Chess for Children

Here is a good book with some great ideas for teaching chess to young and old alike. Although written for children ages 9 to 12, I think its best use is for a teacher or parent wanting to teach a a young child (or anybody for that matter) the game of chess in an easy-to-understand kind of way. The book succeeds splendidly at this by introducing small "chunks" of chess knowledge. Using a variety of chess game variations, puzzles, and activities, the student gradually learns all the rules of the game in a fun and interesting way. Take for example "The Pawn Game". What's so great about this is that you can begin to play a simplified form of chess having only learned how a single piece moves and captures! Even better, you are actually learning solid chess fundamentals as to how to use pawns in the full game of chess. In addition to "the Pawn Game" the authors introduce many other "mini" chess activities like the "Attack of the Mad Queen" game and the "Knight Driving Test" challenge. Because of this approach, learning the rules of chess becomes something fun and not a confusing and overwhelming experience for the new player. Highly recommended!

My 7 year old son picked it right up and began to try it out. That lasted a few days - need to get him going again. I tell you, this is a good book for starters, you need to play to get there though.

I bought two books for my son (7) and daughter (5) to help continue their developing interest in chess. The two books are Chess For Children and How to Beat Your Dad at Chess. The latter turned out to be too advanced for my kids, but Chess For Children is exactly what my kids needed to learn about the game. Written by teachers in Lincolnshire, England, the book uses great techniques to help children understand basic skills. My children already know how to set up the board and how each piece should move on the board, but the methods in Chess For Children help them go beyond "how" a piece moves to "why" they should move it. For example, the book features the Lincolnshire System, or the "Pawn Game", teaching kids to play with only the pawns. This method develops an understanding for how to use pawns in concert and how quickly the picket line can dissolve when a player doesn't ensure the pieces mutually support each other. The authors also present several other interesting techniques for teaching youngsters how to maneuver (instead of move) knights, rooks and bishops around the board. My daughter's favorite game is the Mad Queen, pitting the queen on one side against all of the pawns of an opponent. The opponent must attempt to get one pawn to the far side before the queen kills them all.My kids love the games and techniques outlined in Nottingham's book. The authors weave a mix of chess history, years of enthusiasm teaching youth, along with the basics of chess. The product reflects a wealth of experience and a passion for both children and the game of chess. Bravo! Highly recommended!

I bought this book because I did not want to teach my son poor chess habits. He did not read it (to the best of my knowledge), but I was able to extract a few important things in an appropriate order to tell him as we played. I enjoyed reading it too! Results? My son presses me very hard at chess: if I don't concentrate he trounces me. Sometimes even if I do not have a break in my concentration he still wipes me off the board.