Chess is very complex and if you introduce a child to the game in the wrong way, it quickly can become tedious and boring for him. If that happens, he will tune you out and you may have lost a future Grandmaster of the game.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Chess can be fun, almost addicting! There are specially designed programs for teaching chess to young players. These “Chess for Children” programs not only keep the process painless and entertaining but also serve to spark and maintain our kids’ interest. Chess is a game that a child may play for the rest of his life. Our job is to introduce chess to children in such a way as to ensure that happens.

That’s sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? Okay, but what’s the right way? Let’s take a look at these ideas and see if anything rings true.

1. Present the game in a step-by-step process, making sure the child masters each step before proceeding to the next.

2. Make the lessons short. Don’t overload your student. Don’t teach all the moves for all the pieces in one lesson. Unless your child is another Bobby Fischer, the amount of new material he is able to absorb will be limited.

3. Spend more time practicing lessons you’ve already covered than teaching new material.

4. Use the internet whenever possible. Children will learn faster using an interactive Chess for Kids learning program than any other way. It’s entertaining and fun but it gets the message across and then reinforces it with quizzes and games.

5. Make use of an electronic chess computer for practice games. This will increase markedly your child’s interest in the game.

6. If you are giving a lesson, be prepared. Your child must believe that you know what you’re talking about.

7. Give your child positive reinforcement whenever possible. For a particularly outstanding chess performance, reward the child materially with his favorite dessert or a visit to the movie theater.

8. Present new chess material only when you child is well-rested and fresh.

9. Be patient. Don’t expect too much too fast.

10. Keep it fun! If either of you is not enjoying the lesson or practice session, cut it short.

One often overlooked aspect of playing chess games with children is keeping a record of moves and replaying and analyzing games afterwards. This gives you the chance to look at each position with hindsight. If a particular move led to losing a piece, look at some of the alternative moves. Play the game out to see if a different move would have changed the outcome. Keeping track of your moves provides endless opportunities for learning….for both you and your child.

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