Natural sciences and chess: A romantic relationship missing from higher education curricula

Abstract

Chess is a game that delicately weaves analytical thinking around artistic experience, yet recent conversions of STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics) to STEAM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Art-Mathematics) have omitted adding chess as an elementary coursework to K-12 and higher education curricula. Chess, as per arguments presented in this essay, can be considered as a language and a tool for furthering the development of artistic skills among scientists and analytical, pattern-recognition skills among artists. It can also serve as a missing link between science and art in STEAM curricula thanks to its finding itself halfway between the two. A handful of analogies are drawn here from chess, illustrated sporadically with positions from real-life chess games and converted to lessons in creativity for students in natural sciences. The discussion centered around these analogies is reinforced by a literature review of studies conducted over the past 80 years to assess the effect of exposing students to lessons in chess on their learning in distant domains. Overall, great benefits can emerge from complementing science education with chess and it is hoped that chess will become an integral part of basic education in primary schools and universities worldwide in the near future.

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