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…?
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! 
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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. 
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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anyone else love that movie “Searching for Bobby Fisher”? We don’t play chess competively, but I do like that movie.
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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.)
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!