Learning to play chess at what age?

[rjung]

Just a question for the parent Dopers and/or (Western) chess-playing Dopers out there -- what's a good age for someone to start to learn the game?

I've heard some folks say their kids started at age 6 or thereabouts, but that seems a bit young to me; I can't imagine a six-year-old learning more than the names of the pieces and how they move, for instance. But I'm open to be convinced otherwise...?

[Astroboy14]

I've heard some folks say their kids started at age 6 or thereabouts, but that seems a bit young to me; I can't imagine a six-year-old learning more than the names of the pieces and how they move, for instance. But I'm open to be convinced otherwise...?

Heck, I'm 39, and that's all I know about chess... ;)

Seriously, though, (and IANAP) kids are smart! I don't see any problem with teaching them chess at 6 or so. Maybe they won't be down with all the complexities of the game at that age, but they'll have a leg up when they are ready for more advanced play. And if you get lucky, they'll make a bazillion dollars by age 15, and daddy can retire early! :cool:

[cher3]

There was a little optional program at my daughter's school that started them out at about six. They had special stories they used to teach how the pieces moved and would have mini-lessons on special topics like castling. She liked it well enough and can get through a game. I think the main attraction is her father's undivided attention for an hour or so.

[Shagnasty]

I learned when I was 6. It didn't seem to be much of a stretch then. I believe a babysitter taught me the mechanics in an afternoon. Then again, I never have been all that good at it either. Kids can learn a lot of things if you give them the chance.

[Treviathan]

I too learned when I was six, or thereabouts. I remember getting Chessmaster 3000 for my old Tandy when I was probably eight or nine, and playing it constantly.

[percypercy]

I learned when I was 9 or 10, 4th grade anyway, there was an afterschool chess class, but there were 1st graders in the class too, and they seemed just as able to comprehend what was going on as I was which was fairly well.
-Lil

[RickJay]

I learned when I was six. It's not a hard game to learn, but it takes a long time to master, so you may as well get an early start.

It took three years for me to beat my Dad; I still remember that game.

[lizardling]

I learned before I was seven. Got a computerized chess board for Christmas one year, never rose beyond "knows the difference between the pointy one and the horsie one" level, though. :D

[ErinPuff]

I have three cousins who could each kick my ass in chess at the age of six. They do competitions and everything.

I didn't learn until I was 12. My 7th grade English teacher loved chess and if he didn't have anything to teach us he would sometimes have us play chess all period. Then in eighth grade we had a unit on chess in social studies, so I got slightly better at it, but I still lost most of the time.

[clairobscur]

Another one who learnt chess around that age. I don't remember having had issues understanding the game (I lost any interest in chess during my late teens), though of course I didn't play well. I think I taught chess to one of my nieces when she was 8 or so. It's older, of course, but she immediatly understood the game.


Just try, anyway. If the kid is interested, then great. If he isn't or if, as you believe, he only can remember the name and moves of the pieces, then just give up. It's not like he's going to suffer a major trauma if you try to taught him the game and he doesn't care for it.

Actually, I think I asked to learn the game, and at least, so did my niece. So, you could also wait until he asks.

[kunilou]

I learned when I was six. It's not a hard game to learn, but it takes a long time to master, so you may as well get an early start.

It took three years for me to beat my Dad; I still remember that game.

You must have been good. It took me four years to beat my father.

I learned when I was seven, by the way. That's also the age I introduced my children to it.

[Hilarity N. Suze]

I used to babysit a 6-year-old who could beat me consistently (not that I am any great shakes at chess). But he could also beat his father consistently.

It keeps 'em out of trouble, anyway.

[chaoticbear]

I learned at about 5 or 6... it would have been early 1st grade at the latest (I'm corresponding memories of which house I lived in to school here...)

Neither of my parents knew how to play, so I learned from the Chessmaster game for NES and Battle Chess. :)

[monica]

When we were younger, My aunt bought a chess set for my brother and used I to play. I think he was about 5 or 6, and I was 9 or 10. I finally refused to play with him because I was tired of being accused of cheating (I never cheat) everytime I won. At his age, he just couldn't handle losing.

[romansperson]

My husband is a chess coach and he has taught kids as young as 5. The only requirement, really, is that they be interested to learn and able to sit still and pay attention for about 20 minutes at a time. That's more important than what age they are, though the younger they can start the easier and faster they can learn.

