A Most Detrimental Yet Common Practice to Get Started in Chess

A destructive way of how we typically start teaching complete beginners chess is to play full game right after showing the moves.

Here I'm going to summarize the view of my alter ego @RoaringPawn. He holds a strong view that playing a full, all-men chess game can be detrimental for the absolute beginner for several reasons:

1. Information Overload:

    The complexity of chess, with all pieces on the board, can overwhelm beginners. They are confronted with learning the moves of each piece, understanding the rules of the game, and trying to grasp basic strategies and tactics all at once. This can lead to a cognitive overload, where beginners might not absorb or retain much of what they're learning.

2. Lack of Conceptual Understanding:

    Without a foundational understanding of piece relationships and strategic concepts, beginners might see chess as just moving pieces around without purpose. RoaringPawn stresses that chess is about understanding how pieces work together, control the board, and create threats. In a full game, this can be too abstract for a novice to grasp immediately.

3. Frustration and Demotivation:

    The immediate experience of playing a full game for someone who doesn't understand the basics can be frustrating. They might lose repeatedly without understanding why, leading to discouragement and potentially causing them to give up on learning chess altogether.

4. Poor Learning Curve:

    RoaringPawn criticizes starting with the full game because it doesn't provide a learning curve. Instead, it throws the learner into the deep end. He believes in a step-by-step approach where learners can build upon each concept, which is not facilitated by starting with a full game.

5. Misguided Focus:

    Beginners might focus on memorizing openings or specific moves rather than understanding why those moves are made. This can lead to a superficial understanding of the game, where they mimic moves without knowing the underlying strategy.

Focused. Krzysiek Kulesza (Polish)

6. Ineffective Feedback:

    In a full game, the feedback for beginners on why they lost or what they did wrong can be too complex to decipher. The reasons for losing could be numerous, from tactical mistakes to strategic errors, making it hard for beginners to pinpoint what they need to work on.

7. Neglecting Fundamental Skills:

    RoaringPawn advocates for teaching chess through simpler scenarios that emphasize control, threats, and basic tactics. Starting with a full game bypasses these fundamental skills, as beginners might not see the importance of these concepts amidst the game's complexity.

8. Misunderstanding Strategy:

    Strategy in chess is about long-term planning, understanding piece activity, and positional play, which are concepts that might not be appreciated by a beginner in the chaos of a full game. They might not see or understand these strategic elements, focusing instead on immediate threats or captures.

9. Creating Bad Habits:

    Without guidance, beginners might develop bad habits, like moving pieces haphazardly or focusing solely on material gain without considering position or safety of their king. These habits can be hard to break later on.

10. Lack of Engagement:

    For someone new to chess, the full game can feel daunting and less engaging. RoaringPawn believes in making chess fun and accessible, and he sees mini-games or simplified scenarios as a way to do this, keeping beginners engaged and motivated.

RoaringPawn's philosophy is that learning chess should be about building from the ground up, understanding the game's core concepts through manageable, digestible lessons rather than jumping straight into the complex dynamics of a full game. This approach, he believes, not only makes learning more effective but also more enjoyable, which is crucial for long-term interest and improvement in chess.

Yours truly,

VroomingRook