I want to get my kids more interested in chess.
This is no easy matter, as I am in no way passionate about chess. I like to play chess, but it falls in between minesweeper and yahtzee for me, in order of importance.
I have probably waited a bit too long I already think - my daughters are 7 and 6 respectively.
They have just never showed any interest in chess, but now want to get involved with it at the school program.
So, past teaching them to move the pieces around and some basic strategy, I'm pretty lost.
Where is a good place to start to take it further?
- Joined
- 08 Apr 09
- Moves
- 19994
I think your goal should be making sure they have fun with chess. If they're in a school program, they'll learn the theory and tips there. You can give them an opportunity to practice and enjoy. They'll have to get games under their belt so they built up experience with how it feels when they're winning/losing, made a blunder and need to recover. You can make them feel relaxed throughout the game by the way you talk and how you approach difficult situations.
Anecdote: I'm also interested in having my kid play chess. Well, later, because he's only almost 2. I was recently watching the Tata steel livestream and he came watching with me. So after a while I took out a board and the bag of pieces. I showed them all and let him put them on the board. Not the starting position, but just randomly. He liked it and was proud when he put all 32 of them. And I was surprised that he even did an effort to put them near the center of the squares, and not just somewhere. I think I'll just keep doing that for a while until he understands the difference between the pieces, and then take the next step.
Originally posted by CrowleySmall chess computers are widely available and cheap in the U.K and if not in SA on the internet.
I want to get my kids more interested in chess.
This is no easy matter, as I am in no way passionate about chess. I like to play chess, but it falls in between minesweeper and yahtzee for me, in order of importance.
I have probably waited a bit too long I already think - my daughters are 7 and 6 respectively.
They have just never showed any interest i ...[text shortened]... and some basic strategy, I'm pretty lost.
Where is a good place to start to take it further?
You can set them to play at various levels and at the most basic level it's possible to win against them and once they have beaten it , would give them great encouragement
Just playing with the pieces can be fun for kids that age. They love the horsey and the castle. Show them the rules about how pieces move.
There is a great website for kids and chess that incorporates both of those words in its name. I have all my kids in my school program use it to learn about and play chess. I am in no way affiliated with it, but it is a good resource. YouTube also has some pretty awesome videos, but you have to dig through the chaff to find them.
Originally posted by CrowleyI don't think you need to let them win, it's probably better to give them rook odds than throw games, .... plus, if you're in the 1200-1300 range in OTB they will crush you 100% within a year, so enjoy those wins while you can! 😉
Originally posted by Eladar
[b]Make sure they win and win often. People generally don't like to play games they can't win and win often.
This is what I thought too, but it probably needs to be balanced with the new-age BS we have these days where every participant gets a trophy...[/b]
Originally posted by CrowleyCheap tricks and puzzles to impress their friends plus
I want to get my kids more interested in chess.
This is no easy matter, as I am in no way passionate about chess. I like to play chess, but it falls in between minesweeper and yahtzee for me, in order of importance.
I have probably waited a bit too long I already think - my daughters are 7 and 6 respectively.
They have just never showed any interest i ...[text shortened]... and some basic strategy, I'm pretty lost.
Where is a good place to start to take it further?
let them regularly beat you after a "hard fought" game.
Teach them basic endgames. How to win with a queen, or two rooks, or one rook. How to promote a pawn and then win. That will give them lots of opportunities to win quickly. I don't throw games with my kids ever. Sometimes I give them queen odds or rook odds but then I play as hard as I can.
Originally posted by byedidiaBully.
Teach them basic endgames. How to win with a queen, or two rooks, or one rook. How to promote a pawn and then win. That will give them lots of opportunities to win quickly. I don't throw games with my kids ever. Sometimes I give them queen odds or rook odds but then I play as hard as I can.
Some other ideas:
Introduce them to suicide chess. Rapid and fun, but it is a good way to show discovered attacks,
Allow them take-backs. In that way they will quickly learn the consequences of a thoughtless move but it won't spoil the game. Reduce the number of take-backs as they improve.
Buy a book on instructive games. Choose one and go through it, asking them to spot the key moves and be sure to read aloud (and expand on if you can) the commentary.
If you get yourself a bit too much of an advantage in a game, turn the board round.
Most of all, make it fun, fun, fun.
- Joined
- 08 Apr 09
- Moves
- 19994
Originally posted by Duncan ClarkeAllow them take-backs:
Some other ideas:
Introduce them to suicide chess. Rapid and fun, but it is a good way to show discovered attacks,
Allow them take-backs. In that way they will quickly learn the consequences of a thoughtless move but it won't spoil the game. Reduce the number of take-backs as they improve.
Buy a book on instructive games. Choose one and go thr ...[text shortened]... too much of an advantage in a game, turn the board round.
Most of all, make it fun, fun, fun.
> I doubt this will learn them the consequences of a thoughtless move. Plus, I hate it when people try take-backs against me (in casual games).
If you get yourself a bit too much of an advantage in a game, turn the board round:
> That's an original way of giving odds.
Most of all, make it fun, fun, fun:
> YES!
Originally posted by CrowleyNah, I mean that you should teach them some stuff like easy checkmates and let them beat up on kids who don't have a clue.
Originally posted by Eladar
[b]Make sure they win and win often. People generally don't like to play games they can't win and win often.
This is what I thought too, but it probably needs to be balanced with the new-age BS we have these days where every participant gets a trophy...[/b]
As you teach them more, you can let them play better people. The key is to have them play much weaker opponents to try stuff out on and to win. It is how cats teach their young to hunt. I've read in a chess article it is how you teach kids to become great chess players.