[Kalhoun]

Just a question for the parent Dopers and/or (Western) chess-playing Dopers out there -- what's a good age for someone to start to learn the game?

I've heard some folks say their kids started at age 6 or thereabouts, but that seems a bit young to me; I can't imagine a six-year-old learning more than the names of the pieces and how they move, for instance. But I'm open to be convinced otherwise...?
That's the beginnings of learning the game! My mom taught my son when he was about that age. You learn the motions and names, and then strategy comes after that. Exactly the same as when an adult learns it.

[norinew]

My husband was five when he started learning to play chess. Our youngest daughter, who is five, is very much like her father (I always tell him she's the 'son he always wanted'). Just a couple of weeks, I bought her her first chess set. I paid a buck and a half for it at a second-hand store. She began learning that afternoon, and beat her daddy the first game out (granted, every time he put her queen in check, he warned her "you'd better move your queen this move or I'll get it"), and has played him almost every day ever since.

[eleanorigby]

My oldest son learned when he was 5 or 6. He beat my father (my husband does not play chess) at age 7.

A friend of mine taught her son at age 5 by removing the pawns until he got the moves of the other pieces down. And then she added the pawns. I had never heard of that method before, but he is a demon chess player so........

[hijack]
anyone else love that movie "Searching for Bobby Fisher"? We don't play chess competively, but I do like that movie.
[/endhijack]

[SiXSwordS]

My son is six and he likes to play, but he doesn't really understand the strategy beyond taking the black pieces. He does make some good moves though. Luckily, I can still beat him, but just barely. (I am not good.)

FWIW, we started playing almost two years ago. We learned how the pieces move by putting one or two pieces on the board and moving them. We also played with just the pawns in their correct positions and tried to see who could get a pawn to the king's row.

We only played when and for as long as he was interested. He asked for the set and wanted a book from the library on chess. (I got the idea for the pawn game from the kids book from the library.)

[romansperson]

[hijack]
anyone else love that movie "Searching for Bobby Fisher"? We don't play chess competively, but I do like that movie.
[/endhijack]

Yes, we saw it and I think it's a good movie. My favorite part was where the guy in charge locked the parents behind the barrier during one of the tournaments :). My husband has actually stopped directing local scholastic tournaments because the parents can be such an unholy pain in the butt. Sad for the kids, who tend to be much better behaved than some of their elders during the competition!

[Syntropy]

Six. Also the age at which my kids started learning. Great for developing analytical thinking at a young age.

[glee]

My husband is a chess coach and he has taught kids as young as 5. The only requirement, really, is that they be interested to learn and able to sit still and pay attention for about 20 minutes at a time. That's more important than what age they are, though the younger they can start the easier and faster they can learn.

I'm a full-time chess teacher.

I taught myself the game when I was 6 from a book. (Chess for Children by Bott + Morrison.)

I agree with the above post.
At present I work mainly with 10-18 year olds. The most experienced + gifted can play 4 hour games against adults.

There are undoubtedly educational benefits, provided the child is enjoying learning the game. See the article here:

http://www.gardinerchess.com/

[ShibbOleth]

On some advice from another poster in an earlier thread (DDG?) I got my kids the first Chesster and Fritz chess program. It's a good mix of silliness and instruction, with a sort of theme and objectives. They're both able to go through and handle all of the concepts presented, to varying degrees of success. If you're like me and really don't know what you're doing then it's a good way to instruct them. Of course I'm sure some of the books mentioned here won't hurt, either.

[romansperson]

There are undoubtedly educational benefits, provided the child is enjoying learning the game.

For his master's thesis, my husband wrote about this. Kids who learn chess also seem to have an easier time mastering concepts in math and music, for instance. It also helps them to learn to focus and concentrate, which enhances study skills.

[Dead Cat]

I learnt when I was about 5, then started playing at school from ages 7-11. At some point during this time I played Dad after a gap of a couple of years, and I was tremendously, irrationally upset when I realised I could beat him easily and he wasn't the master I remembered from before! I don't think we played again after I burst into tears when he put his rook en prise on the second move!

Luckily, that didn't affect my subsequent "career", and I've played on and off since, reaching a reasonable club level (FIDE roughly 1600, if anyone's interested). I think the most important thing is for the kid to enjoy the game and want to play it - if you try to force them, it's likely to end unhappily. But I'm sure you knew that. I've tried to interest my younger brother in the game, but he'd rather do other things - fair enough.

