user2001: There is a "movement" towards teaching chess in school and perhaps introduce chess as its own subject. What are the advantages of teaching chess at schools? In what ways is chess similar to other school subjects (e.g. math)? What "life skills" will the students learn by learning chess?

user2765: The following study holds that chess in schools helps students with low-level gains in intelligence, but no high level gains.  In other words, if I'm correct in my memory of the study it can teach "life lessons" like sports, but with no gains in intelligence versus sports.  So, knowledge of the game would only lead to knowledge in the overlap of fields.  Of course, depending upon your view as to the size of "chess-related" mathematics and computer science this would affect your judgement as to the effectiveness of teaching the game.
The paper is below, judge for yourself.
This flies in the face of what I first thought, but is an interesting take.  As one who publishes in the field of "chess-related" mathematics and played scholastically for 12 years (yes 1st grade through 12th), I say the paper underestimates the vastness of the overlap between mathematics, computer science, and chess (not to mention sociology, philosophy, and other fields).   
http://people.brunel.ac.uk/~hsstffg/preprints/chess_and_education.PDF

user2282: The Benefits of Chess in Education
Take a look at The Benefits of Chess in Education (original link) from the Kasparov Foundation, which gives a detailed overview about the benefits of teaching children to play chess.
The document describes among other things the following points:
Academic benefits

Focusing: Children learn to concentrate, because they have to if they want to play good
Visualizing: Children have to image a sequence of actions before it happens
Planning: Children need to plan longer goals and take steps towards them if they want to win
Weighing Options: Children need to weigh options. They are taught not doing the first thing that pops into their mind.
Furhtermore: thinking ahead, analyzing concretely, thinking abstractly, juggling multiple considerations simultaneously

Social benefits
Chess...

... often serves as a bridge to bring together children of any kind
... helps building friendships
... teaches sportsmanship (how to win graciously, how to lose - like in other sports clubs)


user703: 
What are the advantages of teaching chess at schools?

That depends. If you like chess, the advantage of having chess classes for free from good teachers (assuming they are good) is that you play your favourite game / learn something you like / have people to play with / all of this is free. It is really good for average chess players (who will be able to find steady income by teaching others).
But knowing this you have to understand that there are people who do not like chess. How will you feel if right now you will be forced  to learn how to play the triangle (kind of funny musical instrument that I by myself find kind of lame). What would you think if your child instead of math/biology/whatever subject you find important would be wasting his time learning triangle/chess which in my opinion will not help his career (assuming he will not become pro triangle / chess player)?
Also forcing a child to do something is not a good way for him to like this something. I enjoy playing chess, but if when I was child I would be forced to go study chess - most probably I would hate this game. There are a lot of places for a person to play chess in his free time enjoying it, so why spoil the fun with compulsory things?

What "life skills" will the students learn by learning chess

What life skills will you gain by swimming / playing the triangle? You will not drown fast in case of flood. You will become a good swimmer. You will learn how to play the triangle and will be able to properly hear/understand music. People can argue that music will make you a better person, swimming will make you more fit, organized, but I am not aware of the proper studies conducted. What skills will you gain by training to solve IQ tests every day? Will you perform well in physics, economy, history, programming? Highly doubtful, and average person who spends 1/10 of your time learning one of these things will perform better. IQ tests will make you a better IQ test solver.
The same way with chess - by learning chess you will learn how to play chess, maybe will learn abstract thinking, thinking ahead and analyzing your options. 
I by myself was speaking with some of the top 200 grandmasters and based on their discussion, chess is hard to make money on. You spend thousands of hours on learning preparation, dedication to mastery. And if you are not in top 20 it is really hard to get normal money out of it. Yes, you can publish books, create videos, participate in paid tournaments (which requires a lot of time and effort), but after this amount of time spent in economy you can secure a steady good income. 

