The short answer is: it depends. The best age for your children to start chess could be 5, 10 or 15. A good place to start, although I have caveats which I'll come to later, is with Piaget'sTheory of Cognitive Development. If you're a teacher you'll no doubt aware of this, but, if you're a …
Author: gentlesoldier
Chess tutor, writer, organiser and player. Ex-bridge player, cryptic crossword solver and ex-compiler. Music lover. Family and local historian. Website programmer and promoter, editor, proofreader.
Richard’s Other Websites
My other chess websites: http://www.minichess.uk – for more information about minichess activities http://www.chesskids.org.uk – an interactive online course for children (no longer maintained as I’m trying to get younger children off screens). http://www.rtchessclub.com – the website of Richmond & Twickenham Chess Club. Children who are old enough to play chess in the evenings are very welcome. http://www.twickenhamlibrarychess.uk - …
Articles
I’ve written a number of articles about various aspects of chess for young children. You can read some of them here. They were written between 10 and 25 years ago: in some ways my views are slightly more nuanced now. FOURTEEN FALLACIES ABOUT JUNIOR CHESS CHESS, PIAGET AND POLGAR CHESS THINKING SKILLS IN CHILDREN PRIMARY …
About Heroes
Whether you're a parent or a teacher, you'll be very concerned about the growing number of children and young people suffering mental health problems. I can see many possible reasons for this, but I'd propose to you that one reason is that we as a society have our priorities wrong. In my opinion we're misunderstanding …
About Chess
If you're a proficient competitive chess player you'll know what chess is. You don't need me to tell you. But if you're not, you may have some misapprehensions. Chess is a game for adults and older children. It's not, in general, a game for younger children, for all sorts of reasons, although children aged 5-7 …
About Richard
I was born in 1950, growing up with what would today be diagnosed with autism, dyspraxia and ADHD. Long before there was any understanding of the concept of neurodiversity, I was physically and emotionally abused by my father at home and bullied at school. But I was accepted within the world of chess and have …
Chess for Heroes 