Effectiveness of chess training in enhancing creative thinking among school students

Creative thinking is increasingly viewed as a core educational outcome, yet evidence on long-term school-based interventions remains limited. This study examined whether sustained chess training enhances creative thinking among school students. A total of 180 sixth-grade girls (12-14 years) were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 90) and a control group (n = 90). Creativity was assessed at Pre-test, Post-test I (6 months) and Post-test II (12 months). Baseline scores were comparable (29.80 vs. 29.79). Over time, the experimental group showed a marked increase to 38.63, while the control group remained near 31.61. Significant effects of Time (F = 85.53) and Time × Group (F = 35.65) indicate sustained and meaningful creative growth associated with chess training.