Success factors of professional chess players: the role of brain’s executive functions considering the mediating role of resiliency

Several studies have investigated the relationship between executive functions of the brain with resilience in athletes, but there is controversy regarding research on the role of components of executive functions in brain through mediating the research gap resilience.

To investigate the success of professional chess players influenced by the role of components of executive functions of the brain by investigating the mediating resilience.

The research design was descriptive correlational The statistical population of all professional chess players was Iranian rating by the relevant federation in 2017-2018. 545 individuals were selected as sample through available sampling method. Research tools include the Connor & Davidson Resilience Scale (1979–1991), the Continuous Audiovisual Performance Test (American Psychiatric Association, 2002), the London Shales Tower Test (1982), and the Chess Athletes Rating Score. Data analysis was performed using factor analysis and factor loadings.

The three components of planning and organizing, continuous attention and response control were significantly influenced by the variables of executive functions (P< 0/05). The five components of resilience also significantly affected the present variable of resilience (P< 0/05). Variables of executive functions and resilience had a direct, positive and significant effect on the success of chess players (P< 0/05). The overall structural effect of executive functions variable also had a significant indirect effect through resilience on executive functions (P< 0/05).

By enhancing executive functions, the chances of success and mediation of chess players increased.