real

horse (Jarvis). Unlike other chess pieces, the knight can move on both light and dark squares.

Then there is the bishop, who is next to the knight. There are two bishops, one on the light

squares and one on the dark squares. The bishop can only move diagonally for as many spaces as

it wants. If a player were to lose one bishop, his other bishop could not move diagonally on the

first bishop's original color (Jarvis).

Then comes the most powerful piece in chess, the queen. The queen is like a superhero,

having the powers of both the bishop and rook. It is able to move diagonally, horizontally, and

vertically. It can move as many squares as it wants. Then comes the king. The king is the

weakest, but most important piece on the chessboard. If

your king gets checkmated, the game is over (Jarvis).

The king can only move one square at a time, but it can

move in any direction. It is the job of the player to use

the other pieces to defend the king. Also, in chess, two

kings cannot be on adjacent squares. Due to the king

controlling all the squares around him, the other king

cannot enter (Figure 3). It is as if there is a space bubble

around the king (Jarvis).

At the beginning of a chess game, the player

with the white pieces goes first, then afterward, the player with the black pieces. In order to win,
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a player must checkmate the opposing player (Jarvis). Before we begin, the king will never be

captured in a chess game, it can only be threatened and trapped. A check is when the king is

under direct attack from another player's opposing piece. When a check happens, the player that

is being checked must either block the direct attack or move their king (Jarvis). Also, if a player

wants to move their king to a certain square that is already under direct attack, they are not able

to. Then there is the checkmate, in which the king is in check, and there is no available move to

get him out of check. Once checkmate happens to a player. They lose the game. If there were to

be an endgame, and the king was not in check but could not move, this was called a stalemate, in

which no one won due to it being a tie (Jarvis).

The game of chess uses the ELO system. ELO is a system that is used to rate how good a

certain chess player is. The system is based on numbers (Stankovic). For example, a player's

ELO rating can be 500. Depending on many factors, such as the level of the opponent and how

well the opponent does, after every game, the ELO of that player can increase or decrease

(Stankovic).

The game of chess has many great benefits. One great example is it develops perspective.

Chess is a game played between two people, and it allows one player to develop the perspective

of the other player to try and anticipate their move. This can then lead to improving empathy and

social skills with others. Another example is it improves memory (Stanborough). Chess

sometimes requires you to memorize certain plays, such as openings. Openings are used in the

beginning of games and could lead to a hefty advantage if not dealt with properly, so many chess

players memorize these openings (Powell). This can help enhance memorization, which can be

used for good things such as memorizing the Quran.

A third benefit of playing chess is it will deepen your focus. When playing chess, the
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player must stay focused and concentrated to keep up with the opponent and win the game. A

fourth benefit of playing chess is it elevates creativity. When playing chess, the player is able to

be creative and get out of tough situations doing so (Stanborough). They can also creatively trap

their opponent and win the game in this way. A fifth benefit of chess is it boosts planning skills

and helps with critical thinking. When playing chess, you must plan ahead. If you notice your

opponent has a weak side that is not defended, and it could lead to a checkmate later in the game,

you must keep that in mind and plan accordingly. Also, it can help with critical thinking by

challenging you to analyze and evaluate the board to find the best move (Seven).

Chess can also help with mental health. For example, it can help with attention deficit

hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). When someone with ADHD plays chess, it can help improve

their focus, impulse control, and self-regulation (Stanborough). Chess can also help with

reducing symptoms of certain brain conditions, such as cognitive decline and dementia, by

stimulating brain activity and also preventing brain atrophy. Chess can also be used as a positive

outlet to help with stress and anxiety. Most importantly, chess can help our daily lives by

increasing our problem-solving and decision-making skills (Powell).

My plan with Michigan Islamic Academy is to create a chess club that allows students to

learn chess in a healthy environment. The club will be after school in the computer lab. Students

from middle and high school will be able to enter. A survey will be posted explaining if they

would be interested in joining the chess club when they would like to meet, where they would

like to meet, and how good they are at chess. The plan is to accept everyone, even those who are

not good at chess or are beginners. The purpose of this club is to prove that chess will really

benefit you, and I plan to put this to the test. We will begin the club near the end of January, and

on the first day, the students will take a small critical thinking test.
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The test will consist of small riddles that will make you think. The way to solve these

puzzles is to think outside the box, and to change your perspective, which are benefits you learn

from chess. The students will try to complete these riddles, and they will be timed. The time

allocated to each student will then be recorded and posted onto a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

Then we will begin the club. Those who know how to play will go over openings, endgames, and

tips and tricks for chess. Those who are beginners will be taught basic movement and how to

win. They will also be taught basic openings. I also plan on having a Google classroom, where I

will post great videos weekly for the students to watch.

After a few months of this, around April, we will take the same test again, this time

hoping for quicker results. The students will be given the exact same test, with no different

questions and we will see if they learned from their four months at chess club. They will also be

timed. Due to us recording the time for the first test, we will compare them and see the

differences between the time taken to take the test the first and second time. This study hopes for

the test the second time to be less than the time for the first exam, clearly showing the benefit of

chess on students.

I plan to use a software called Chess.com to help teach

the students. Chess.com is an online website that allows

students to play chess but learn more and more with its

interesting features. Chess.com allows students to play games

against other students, against other players online, and against

bots that have certain ELOs. There is a wide variety of bots

you can play. For example, you can play against bots such as

Martin, who has an ELO rating of 250. As you go on, you are
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able to play other bots that have higher ELO ratings, such as Jimmy, who has an ELO rating of

600. Another great feature of Chess.com is an automatically updating ELO rating. In the

beginning, you will play against a few bots for Chess.com to figure out your ELO. Once it has

done that, you are then able to monitor your ELO, and as you play against other players online, it

will automatically update. You are able to track your progress as you go on (Figure 4).

