Chess classes and executive function skills in 5–6 years old children: evidence from cross-sectional study

The aim of this study was to compare executive function skills in preschool children who were engaged in chess classes with those who were not. The participants were 88 typically developing 5–6-year-old children. There were two groups with 30 boys and 14 girls in each group: a group of chess players...

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Main Authors: Anastasia Yakushina, Elena Chichinina, Aleksandra Dolgikh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1564963/full
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author Anastasia Yakushina
Anastasia Yakushina
Elena Chichinina
Aleksandra Dolgikh
author_facet Anastasia Yakushina
Anastasia Yakushina
Elena Chichinina
Aleksandra Dolgikh
author_sort Anastasia Yakushina
collection DOAJ
description The aim of this study was to compare executive function skills in preschool children who were engaged in chess classes with those who were not. The participants were 88 typically developing 5–6-year-old children. There were two groups with 30 boys and 14 girls in each group: a group of chess players and a group of non-chess players. The results indicated that children who participated in chess classes exhibited significantly higher visuospatial working memory scores compared to their non-chess playing counterparts (U = 731, p = 0.05). Moreover, the analysis revealed no significant differences in the characteristics of extracurricular activities undertaken by the two groups. Consequently, the enhanced visuospatial working memory levels observed in the chess-playing group may be due to their participation in chess classes. Taken together, these findings suggest that chess classes may represent a viable method for enhancing visuospatial working memory in preschool-aged children.
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publishDate 2025-07-01
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spelling doaj-art-c93aaac0c5f0430e88181d2e5979b3df2025-08-20T03:51:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-07-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15649631564963Chess classes and executive function skills in 5–6 years old children: evidence from cross-sectional studyAnastasia Yakushina0Anastasia Yakushina1Elena Chichinina2Aleksandra Dolgikh3Federal Scientific Center of Psychological and Multidisciplinary Research (FSC PMR), Moscow, RussiaFaculty of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, RussiaFaculty of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, RussiaFederal Scientific Center of Psychological and Multidisciplinary Research (FSC PMR), Moscow, RussiaThe aim of this study was to compare executive function skills in preschool children who were engaged in chess classes with those who were not. The participants were 88 typically developing 5–6-year-old children. There were two groups with 30 boys and 14 girls in each group: a group of chess players and a group of non-chess players. The results indicated that children who participated in chess classes exhibited significantly higher visuospatial working memory scores compared to their non-chess playing counterparts (U = 731, p = 0.05). Moreover, the analysis revealed no significant differences in the characteristics of extracurricular activities undertaken by the two groups. Consequently, the enhanced visuospatial working memory levels observed in the chess-playing group may be due to their participation in chess classes. Taken together, these findings suggest that chess classes may represent a viable method for enhancing visuospatial working memory in preschool-aged children.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1564963/fullexecutive function skillscognitive developmentchess classesextracurricular activitiespreschool children
spellingShingle Anastasia Yakushina
Anastasia Yakushina
Elena Chichinina
Aleksandra Dolgikh
Chess classes and executive function skills in 5–6 years old children: evidence from cross-sectional study
Frontiers in Psychology
executive function skills
cognitive development
chess classes
extracurricular activities
preschool children
title Chess classes and executive function skills in 5–6 years old children: evidence from cross-sectional study
title_full Chess classes and executive function skills in 5–6 years old children: evidence from cross-sectional study
title_fullStr Chess classes and executive function skills in 5–6 years old children: evidence from cross-sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Chess classes and executive function skills in 5–6 years old children: evidence from cross-sectional study
title_short Chess classes and executive function skills in 5–6 years old children: evidence from cross-sectional study
title_sort chess classes and executive function skills in 5 6 years old children evidence from cross sectional study
topic executive function skills
cognitive development
chess classes
extracurricular activities
preschool children
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1564963/full
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AT elenachichinina chessclassesandexecutivefunctionskillsin56yearsoldchildrenevidencefromcrosssectionalstudy
AT aleksandradolgikh chessclassesandexecutivefunctionskillsin56yearsoldchildrenevidencefromcrosssectionalstudy