Building a Champion: Chess Training at One Week Old
Hey Impressive Chessers!
It’s been awhile* but for very good reasons! Last week, my wife Traci and I welcomed our first baby into the world! I think she’s very cute, so be warned, I’ll be sprinkling photos throughout this blog and probably overusing the #girldad.
*First thing that pops in my head whenever "It's been awhile" gets mentioned
Naturally, one of the first questions I get is some variation of:
“So… when will you teach Kira chess?”
That’s what this blog is about! My totally reasonable plan to start teaching our one-week-old baby the royal game.
Expectations of Kira
I’ll want her to know how all the pieces move before her 3rd birthday. With a dad/coach who’s a National Master and who started competing in tournaments at a much older age (12 years older, to be exact) you can bet Kira will be held to a high standard.
Puzzle Answer
Assuming her first established rating (after 25 games) is at least 1300, I expect her to gain 300 points per year until she reaches 2000. After that, things get harder, so I’ll generously lower expectations to 200 points per year.
How Kira Will Meet Expectations
Step one: let her play with the pieces now. She already had her one-week grace period, no more slacking for Kira!
When she learns how the pieces move, I’ll also introduce my patent-pending, more accurate point system for chess.
That way she’ll grow up fluent in the system and avoid all the confusion of “pawns = 1.”
Once she’s mastered piece movement, it’s time to get her nationally rated. I figure diapers, pacifiers, and USCF membership are the “big three” expenses for parents in 2025 anyway. She might not be able to reach the pieces, but I’ll strap her into the high chair at a local tournament. Kira will be A-okay!
Of course, openings are key. Babies at this age absorb languages faster than adults, so why not the language of chess? While most parents sing lullabies, I’ll be whispering Sicilian Defense move orders over the baby monitor:
“1. e4 c5… 2. Nf3 d6… 3. d4 cxd4… 4. Nxd4 Nf6… 5. Nc3 a6…”
Sure, she’ll fall asleep, but by kindergarten she’ll have Najdorf theory embedded in her subconscious.
And anytime she’s not studying chess?
It’s my job to remind her she’s wasting her most valuable resource: youth. If she dares spend time with friends, bond with family, or heaven forbid watch Bluey, I’ll be right there to get her back on track.
The Serious Part
Okay, let me step out of character for a second. Hopefully you could tell this was satirical. I don’t actually plan on forcing Kira into chess. If she shows interest, I’ll encourage her and happily teach her. But if she doesn’t want to play, that’s perfectly fine. I’ll support whatever she chooses to pursue.
As a coach, I’ve seen kids with parents almost as strict as my “satirical self.” My real advice as a chess master and teacher? Don’t put that kind of pressure on your child. Let them enjoy the game (or not) on their own terms.
If you want my thoughts on handling pressure, check out my earlier blog: How to Handle/Accept Pressure
Stay impressive!
OLM/NM Craig C.
linktr.ee/ChessToImpress
How would (or did) you introduce chess to your child, if at all? Let me know in the comments
