Chess & Brain Health Program for Senior Citizens

The pillars of our foundation, our seniors, taught us how to walk, showed us the path, and guided us at every step with their wisdom. Today, they need help. Millions of them have already lost or are at risk of losing their precious memories and connections developed over a lifetime.

More than five million people in the US and nearly 44 million people in the world are living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of Dementia.

Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the aggregation of clumps of the beta-amyloid protein in the form of plaques. Although this protein is required for the function of the brain, plaques can disturb the functioning of the nervous system, leading to these neurodegenerative diseases.

A number of studies have shown that plaque formation can be avoided by mental stimulation, especially through high-stimulating activities such as chess.

Regular cognitive stimulation through chess imbues the affected seniors with a great deal of cognitive reserve, allowing for improved neural efficiency despite deterioration of the brain. For some seniors, playing chess also relieves the stresses of the day. They tend to stay cognitively active, become more engaged, and reclaim the sense of self.

By working with senior citizens in senior care and memory care centers on mental chess exercises and mind-stimulating activities, we work to lower seniors’ chances of developing these diseases and to slow the progression of the disorders in affected patients.