Interesting point somebody made about removing pawns from the board to teach the moves. I've only heard of the opposite method, i.e. start with just kings and pawns, then add each piece one at a time so you play with kings, knights and pawns, then kings, bishops and pawns (removing the knights), and so on - this is supposed to work quite well. But yes, books and computers are definitely the way to go if the kid is serious about playing and improving. Good luck!

[SkipMagic]

I learned when I was in the 5th grade (from a kid who was younger than me--how insulting!), but I taught my little sister when she was 5. She in no way understood the complexity of strategy at that age, but she did learn the pieces and the way they moved.

[Rhiannon8404]

My son was 3½ when he asked if I would teach him chess. He picked up the movements very quickly and now, at age 6 is really starting to understand strategy. He's able to think several moves ahead. I was probably 15 when I learned to play. Suburban Plankton thinks he was 7-8 when he started.

None of us are really good chess players, but we all enjoy it.

[Silver Fire]

Hey, I was just going to start this thread!

My son is two years old which is obviously too young, but I've been thinking a lot lately about various things he could get into and the appropriate ages for each activity. I'm thinking maybe 5 or 6 would be the very earliest for chess, depending on the child, of course. Now I just need to start threads for all the other stuff he might could get into. :)

[danceswithcats]

Mom was teaching me the game by second grade. Granted, I never won, but it was a learning experience, nonetheless. Never too early to teach a youngster.

[romansperson]

Hey, I was just going to start this thread!

My son is two years old which is obviously too young, but I've been thinking a lot lately about various things he could get into and the appropriate ages for each activity. I'm thinking maybe 5 or 6 would be the very earliest for chess, depending on the child, of course. Now I just need to start threads for all the other stuff he might could get into. :)

Oh, if you can, have him learn another language! They pick it up so quick when they are little - it's so much harder when you get older. I so wish I'd been taught another language when I was little. It can be a valuable skill as an adult, too.

Now returning you to your regularly scheduled thread.

[glee]

For his master's thesis, my husband wrote about this. Kids who learn chess also seem to have an easier time mastering concepts in math and music, for instance. It also helps them to learn to focus and concentrate, which enhances study skills.

Could you get this thesis to me easily?
It would make useful reading and probably provide backing for some of my job ideas!

Thanks. :)

[romansperson]

Could you get this thesis to me easily?
It would make useful reading and probably provide backing for some of my job ideas!

Thanks. :)

I think he's got it on his computer. I'll ask him to send it to you.

[glee]

romansperson,

I've had some material delivered - thanks!

[manx]

My father taught me how to play when I was about six or seven. It took me about three years to beat him (he's not brilliant - I was just very obvious player.) In seventh form I rediscovered it - my friends and me would wag school to play chess in the local Starbucks. (Even rebelling I was a geek.) I still have a friends I play with every week at Starbucks. I'd like to play other people but I get nevous and make stupid mistakes when someone else is watching, so playing a stranger is pretty much out of the question.

[rjung]

Just wanted to check back in and thank everyone for their responses. My five-year-old was itching for a computer chess game, so I picked up a copy of Fritz & Chesster for him to play with, but wasn't sure if he was old enough to grok it. Nice to know the subject is probably not too far over his head... :)

[Malacandra]

No-one's yet mentioned the game's answer to Mozart, J. R. Capablanca. He learned to play at age 4 by watching his father with a friend, and revealed he knew how to play when he mocked his father for cheating (moving a knight two squares diagonally, and getting away with it). His father promptly challenged him to put up, and he did. Capa snr then took son to a chess club where an unsuspecting player, Don Ramon Iglesias, gave him Queen odds. This was a mistake. Some years later, the former child prodigy beat an aging Dr Emanuel Lasker for the World Championship. He was regarded as unbeatable in tournament play for many years.

Sadly, he under-prepared for his title defence against Alexander Alekhine, lost a hard-fought match, and under the rules at the time had to wait for a return match until Alekhine was good and ready... and the unscrupulous Alekhine was careful to ensure that he never would be.

Granted this is no more grounds for arguing that four-year-olds can and should learn to play than Mozart's own career demonstrates that six-year-olds should compose symphonies, but it's a nice story nonetheless. And at least it means that Don Ramon Iglesias earned a kind of immortality. :)