Adults Learning Chess From and With Children

I have been playing chess for as long as my daughter who is pre-school.  We just started on Christmas Day.  She interested me in the game due to her remembering chess from a Harry Potter Movie.  As we strolled in the library looking for something to read together she saw a chess board and said that we should play just like they did in Harry Potter.  We used her rules and she won.  But we played for like an hour.  It was better than TV or any other video game.  I got to see her creativity in action.  I asked for Chess for Christmas.  I got "No Stress Chess" from Santa who obviously wants peace in our house.  He also got me a Scooby Doo chess set.  We have played a "No Stress" game of chess at least once a day since Dec 25.  I hope to continue this trend.  Since starting my chess hobby, I have been crushed at least a hundred times by this site's computer game.  I am learning though and love it.  The point of this article - I started in chess because my daughter got me started, not the other way around.  Now I am hooked and am also trying to teach her how the pieces move and other introductory topics.

What an amazing gift I got from my daughter.  We fish together and ice skate together and now we have chess together.

Does anyone have suggestions on how best for us both to learn?  I may be worrying some of you with my desire to teach and learn especially when I am a novice, so your guidance is appreciated.

» posted in For Beginners

| 1097 reads | 4 comments |

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by KanaPolak - 3 years ago
Lethbridge Canada

Member Since: Mar 2008
Member Points: 43

How old is your daughter Salamillion?

by salamillion - 3 years ago
United States

Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 290

Thank you both for your thoughts and help!

by cjus - 3 years ago
LA United States

Member Since: Nov 2008
Member Points: 143

That's great.   When my daughter was four we started by playing with the pieces... stacking and moving them about -- not real chess - just playing with the pieces.  Later we played simple games with the pawns (only) in which we raced to see who would get their pawn to the other side first.  This taught her how pawns move and how they capture.  Later we practiced setting up the chess board and seeing who could setup their side of the board first.  By six years old she could remember opening concepts and play an entire game.  I was one proud dad as she learned to play a full year earlier than I did at age 7. Best of all she's a far strong player than I was at twice her age.  I never pressured my daughter to play... we would always stop as soon as I could detect that she had lost interest.

 

My daughter (11 now) has played for years but has long drifted from the game.  Which is fine - I'm just happy for our time together and that she learned to play the game of kings and queens.

 

I agree that basic mates are a great way to start as are simple chess puzzles.  But at her age keeping the game fun is key ;-)

 

by plane129 - 3 years ago
ca United States

Member Since: Aug 2008
Member Points: 432

start learning the basic mates.