Roberto Trinchero roberto.trinchero@unito.it
Department of Philosophy and Education
University of Turin
Giuliano D'Eredità – University of Palermo
Workgroup:
Alessandro Dominici, Giovanni Sala
Dario Mione, Malola Prasath, Gianluca
Argentin
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
 The implicit in the chess activities in school is the belief that skills acquired playing chess can transfer to other domains;
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Is this belief based on well-substantiated evidence?;
Italian research 2006-2012
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A basic inpresence Chess course of 30 hours can improve specific Math ability.
Gobet F., Campitelli G. (2006), Educational benefits of chess instruction. A critical review, http://people.brunel.ac.uk/~hsstffg/preprints/chess_and_education.pdf
Trinchero R. (2012), Gli scacchi, un gioco per crescere. Sei anni di sperimentazione nella scuola primaria ,
Milano, FrancoAngeli.
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
Hypotesis : A blended (in-presence+online) basic Chess course can improve Oecd-Pisa Math Scores in children of 8-11 age;
Sample : 568 pupils of Italian primary school (nonrandom sample from Piedmont and Lombardy);
Method : Solomon 4-group test-retest experimental design;
Subsamples : The Experimental Group was differentiated by:
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Class attended (grade 3, 4, 5);
Number of hours of the course (10, 11, 14, 16);
Year of chess course (1, 2, 3). 3

Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
Seven Oecd-Pisa released item (selected to be faceable by
8-11 years-old pupils):
Oecd-Pisa item code
Math abilities involved
M145Q01 Calculate the number of points on the opposite face of showed dice
R040Q02 Establish the profundity of a lake integrating the information derived from the text and from the graphics
M520Q1A Calculate the minimum price of the selfassembled skateboard
M806Q01 Extrapolate a rule from given patterns and complete the sequence
M510Q01T Calculate the number of possible combination for pizza ingredients
Oecd-Pisa
Estimated difficulty
478
(Level 2)
478
(Level 2)
496
(Level 3)
484
(Level 4)
559
(Level 4)
M159Q05 Recognize the shape of the track on the basis of the speed graph of a racing car
655
(Level 5)
M266Q01 Estimate the perimeter of fence shapes, finding analogies in geometric figures
687
(Level 6)
Analogy with chess ability
Calculate material advantage
Find relevant information on a chessboard
Calculate material advantage
Extrapolate checkmate rule from chess situation
Explore the possible combination of moves to checkmate
Infer fact from a rule
(e.g. possible moves to checkmate)
Find analogies in 4 chessboard situations

Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
October-
November
2012
January-
February
2013
Group N.
Activities
G1 (Experimental) 380 Pre-test Blended chess training
(in presence + CAT)
G2 (Experimental without pretest)
32 Blended chess training
(in presence + CAT)
G3 (Control)
Post-test
Post-test
115 Pre-test Ordinary school activities Post-test
G4 (Control without pretest)
41 Ordinary school activities Post-test
CAT = Computer Assisted Training ( www.europechesspromotion.org
)
Shadish W. R., Cook T. D., Campbell D. T. (2002), Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for
Generalized Causal Inference , Boston-New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, http://depts.washington.edu/methods/readings/Shadish.pdf
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
Subgroup
G1 (Experimental)
G3 (Control)
Initial score
Mean St. dev.
1,37 1,17
1,53 1,30
Gain
Mean St. dev.
Gain
Sign.
0,67
1,51
0,000
0,08
1,42
-
There is a little but significative increase of Math scores in
Experimental Group (0,67 vs a maximum of 7, Anova)
Group
Experimental (G1)
Experimental without pretest (G2)
Math final scores
Mean St. dev.
Sign.
2,03 1,31 0,006
2,72 1,61 -
Group
Control (G3)
Control without pretest (G4)
Math final scores
Mean St. dev.
Sign.
1,61 1,19 0,56
1,49 1,03 -
The pre-test has lead to a significative decrease of gain in
Experimental Group (probably «boredom» effect) 7

Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
Subgroup
G1b4-14-2
G1a4-11-1
G1p4-8-2
G1d4-10-1
G1g4-10-1
G1g3-10-1
Whole G1
G1p5-16-1
G1r4-10-1
G1c4-14-2
G1b5-14-2
G1c5-14-3
G3 (control)
Initial score
Mean St. dev.
1,74 1,79
1,64 1,20
1,57 1,06
1,14 0,86
1,27 0,93
1,05 0,84
1,37 1,17
1,56 1,30
1,16 0,94
1,68 1,42
0,94 1,43
0,55 0,93
1,53 1,30
Successful subgroups
Score gain
Gain
Mean
0,11
0,16
0,27
0,51
0,63
0,66
0,67
0,79
1,04
1,43
1,44
1,73
0,08
St. dev.
1,88
1,74
1,38
1,37
1,41
1,26
1,51
1,36
1,43
1,17
2,12
0,79
1,42
Significance relevant to
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Control Group (from Anova)
Gain
Sign.
0,942
0,763
0,409
0,103
0,023
0,022
0,000
0,003
0,003
0,000
0,001
0,000
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
Subgroup N.
N. Classes Chess training
G1p5-16-1 52 3 (grade 5) 16 hours in presence, 2 hours per week
(first year of training) + CAT
G1r4-10-1 25 1 (grade 4) 10 hours in presence (first year of training) + CAT
G1c4-14-2 28 2 (grade 4) 14 hours in presence, 2 hours per week
(year of training) + CAT
G1b5-14-2 18 1 (grade 5) 14 hours in presence (second year of training) + CAT
G1c5-14-3 11 1 (grade 5) 14 hours in presence, 2 hours per week
(third year of training) + CAT
Successful subgroups have attended a chess course of almost 14 hour OR …
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
Subgroup
G1p4-8-2
G1g4-10-1
G1d4-10-1
G1g3-10-1
Whole G1
G1a4-11-1
G1p5-16-1
G1b5-14-2
G1r4-10-1
G1c4-14-2
G1b4-14-2
G1c5-14-3
Achieved level in online game
Mean St. dev.
Players
313
43
50
3
53
48
35
38
20
14
6
3
% on the subgroup
95%
98%
95%
93%
82%
98%
96%
17%
80%
50%
32%
27%
5,38
5,75
5,86
6,08
6,72
7,16
7,36
8,00
9,00
9,43
10,33
11,00
… have had a greater involvement in the CAT
4,17
4,36
4,71
4,48
4,46
4,66
4,26
4,00
3,96
3,98
2,16
0,00
… with an exception …
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
Subgroup N.
N. Classes Chess training
G1a4-11-1 44 2 (grade 4) 11 hours in presence (first year of training)
+ CAT
G1g4-10-1 49 2 (grade 4) 10 hours in presence (first year of training)
+ CAT
G1g3-10-1 41 2 (grade 3) 10 hours in presence (first year of training)
+ CAT
G1d4-10-1 37 2 (grade 4) 10 hours in presence (first year of training)
+ CAT
G1p4-8-2 56 3 (grade 4) 8 hours in presence, 2 hours per week
(second year of training) + CAT
G1b4-14-2 19 1 (grade 4) 14 hours in presence (second year of training) + CAT
Exception: a class with a very high initial score, and with several organizational problems in post-test
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
Subgroup
G1p4-8-2
G1d4-10-1
G1c4-14-2
G1b4-14-2
G1a4-11-1
G1c5-14-3
Whole G1
G1g4-10-1
G1g3-10-1
G1p5-16-1
G1r4-10-1
G1b5-14-2
G3 (control)
Initial score
Mean St. dev.
5,45 3,39
1,51 2,63
4,71 4,16
4,37 5,14
4,23 4,48
1,45 3,39
3,00 3,98
2,57 3,40
0,61 1,95
2,54 3,85
0,92 1,80
3,17 4,49
1,17 2,46
Mean
Gain
St. dev.
3,52
5,73
5,86
6,11
6,25
6,27
6,62
7,04
7,20
8,46
8,84
10,17
0,47
3,37
4,34
4,54
4,52
4,11
4,52
4,60
4,92
4,63
4,22
3,70
5,11
2,10
Maximum gain is 18.Significance is relevant to the control group and calculated with Anova
Gain
Sign.
,000
,000
,000
,000
,000
,000
,000
,000
,000
,000
,000
,000
-
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
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The gain in math scores is proportional to time spent in the chess course;
CAT can be an effective instrument for chess training;
These results are compliant with results of
Italian research 2006-2012.
Trinchero R. (2012), Gli scacchi, un gioco per crescere. Sei anni di sperimentazione nella 13 scuola primaria , Milano, FrancoAngeli.

Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
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Weakness : Participants were not randomly selected:
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Groups and subgroups are not statistically equivalent;
Results are not generalizable.
Challenges :
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To define the conditions of transferability
 when the transferability can occur;
To explain the dynamics of chess transfer
 what ability are transferable and why .
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
The experience in 2010:Using the digital technologies for chess scholastic learning
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A collaboration among Turin University, Palermo University and
Italian National Research Council (CNR), with the support of Italian
Chess Federation- Piedmont Committee, Banca San Paolo, MSP;
The goal of the inquire was to compare different chess learning settings;
 We submitted to 3 rd grade students a short chess protocol (10h) using digital or traditional learning;
For traditional learning we considered 3 modes: Chess Instr. only,
Chess Instr.+Class Teacher, 2 Chess Instr.+Class Teacher
We adopted the software Gatto Vittorio (it was its first appearance !)
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
The experience in 2010: Main results
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Surprisingly, kids who already knew chess obtained worst results!
The best results were obtained using the 2 Ch.Instructors+Teacher mode, followed by Ch.Instr.+ Teacher, after Ch. Instr, at last the digital one, but the only significative difference was found for the
2Ch. Instr + teacher mode;
We have to respect kids' learning time (digital activity requires more time with respect to the traditional one); 10 h is the minimum time to obtain any achievement );
Doing tests, and obtaining feedback from them improve the chess learning
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
Replication of 2012-2013 research design, with:
 An international sample (Italy and India) (about
6000 participants);
 Sample with randomized pairs of equivalent classes (swap experimental-control groups):
Randomized selection
Test
Change 1
G1 Experimental
G2 Control
Test
Change 2
G1 Control
G2 Experimental
Test
Hypotesis is corroborated if Ch1(G1)>Ch1(G2) And Ch2(G2)>Ch2(G1)
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
 We are managing to realize an implicative statistical analysis with respect to the reasoning and arguing style of the students;
 Through an a-priori analysis of the items we will formulate other research hypotheses based on epistemological and social-linguistic considerations;
 These hypotheses are to be turned into implications and correlations among the occurrences of the tests outputs, using binary variables (Y or N);
 We'll adopt the implication and correlation indexes as in
Gras (2000), using the software CHIC
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
R. Trinchero (2012), Gli scacchi, un gioco per crescere. Sei anni di sperimentazione nella scuola primaria , Milano, FrancoAngeli.
R. Trinchero (2012), Chess, a game to grow up with: a synthesis of six years of research , Milano, FrancoAngeli
(the book has a chapter in
English that summarize the results).
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Roberto Trinchero – Department of Philosophy and Education - University of Turin – Italy
giuliano.deredita@gmail.com
Presentation is available on www.europechesspromotion.org
Thanks to workgroup:
Alessandro Dominici - Giovanni Sala
Dario Mione - Malola Prasath - Gianluca Argentin
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