(Chess.com Team)

Another great feature that many find useful on Chess.com is the analysis board. After

every game, Chess.com will analyze your game and will notice where you made brilliant moves,

good moves, book moves, mistakes, and blunders. At the end of any game, you are given the

analysis board, and you will see your stats. Sometimes, you will see something called missed

win; this means that the player playing could’ve won the game with one more move but seemed

to miss it. It is also possible to go back, see your every move, and get feedback on each move.

(Chess.com Team)

One final reason is that Chess.com offers tips and tricks with puzzles. Chess.com will

have certain tips and tricks put into puzzles. For example, you might get puzzles that focus on

checkmate in one move. This will help train my students to find those checkmate-in-one-move

moments in a game. It is also a mobile app, so the students that are in my club, can easily play a

blitz game (3-minute game) on their way to school, or on the way home from school, or when

they have free time in general. It makes it easier for the students to access Chess.com.

(Chess.com Team)

Now, what are the Islamic rulings on chess? Back then, some scholars stated that it was

haram, due to its gambling aspect because back then, people used to play chess and they would

gamble. Many scholars now disregard it and have two different opinions (En-Asks). One group
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states that the game of chess is makrooh, where it is permissible to play, but it is not advised for

some. The reason for this is that the scholars state that when playing chess, you are wasting your

time. Instead of playing chess, you can instead worship Allah (SWT) or read the Quran, or do

things that please Allah (SWT) (En-Asks). They say that if chess does not stop you from doing

your obliged duties as Muslims, such as praying and zakah and fasting, then it is not haram.

The other side states that the game of chess is halal to play. For example, Sheikh Assim

Al-Hakeem Assimalhakeem states that the concept of wasting time is too narrow. He states that

many people these days waste their time playing games or using their phones, but things like

these are not considered haram (Sheikh Assim). He also proceeds to mention that chess does

have some beneficial qualities. He believes that chess is fine to play, but we still should be

careful not to waste too much time playing it. Also, Sheikh Yusef, another permissible scholar,

states that playing chess is not haram because there is no proof of making it haram throughout

the Quran and Hadith (En-Asks).

According to the Quran, in ayat 90 and 91 of Surat Al-Maida, Allah (SWT) says: “O

believers! Intoxicants, gambling, idols, and drawing lots for decisions are all evil of Satan’s

handiwork. So shun them so you may be successful.”(90) “Satan’s plan is to stir up hostility and

hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling and to prevent you from remembering Allah

and praying. Will you not then abstain?” (91)

We can see from these ayaat that gambling is haram, and some scholars linked chess to

gambling, so if we don’t gamble while playing chess, it should be halal. Also, Allah (SWT) says

in the Quran in Surat Al-Qiyamah ayat 16 and 17: “Do not rush your tongue trying to memorize

˹a revelation of˺ the Quran (16). It is certainly upon Us to ˹make you˺ memorize and recite it.

(17)” We can see from these ayat that Allah (SWT) wants us to memorize his book and to not
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rush but instead understand what we are memorizing. Chess helps increase memorization skills

and also helps with critical thinking, making it easier for us to understand the words of Allah

(SWT).

In conclusion, Teaching chess to middle and high school students has many benefits,

including problem-solving, critical thinking, creative thinking, planning, and decision-making

skills. It is also permissible and a halal activity for the students to indulge in. To end, as Emanuel

Lasker once said, “When you see a good move, look for a better one”.
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Works Cited

Alvin Powell, “Harvard Researcher Turns to Chess for Insights on Brain Health,” Harvard

Gazette, November 15, 2021, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/11/harvard-

researcher-turns-to-chess-for-insights-on-brain-health/.

Chess.com Team and Chess.com Team (CHESScom). “Top 10 Benefits of Chess.” Chess.Com,

March 17, 2022. https://www.chess.com/article/view/benefits-of-chess.

En-Asks, “Playing Chess: Permissible?,” IslamOnline, October 9, 2022,

https://fiqh.islamonline.net/en/playing-chess-permissible/.

Gary Kasparov. “How Life Imitates Chess - Google Books,” n.d.

https://www.google.com/books/edition/How_Life_Imitates_Chess/dRlW4jQ1fQEC?

hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=how+life+imitates+chess&printsec=frontcover.

Jarvis, Matt, and Dion Dassanayake. 2023. “How to Play Chess for Beginners: Rules,

Moves and Setup.” Dicebreaker, March 13, 2023.

https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/chess/how-to/how-to-play-chess.
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Mfa, Rebecca Joy Stanborough. “The 9 Best Benefits of Playing Chess.” Healthline, March 8,

2023. https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-playing-chess.

“Seven Remarkable Mental Benefits of Playing Chess,” n.d. https://chessify.me/blog/mental-

benefits-of-chess.

Sheikh Assim Alhakeem Assimalhakeem. “Ruling on Playing Chess in Islam - Assim al

Hakeem,” n.d. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ci2T-VxMRo&t=66s

Stankovic, Stanislav. 2023. “ELO Rating System - Stanislav Stankovic - Medium.”

Medium, July 25, 2023. https://stanislav-stankovic.medium.com/elo-rating-system-

6196cc59941e.

TED-Ed. 2019. “A Brief History of Chess - Alex Gendler.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeB-1F-UKO0.