Enhancing executive functions through online chess training: Evidence from young adults with limited experience

Chess is a cognitively demanding activity that engages executive functions (EFs), including inhibition, cognitive flexibility, planning, and working memory. While long-term chess practice has been associated with functional and structural brain changes, evidence on the effects of chess training in young adults with limited experience remains scarce. Here, we investigated whether structured chess practice improves EFs in neurologically healthy adults aged 18–40 years with little to no prior chess expertise. Sixty participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 31) or a control group (n = 29). EFs were assessed before (T0) and after (T1) a 10-week intervention using a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, including the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Tower of London (TOL), Stroop Test, Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B), and the Digit Span forward and backward subtests from the WAIS-IV. During the intervention, the experimental group played online chess for a total of two hours per week, while the control group listened to ASMR or white-noise audio for an equivalent duration. Results showed significant pre- to post-intervention improvements in both groups on the WCST, TOL, and TMT-B, likely reflecting practice effects. Notably, only the experimental group exhibited a significant improvement on the Stroop Test at T1, whereas no change was observed in the control group. These findings provide novel evidence that a 10-week program using a self-administered online chess application selectively enhances EFs related to interference control and cognitive flexibility in young adults, supporting chess as a targeted cognitive intervention for non-expert populations.