Teach Chess To Your Child : Step By Step Guide

Parents love to encourage their children to play various kinds of sports for their overall development. We often emphasize on the importance of physical exercise and are hence constantly nudging our children to play outdoor games or at least indulge in some sort of sport. Apart from these outdoor sports, which tend to offer physical benefits to your child, you also need to involve your child in some forms of sports, which aren’t physical but mental, such as chess. If you haven’t thought about introducing this game to your child yet, this is the right time to do so.

I was once strolling in a park, for my regular evening walk when I happened to run in to a couple of little children, racking their brains on making the next move in the game of chess. This is when I struck up on the idea of introducing this wonderful game to my child. As a parent, I urge you to teach your child the game of chess, which has a number of benefits stored in for him/her. Chess for kids is just like chess for adults, the only difference being that you need to teach the same to your child in a different manner, a way that will suit your child. Chess rules for kids are different, that cater to their age. So, if you like this idea and are thinking how to teach chess to kids, then you are at the right place. Below mentioned are a few ways to teach chess to your child-

1. Get to know the pieces:

   First of all, you need to introduce all the pieces to your child and make him/her learn what each piece is referred to, in the game. Make sure that your child is comfortable enough with pointing to each one of them with the right name

2. Learn the objective:

   Tell your child that the entire objective of the game is to protect your king and how different moves help you in doing the same. Make the chess board a set up and plot different ideas that will get your child interested in the game

3. Play with the Pawns:

   This is where your child will get to first play his/her bit. Teach your child how the pawns move and how they capture their opponents. You can teach your child by playing only with pawns initially. You can apply this technique until your child has mastered the pawns

4. Add the Knights:

   You can add the knights to the mix now and teach your child how they move. Since this can be complicated for little children to understand, at first you can teach them how they move, without actually playing the game. Once your child understands the concept, play the game only with pawns and knights to get him/her understand better

5. Learn the Bishops:

   Now you begin teaching your child how the bishops move and attack. Start playing a few games with the pawns and bishops and then with the pawns, knights and the bishops to help your child understand better

6. Add the Rooks:

   The rooks are the last of the chess court before the King and Queen are presented. Teach your children how the rooks move around the board, and have your child practice their movements. Have your child practice with the rooks, pawns, knights and bishops before you introduce the rest of the pieces

7. Presenting the King:

   You need to remind your child every time that it is the King that he/she wants to protect throughout the game and also capture the King of the opponent. Teach the meaning of “check” and “check mate,” and how each apply to the game. “Check” is a warning that your king is in imminent danger, whereas “check mate” signals the end of the game. Practice identifying the places where you would need to say “Check” and “Check mate”, until your child learns it better

8. Meeting the Queen:

   Finally comes the time to meet the most powerful player of the game, the ‘Queen’. Show your child how special the Queen is, in that she can move as far as she wants to and in any direction unless one of her own subjects is in her way

9. The final play:

   This is where you and your child can begin playing the actual game. Before the game begins, ask your child whether or not he/she remembers the pieces and their moves. You can remind your child if he/she doesn’t recollect any bit, whilst playing. Your child will develop the skills with time, with constant practice being put in motion

This step by step guide of chess for kids will really help you teaching the game to your child. You need to speak chess in your child’s language and tell him/her that the teams are battling against each other. The importance of chess contributes to the fact that your child’s mind will develop at a quick rate, which is why it is essential that you teach this game to your little one right from a young age. Here are some benefits of chess in child development-

• Playing the game of chess right from a young age will improve your child’s learning, thinking, analytical power and improve his/her decision making skills
• Chess makes the child learn how to strategize aspects of the game and life. In addition, a child can also learn the
• importance of foresight, and planning
• Chess also instils the value of discipline in a child, early in life
• Regular practice in chess aids self confidence in a child, which is necessary for his/her overall development

   

• In the game of chess, a child learns to do a thorough analysis, research, and assessment of the situation before making any moves. Such an exercise provides mental clarity to the child. Mental clarity and mental dexterity is required for solving problems, analyzing consequences, and formulating future tactics
• Children playing chess from an early age exhibit sharp memory skills
• Chess helps in improving concentration and academic performance of the child

With all these benefits lined up before you, teaching chess to your child is essential for transforming him/her in to a responsible, disciplined and a wise human being. Teaching chess to children can be tough and since this game requires patience, both, to teach and to learn, you need to be calm towards your child. Do not bombard your child with too many concepts in a day, but rather teach each move, with each piece day by day. Let your child practice each new move thoroughly prior to moving on to a next one. So, what are you waiting for? Start teaching the concepts of this brainy game to your child right away.

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