How to teach chess: A question I pose to all teachers

you are very much right in your philosophy..!!!

I tried teaching chess to both my children and my wife using the "basic endgames first approach," starting with the K+R vs K checkmate. They all found this approach too boring and never made it to another endgame. They lost all interest in chess. You have to let 'em play.

Yes, but it really doesn't come naturally to most, it does need to be taught. Everything else is meaningless if they don't understand counting and its related issues.

The "endgame approach" that many consider boring is a necessary rite of passage.  When one learns to close out a game with an imbalance margin as atomic as KP vs K  ... even a child can see why trading down when ahead makes sense.  You are in fact, putting in the "most" important of plans into the mind of a young one which he/she can carry with them till their grave.  This is where technique is born.

Seems to be working for the 5-year old munchkin that I'm working with.  I always ask "what is the plan now" after she wins material and she's pretty quick to respond with a "Trade pieces, not pawns, simplify and get an easy mate".

Tactics.

My daughter was inspired immediately after watching "Searching for Bobby Fischer" to play speed chess. Well, I just so happen to have a chess clock and the exact same tournament green and white checkered roll up and triple weighted plastic pieces that were used in the movie. My daughter liked that!

We played several 5 minute and a few 3 minute games. She loved it. I played a 20 minute game with her, and she got bored! Too much thinking. It was more of a chore than a game. The same point was made in the movie. The little boy wonder prefered speed chess to slow play with a teacher.

I would not recommend a systematic approach. I'm using an educational philosophy known as delight directed study. Now, my daughter was interested in how I checkmated her so fast in one game. I told her about the f-7 square and what TACTIC  I used.

My favorite book for beginners is: Teach Yourself Visually Chess by Jon Edwards. The pictures are full color of real chess boards and pieces, and covers absolutely every aspect of the game without going too deep in any one area. It's truly an amazing work by a U.S. Correspondence Chess Champion and Senior International Master. It makes learning the game of chess so much more fun.

It does teach endgame, but nothing like the depth of Silman's Complete Endgame Course. I have that book, but rarely crack it open. It takes tremendous discipline and not something I really need much of at my current strength of play.

Another FUN book for learning one aspect of chess, checkmates, perhaps the best book: How To Beat Your Dad At Chess. (Including the 50 Deadly Checkmates). It covers the classics like Anastasia, Blackburne, Morphy, Greco, Lolli, Greek Gift, Legall, Pillsbury, Double Bishop Sacrifice and many others. You can't go wrong with this one.

Finally, I find the following visual below helpful when teaching beginners, as I am a public school teacher and am in constant contact with many children who want to play against me (always with the clock). It fixes really poor opening moves extremely fast. Perhaps the first opening to teach would be the four knights. It's an OPEN open, which encourages tactics, and gets the pawns and pieces out on good squares.

In the position below, White has complete command over the center of the board, the center pawns are in the ideal locations, every piece is developed and the king is safe.

I taight my children by playing and each time I won they could start the next game by taking another peice at the start. i.e. a point more each time.

1.After 1st game take a pawn

2. Then take off 2 pawns

3. Then knight/bishop/3 pawns

etc.

I decrease my playing strength as much as needed so the child has a chance to win. Now, they don't need to win, but more importantly, I don't think they will learn much if they get blown out of the water after 5-10 moves.  

Start with all chessmen on the board so that tactical play can be maximized. I'll position my pawns and pieces in such a way so that the child has an opportunity to apply a tactic, like a fork. If they see it, great. If not, then I will show them what they missed after the game. I also give them blunder alerts along the way. The board is very confusing for young children, making it much easier for adults to "steal" a piece that is moved into harms way. I'll kindly say, "can you think of a better move?" This gets them thinking, which is what every good teacher wants their student to do.

Yeah, this is true, she WAS really bored, but we got through it and she was always really excited everytime she finally figured out the "checkmate pattern"

2 probably shouldnt be dropped out but fischer once said that learning an opening was useless thats why he invented fischer random chess, and besides if you are going to teach an opening to a beginner it shouldnt be something like the the kings indian and the sicilian since those are mostly positional openings anyways, if you are going to teach an opening it should be comething like italian game or something with a classical type of play so that they can learn the basics of the fight for the center nothing fancy for a beginner, i believe imbalances should be taught before a full opening system.

ok,...., hi all!

I've never taught anyone to play, but I did teach a two year old how to set the board up.     I've been asked for insight on how I play and have yet to give out any details.  I've been toying with the idea of just opening my mouth, move by move, explain what I'm thinking, why I moved that piece, what I think of your move etc. I'd let the opponent take back major blunders to keep the game going.  Not sure it would work out but it would give the student an insight into the mind of a Chess player.  I wouldn't worry about openings at an early stage, it's too much to remember. 

Lol, this article is about me!!!!