How to Teach a Newbie Chess: You Don't!

     Some commenters were recently talking about the most underrated component of chess. There was some debate, but, someone said the pawns and I (along with some others) absolutely agreed! That made me think about the pawns and something I like to do with beginners...

  I'm obsessed with chess - I absolutely love it. But, it can be intimidating and overwhelming for someone who has never learned (especially if they're already in adulthood) 😵‍💫. So, how do I pass that on to a newbie? I start by: NOT teaching them chess... just yet.

     Learning how all the pieces move can be difficult (FUN FACT 🤓: the pawns actually are not pieces; technically, there are 4 pieces and the pawn... in other words, each player has 8 pieces and 8 pawns). The pawns move once, except twice at first, capture diagonally, they get stuck, and every novice's nightmare... en passant! 🫨😵 The King is a bit easier to understand, but, can still be a bit overwhelming. And, of course, let's not forget the nuances of all the other pieces!🥴

  To ease someone into chess - especially those who are hesitant 🤨 or who think that chess isn't for them 😥- I train them with pawn races.  But, I first teach them how the pawn moves (except for en passant 😅), and have them practice moving their pawns and familiarize them with different pawn positions. After experimenting, I teach them the king's abilities (or lack thereof 😏). Once they understand the king (including the concept of check, relevant to the pawns), we set up the PAWN RACE!

The pawns are on their marks. The kings are set. Go! 🏁

  That's it! It's just the 16 pawns and 2 kings. Whoever can get a pawn to the opposite side first (8th rank for White, 1st rank for Black) wins. It's simple, but, it's deep.👌🏻When they keep playing it - and, they quite enjoy it! 🤩 - they slowly-but-surely get a handle 🤔 on the concepts of...

• • pushed pawns
  • pawn structures
  • king assistance
  • open games vs closed games

... and even more! It also sets a solid foundation for them to understand all the rest of chess and its complicated moves and strategies. 🧠👍🏻

  Pawns are often overlooked and underappreciated (except by titled players, of course 🧐👑).  But, this game - the pawn race - helps them appreciate (in just a few days⏳) concepts that entire courses and whole books 📚 are devoted to teaching! 🤯

  I've seen this method yield great results - from little children to seniors!😍 Go and try this out with anyone you know who hasn't gotten into chess, yet! Especially those holdouts  (after all, it technically isn't chess 😉) and let me know what your results are. 😃🤙🏻

I look forward to hearing from the community! Keep Chessing & Stay Brainy! 🤠