>>12044374The effect is quite large when brainlets start to learn it, especially small children. But people who are used to a bit of math and other puzzle games won't get much out of it. I unironically believe in the Pareto principle, so according to that, you should study a bit of chess (enough to get noticeable effects) then abandon it for some other mentally stimulating hobby. That is not to say that chess is in anyway a useless exercise for the brain, just that like any other ability, your brain learns to handle the task of playing it by memory and the cognitive workout is not as large as it one was. For most people, I would say it would be a worthwhile mental exercise, won't really make you smarter, but it will probably keep you from getting any dumber.
