Kids Chess Guide
This guide contains a selection of articles focused on kids ‘n’ chess.
Play Chess Online - Free Games
How it works:
- 1Play alone
- 2Play with AI
- 3Play in room
- 4Watch the rooms
- 5No Ads, Clean Play Room
It’s only as an adult, trying to learn the game and realizing just how much there is to take in during a game, that I sometimes wish I’d paid more attention in my youth. Trouble is, back then, all I wanted to do was run about, climb stuff and be active … anything but sitting down!
However, at some stage, as kids become more mature (well, some of them), they have to become good at critical thinking, logical reasoning, decision making, etc. and, from my time studying the game, I believe that Chess has plenty to offer to help shape the mind of the future-adult. The question is: how to go about introducing chess to kids, or vice versa?
Play Chess Online - Free Games
How it works:
- 1Play alone
- 2Play with AI
- 3Play in room
- 4Watch the rooms
- 5No Ads, Clean Play Room
Chess in Schools
Think about why parents send kids to school … to develop reasoning; analytical thinking; resilience; problem solving; perseverance …
The game of Chess has some aspect of all of these, so why not take advantage of it?
Chess Set v Computer
Chess computers, such as Fritz 12, are excellent for analysing games of chess, looking at alternative moves and comparing suggestions from millions of historical games stored in the chess engine’s database.
But, is it wise to sit a child down in front of a glaring computer monitor? Would play with a proper chess set be more engaging?
Playing Chess v. Playing
I know from experience, it’s a lot to ask of a kid to sit still, concentrate and think of playing a game like chess, when the other choice is to dash about like a lunatic, climbing trees here, playing football there.
Can one strike a balance between the active needs of a child and the need, at some stage, to develop the mind in more analytical ways?
Chess: When Is Too Young?
While researching this guide, I came across a study by educational pioneer and developmental biologist, Jean William Fritz Piaget, called the “Stages of Cognitive Development”.
In this article, I’ve paraphrased the key points, which may be useful in relation to Kids ‘n’ Chess.
Doctor + Chess Heals Kids
Alexandra Kosteniuk, Women’s World Chess Champion (2008-2010) published an article on her blog about a doctor (Dr Saba), who uses Chess to help rehabilitate his young patients.
It’s fascinating stuff, so I’ve linked to it from this page.
Using Chess To Teach Maths
Frank Ho, a certified Maths teacher (based in Canada) has developed an interesting concept of teaching maths to primary/elementary school by incorporating Chess into his workbooks.
You’ll find a link to his website from this page.
Susan Polgar’s Curriculum
Since 2006, Susan Polgar’s “Chess Training Guide / Curriculum for Teachers and Parents” has been distributed to over 200,000 Chess Clubs, Chess Organizations, parents, teachers, and coaches, in over 120 countries.
This page contains a link to a PDF download, as well as to Susan’s personal blog.