Book excerpt: Can teaching chess as part of the curriculum benefit elementary school students? Chess is part of the school curriculum in many U.S. states, including Texas and New Jersey, as well as some Canadian provinces and numerous countries around the world. Some research indicates that chess—introduced as a supplement to the mathematics curriculum—increases standardized test performances in mathematics and can actually increase IQ scores. This book analyzes major research as well as a cross-section of smaller studies and articles in the popular media.