Can chess boost math and reading scores?

Chess, once used as a way to teach war strategy, is now being taught to second- and third-graders as part of a plan to make students better at subjects like math and reading. Students who struggle with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder sit still when playing chess. The game can help students develop critical thinking skills that make them better at math, reading and writing. For example, students who become familiar with the vertical and horizontal lines of a chess board and how they are numbered also learn the fundamentals of how maps, graphs and how X and Y coordinates work. Students seem more polite after learning a game that requires opponents to shake hands before and after they play. For now though, there's little hard evidence students actually benefit from playing chess.