We see chess as a game for older children and adults, not as a game for younger children,

• Most children start playing complete chess games too young.
• Most children are taught chess both incompletely and too quickly.
• Many children are encouraged to play formal competitive chess before they’re ready.
• Most children don’t need professional chess tuition, although all children can benefit from informal mentoring.

Our teaching methods are evidence based and child centred.

• We promote teaching chess to younger children through games and activities using subsets of pieces.
• We understand that primary school age children will only make significant progress with parental support.
• We use a skill-based method of teaching chess, and are hoping to trial the concept of skill cards at some point.
• We believe that participation in serious competitions should be a privilege, not a right: encouraging children to take part in tournaments without the required chess or emotional skills will be counter-productive.

• There is no evidence that chess has a unique long-term effect on improving children’s academic performance: we promote chess for its intrinsic worth, not for claimed extrinsic benefits.
• The main purpose of community chess clubs should be to promote friendship through a shared interest, not to produce champions, prodigies and grandmasters.
• Community chess clubs should be proactive in encouraging children who may gain particular social benefits from chess: neurodivergent children, children from immigrant/refugee communities.