In a May survey of over 200 Australian schools, 98 percent said that chess has many ‘soft’ skill benefits in addition to the commonly discussed ‘hard’ benefits like problem solving, mathematical reasoning and spatial awareness, with 61 percent stating that chess had an equal effect on both soft and hard skills.
Decision making (74% rated impact as significant) and self-confidence (51% rated impact as significant) were identified as the soft skills most heavily influenced by chess, followed by resilience (ability to cope with loss or unexpected change), general behaviour and locus of control (the extent to which a person believes that they can control events that affect them).
Respondents also identified other soft skills positively improved through regular chess play, including social interaction, patience and personal communication.
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