2001: <p>There is a "movement" towards teaching chess in school and perhaps introduce chess as its own subject. What are the advantages of teaching chess at schools? In what ways is chess similar to other school subjects (e.g. math)? What "life skills" will the students learn by learning chess?</p>
 2765: <p>The following study holds that chess in schools helps students with low-level gains in intelligence, but no high level gains.  In other words, if I'm correct in my memory of the study it can teach "life lessons" like sports, but with no gains in intelligence versus sports.  So, knowledge of the game would only lead to knowledge in the overlap of fields.  Of course, depending upon your view as to the size of "chess-related" mathematics and computer science this would affect your judgement as to the effectiveness of teaching the game.</p>

<p>The paper is below, judge for yourself.</p>

<p>This flies in the face of what I first thought, but is an interesting take.  As one who publishes in the field of "chess-related" mathematics and played scholastically for 12 years (yes 1st grade through 12th), I say the paper underestimates the vastness of the overlap between mathematics, computer science, and chess (not to mention sociology, philosophy, and other fields).   </p>

<p><a href="http://people.brunel.ac.uk/~hsstffg/preprints/chess_and_education.PDF" rel="nofollow">http://people.brunel.ac.uk/~hsstffg/preprints/chess_and_education.PDF</a></p>
 2282: <h1>The Benefits of Chess in Education</h1>

<p>Take a look at <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20121021163245/http://www.kcfe.eu/sites/default/files/research_KCFE.pdf" rel="nofollow">The Benefits of Chess in Education</a> <em>(<a href="http://www.kcfe.eu/sites/default/files/research_KCFE.pdf" rel="nofollow">original link</a>)</em> from the Kasparov Foundation, which gives a detailed overview about the benefits of teaching children to play chess.</p>

<p>The document describes among other things the following points:</p>

<h2>Academic benefits</h2>

<ul>
<li><strong>Focusing</strong>: Children learn to concentrate, because they have to if they want to play good</li>
<li><strong>Visualizing</strong>: Children have to image a sequence of actions before it happens</li>
<li><strong>Planning</strong>: Children need to plan longer goals and take steps towards them if they want to win</li>
<li><strong>Weighing Options</strong>: Children need to weigh options. They are taught not doing the first thing that pops into their mind.</li>
<li>Furhtermore: <strong>thinking ahead</strong>, <strong>analyzing concretely</strong>, <strong>thinking abstractly</strong>, <strong>juggling multiple considerations simultaneously</strong></li>
</ul>

<h2>Social benefits</h2>

<p>Chess...</p>

<ul>
<li>... often serves as a bridge to <strong>bring together</strong> children of any kind</li>
<li>... helps <strong>building friendships</strong></li>
<li>... teaches <strong>sportsmanship</strong> (how to win graciously, how to lose - like in other sports clubs)</li>
</ul>
 703: <blockquote>
  <p>What are the advantages of teaching chess at schools?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>That depends. If you like chess, the advantage of having chess classes for free from good teachers (assuming they are good) is that you play your favourite game / learn something you like / have people to play with / all of this is free. It is really good for average chess players (who will be able to find steady income by teaching others).</p>

<p>But knowing this you have to understand that there are people who do not like chess. How will you feel if right now you will be forced  to learn how to play the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_%28instrument%29" rel="nofollow noreferrer">triangle</a> (kind of funny musical instrument that I by myself find kind of lame). What would you think if your child instead of math/biology/whatever subject you find important would be wasting his time learning triangle/chess which in my opinion will not help his career (assuming he will not become pro triangle / chess player)?</p>

<p>Also forcing a child to do something is not a good way for him to like this something. I enjoy playing chess, but if when I was child I would be forced to go study chess - most probably I would hate this game. There are a lot of places for a person to play chess in his free time enjoying it, so why spoil the fun with compulsory things?</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>What "life skills" will the students learn by learning chess</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What life skills will you gain by swimming / playing the triangle? You will not drown fast in case of flood. You will become a good swimmer. You will learn how to play the triangle and will be able to properly hear/understand music. People can argue that music will make you a better person, swimming will make you more fit, organized, but I am not aware of the proper studies conducted. What skills will you gain by training to solve IQ tests every day? Will you perform well in physics, economy, history, programming? Highly doubtful, and average person who spends 1/10 of your time learning one of these things will perform better. IQ tests will make you a better IQ test solver.</p>

<p>The same way with chess - by learning chess you will learn how to play chess, maybe will learn abstract thinking, thinking ahead and analyzing your options. </p>

<p>I by myself was speaking with some of the top 200 grandmasters and based on their discussion, chess is hard to make money on. You spend thousands of hours on learning preparation, dedication to mastery. And if you are not in top 20 it is really hard to get normal money out of it. Yes, you can publish books, create videos, participate in paid tournaments (which requires a lot of time and effort), but after this amount of time spent in economy you can secure a steady good income. </p>
