How To Teach Your Kids To Play Chess
As a parent, grandparent, teacher, or coach, the influence that you have on kids is significant. Teaching them to play chess will be rewarding for you and them—and you’ll be surprised how quickly they learn. A journey together with chess as the connection has been gratifying for many families and has strengthened many relationships.
"As parents, it is our responsibility to give our children the instruction and tools necessary to be the best that they can be. ChessKid provides both the instruction and the tools."
- Bradley Wallace, ChessKid parent
You got this - and we’ve got you! Download the Parent Survival Ebook for tips and tricks on becoming the ultimate ChessKid parent!
The start of your journey may begin simply as it did for Bobby Fischer, the famous American grandmaster. The 11th world chess champion once said:
“When I was six, my sister bought me a set at a candy store and taught me the moves.”
By teaching chess to your kid, you have the opportunity to create many lasting and fond memories.
Teaching Chess
Teaching chess to kids consists of several important steps:
- Be positive.
- Be patient.
- Make chess fun.
- Have structure in how you teach.
- Set aside a regular time for chess.
- Cover the basics incrementally.
- Encourage kids to read about chess.
- Use the videos on ChessKid.
- Practice with the ChessKid puzzles.
- Encourage their friends to learn chess too.
- Link the value of chess to other educational goals.
1. Be Positive
Remember when you were a kid? Kids learn more effectively when the environment is encouraging and positive. Chess is fun. That’s why we play.
Winning is not the only positive way to benefit from playing chess. Everyone makes mistakes in chess—everyone, even grandmasters. Make sure that your kid learns positively from mistakes (and losing) as well as feels successful after playing well (and winning).
2. Be Patient
Again, reflect back to when you were a kid. Remember learning some topics quickly and others more slowly? Learning often takes a circuitous route. Beginners will learn chess on their own schedules based on their abilities. A caution: Don’t expect too much too soon if you are an experienced player. Learning chess is like solving a puzzle.
Learning a new concept in chess is like adding a piece to complete a puzzle. When the completed sections of a puzzle expand as more pieces are joined together, the sense of satisfaction grows. Similarly with chess—remember to be patient as your kid learns.
3. Make Chess Fun
Learning thrives not only in a patient environment but in an activity that’s fun. That’s why kids love games, and chess is a game after all. Fun games can teach important concepts.
The key is to make sure that fun is the star of the show for each activity — whether it’s a game, lesson, puzzle, or tournament.
4. Have Structure in How You Teach
Surprise! ChessKid has already done the work for you. The ChessKid Planner, a week-by-week guide, makes sure that you cover the basics as you complete its 30 units. If you’ve never taught chess before, the planner is invaluable. Each unit is a mini lesson plan that includes a chess topic and several creative activities.
The graduated levels in the lessons show areas that have been covered and areas that still need to be taught. In addition, the computer workouts can reinforce the information that you are teaching.
5. Set Aside a Regular Time for Chess
Setting aside a regular time for chess is imperative. Both you and your kid will protect the time from other obligations and will plan to use it productively. A vital part of having a schedule is complying with it routinely.
Planning to focus on chess at regular recurring intervals, such as a specific weekday, establishes that the learning is important and that progress is expected.
6. Cover the Basics Incrementally
No one can learn everything about a new topic overnight. Plan to introduce chess concepts to your kid incrementally. Start with the basics, such as explaining each piece and what its special move is. Use ChessKid learning resources for help along the way. And remember, keep it fun!
Again, the ChessKid planner is set up to help you. Take your time. Don’t overload a beginner by doing too much too quickly.
Spacing the lessons over time and learning new concepts incrementally should improve retention, too.
7. Encourage Kids to Read About Chess
Reading about chess helps to develop reading skills and improve comprehension. Several articles on ChessKid are aimed specifically at kids (others are written for parents, coaches & administrators) and may encourage them to improve their chess skills.
A good one for kids to read as they begin to learn is How To Play Chess For Kids, which explains the game, introduces the pieces, covers several rules, and reviews important details for beginners.
For a more in-depth understanding of important chess terms and concepts, don't forget to explore our Chess Glossary section, where we provide detailed explanations in simple language, accompanied by a wealth of examples, instructional videos, and more.
8. Use the Videos on ChessKid
The videos on ChessKid are phenomenal—they are not only instructional but also entertaining. How do kids like to be taught? Watching a video is probably an appreciated approach.
Visual learning is an important component that complements other teaching methods and is helpful when new information is presented. Visual aids are also proven to be crucial for kids learning chess.
9. Practice with the ChessKid Puzzles
Kids love puzzles. New chess players are no exception. The puzzles on ChessKid are a fun way to learn how to make decisions in a game and focus on selecting the best move.
Each puzzle is easy to play, allows you to replay it if you don’t solve it initially, and shows the solution if you are stumped and can’t identify the right move. As ChessKid improve at puzzles, an increase in the puzzle rating recognizes the progress being made.
10. Encourage their Friends to Learn Chess Too
Kids love to learn with others. Playing with friends not only improves chess knowledge but teaches game etiquette and improves social interaction. Connect with other beginning players too by playing online with ChessKid. Another benefit of ChessKid is the opportunity to form a club with friends and then challenge other clubs to play.
Kids can also easily play individual games with their friends online, too. An online chess game with a friend is a great way to spend time on a rainy day and during summer vacations.
11. Link the Value of Chess to Other Educational Goals
Learning chess has many tangible benefits. Chess introduces math, vocabulary, and social-emotional concepts for kids—all in the fun context of learning a game. For example, chess can reinforce the skills of kids with numbers, counting, comparisons, spatial reasoning, and other important math concepts.
Here's a collection of many of the research studies that tie chess education to improved standardized test scores.
Similarly, playing chess online with ChessKid can improve computer skills and reinforce instruction related to technology.
Final Thoughts
Are you excited about teaching chess? You’re joining a long legacy of mentors who respect the game and have shared their enthusiasm with new players. Soon your kid will be part of a cherished tradition that spans the globe. Who knows, maybe one day your kid will tell a story, just like Bobby Fischer did, about learning the game from you as another generation of players is taught.
A second ebook that ChessKid has prepared is a new resource for teachers, coaches, and parents to give them guidance on starting a chess program for kids. This ebook is for you if you have been asking, How do I even start a chess program and teach kids how to play chess?
