Chess - An Asynchronous to Synchronous Mode of Learning

What comes to your mind whenever you think of Chess? Probably a few geeky minds and a game that has got to do with intelligent and strategic moves. Well you are almost right, since about 80% of Chess players relate the game like you do, but people generally have a misconception on how this essential cognitive skill is taught. 

Most of the Chess coaching centers as the name suggests trains its students, by dumping the game on them in an asynchronous way, where the student has no sort of communication or co-ordination with his/her peers. 

But here at Mind Mentorz, we are well aware of the problems and inefficacious results of the asynchronous method and that is why we are gradually moving Chess towards the synchronous process of training. But what really is the difference between these two methods of learning and why are we choosing synchronous over the asynchronous one.

To know the difference, you must understand what Synchronous and Asynchronous learning generally means. 

What is Synchronous Learning?

Synchronous learning is quite analogous to a classroom learning environment, where the students work in a community reliant education system and can easily communicate with their classmates as well as build relationships among them. 

Synchronous learning is:

  • Cost effective

  • Convenient

  • Helps build a community and an engaged learning environment.

  • Promotes healthy competition.

  • It is highly motivating.

  • It also imparts a great number of lessons that can only be learnt in a multi-population learning environment. 

What is Asynchronous Learning?

On the other hand, asynchronous learning has a flexible approach to learning where the instructors provide students with learning materials and the latter can read and learn in their flexible time-frame. This is a much more modern approach and one of the recent examples in online pedagogy where students learn through online sessions or videos.

Advantages of asynchronous learning:

  • Flexible learning time frame.

  •  Students can take up lessons at their pace.

  • This option is affordable.

Taking Chess the Synchronous Way

While convention dictates that chess should be taught at a one-on-one basis, synchronous chess coaching goes beyond the mere teaching of chess techniques. It allows students to cultivate a sense of sportsmanship and cognitive skills that cannot be harnessed with a solitary experience. 

While many consider chess to be a solitary activity, it has the ability to fire up social skills in the form of healthy competition and interaction. So while chess, being a perception developing skill, requires more lively interaction among the peers. This helps in identifying an individual’s errors through dedicated group discussions. 

Furthermore with additional support of the mentors, students could really master the game to an extent which eventually would help them in solving the problems and making the right decisions at frantic times.

In a nutshell, teaching chess the asynchronous way, it has the ability to help students in the following ways.

  • Students learn more about the competitor’s mind instead of tackling an AI system.

  • Understand human behaviour and hone skills to counter a human mind.

  • Students create a sense of healthy competition .

  • Students understand the importance of being a part of the community and how it can help you grow. Students can teach each other unique techniques and give an angle to learning which they might not have considered before. 

  • Experienced chess coaches offer more than just tips out of a rulebook but incorporate their own experiences which makes chess a multidimensional game for the student. 

  • The trainers can customise their training patterns for each student based on their interest and learning capacity. This helps improve their knack for the game. 

  • Since no two minds think alike, learning abilities vary from students to students. While coaches create a custom training pattern, this mode of learning also helps students personalise their approach to the game and ask questions that help them understand the game in the way they are comfortable..

  • Students can incorporate novel game patterns rather than stick to the bygones strategies. 

Chess: More than a Board Game

Chess is more than just a board game and unlike others, one lifetime would definitely not be sufficient enough for a player to master all the possible moves. In fact, the longest recorded chess game witnessed only 1/22 of all theoretically proven possible moves. It’s quite evident that Chess improves your ability to think and appreciates the player to choose creative over conventional. 

Yet, if you aren’t convinced that Chess is really the game for you, then here are a few facts that would definitely blow your mind:

  • Being one of the few oldest board games still played by the people and with over 319 billion possible first four moves , this 8x8 square board’s simple look can surely be deceiving for those who are not aware of its larger than life capacity.

  • People who play Chess were found to be capable of making reliable decisions even when they are panic-stricken. A US based survey says that almost 81% of the Chess players relate this game to strategic thinking and almost half of the youngsters who had taken the survey think Chess boosts intelligence.

  • Chess, if taught early in life, improves their neuroplasticity as they are now more focused and have an analytical bent to their mind. It also improves their logical thinking and discipline which forms the bedrock of a highly attuned mind. 

Chess when trained in a synchronous way like we do here at Mind Mentorz, could really level up your cognitive skills and would also develop your concentration, memory capacity and eventually transform you into a self-confident and cognitively enhanced person.