Effects of Mental Practice on Performance of Chess Players

Mental practice, which is basically a cognitive rehearsal technique, has been widely studied for its effects on motor skills acquisition and performance in sports and other domains. Chess is considered to be one of the best mental games around the globe, chess tournaments are seen with high prestige and exclusiveness as chess is not the cup of everyone's tea. This study investigates the effects of mental practice on the performance of chess players specifically. A sample of 60 chess players was randomly chosen and they were divided into two groups, a mental practice group and a control group. The mental practice group has to undergo a 6-week mental practice program, while the control group did not receive any mental practice training. The results showed that the mental practice group significantly improved their chess performance, as measured by their Elo ratings, compared to the control group performance measured by Elo rating. Also, the mental practice group were found to have increased confidence and reduced anxiety levels after their mental training program. The findings suggest that mental practice can be an effective tool for improving performances of chess players.