Meditation and Chess (now officially too!) is connected. Programming too ?

Positive influence Meditation can have on Chess (and vice versa, I would add) is now officially acknowledged.

FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov signed an agreement with Mr. Anant Asavabhokhin, the World Meditation Academy Chairman. According to the agreement, chess federations throughout the world will receive scholarships to send participants to meditation courses. Those who love Chess and Meditation both, here's your chance!

In addition, World Meditation Academy chairman is now a senior adviser to the FIDE president. Academy too has appointed FIDE president as one of it's honorary advisers.


According to FIDE site,  "The benefits of meditation to chess players were reviewed" and amongst the principal achievements are Physical Benefits, Emotional Benefits, Mental Benefits and Spiritual Benefits.  For more on benefits of meditation, you can visit here. More about the agreement between FIDE and WMA can be found from FIDE official site in here.

Positive influence of Chess on education in children is well known and acknowledged throughout the world.  Chess is specially considered as helping students develop their critical thinking, analytical skills and the ability to concentrate. These studies are so comprehensive that many countries have already included chess in their primary school curriculum and some have even made it a mandatory subject.

Benefits of Meditation on emotional well being and mental prowess is also well known for years and proven by several scientific research carried on Tibetan monks for example.

Therefore it is hardly surprising that the two organizations has come together and publicly acknowledging the benefits of each can have on the other.

A separate discussion on how Meditation can help in computer programming is in here.