Chess- any resources for a 6 year old? (and mom that does not know how to play!)

[KCMichigan]

My two DDs took an into to chess class  (one day for 2 hours) and LOVED it!

They learned all the piece roles and how they move. 

Now that we are home, they want to play more--- but I do not know how to play. Although they did great, it was a 2 hour course and some of the facts they have forgotten and/or did not cover. 

Do anyone have any good resources to keep them interested? Online games/apps? Books? Activities? We ordered a simple cardboard chess board and plastic pieces off Amazon.

They have played a few games together and enjoy it, but as both beginners and a parent that does not know how to play- I want to make sure they are still learning and having fun.

Also- the instructor told me to bring them back next year  and they did great having never played before, especially being 6. He did ask if they liked math- since he saw a lot of math-minded kids enjoy chess...why yes- yes they both like math!

Any resources would be great! 

[Geofizz]

No Stress Chess

[spedteacher30]

Our son played Dino Chess on the iPad to learn the basic moves,and now uses an app called "chess free" I think.

[KaliShanti]

My son learned chess and started competing and winning tournaments at age four. I suggest your kiddos join a local club is there is one and that you or your DH learn to play. My son also enjoyed chess.com and ideachess.com as well as reading Susan Polgar books.

[puddle]

My daughter plays chess online (mostly chess.com) and on some apps I have on my android phone (chess by aart bik and chess free by optime).  I don't know if any of those are the best, but they were the first ones I found and my daughter likes them.  For you to learn, the Aart Bik app is helpful because when you select a piece, it highlights all the squares you can move to so you can learn the moves.  Our local library also has a group of kids come meet up and play chess every Sunday, and my daughter loves it.  She gets to play with other kids, but without the pressure of tournaments. 
 

[ChessCafe]

One good website is the Chess Kids Academy: http://www.chesskids.com/newcourse/index.htm

Resources for kids can be found here: http://shop.chesscafe.com/chess_books_for_kids.asp

[cloudbutterfly]

Chess is Child's Play - I've only read the first few chapters, but it seems great so far.

[linn7799]

My husband is a chess player and recommends the book Chess for Children.

[pek64]

Our desktop had a chess program on it
Also there was a book we saw at the bookstore several years ago that taught how the pieces move by moving them through a maze. My son enjoyed the challenge!

I suggest you go to a bookstore and look at the books available. No one else can know what works for you or your child. Sometimes a bookstore can order a book and you don't have to buy it unless you like it.

[emilysmama]

My husband is crazy about chess.  Last Jan, he started the chess club for the 2nd-5th graders at my dd's school, and now she and her friends are crazy about chess.

The pps gave some great suggestions, especially chesskids, chess.com, and No Stress Chess. Early on, my husband downloaded whatever free chess app there is for the iPhone.   Lately, however, dh has been playing chess tournaments on chess.com.  Dd has an 11 year old friend enjoys playing on chess.com. Dd tried chesskids once and liked it, but would much rather play with other kids. We have No Stress Chess, and dd liked it when she first started playing chess, but now she prefers regular chess.

I have some other suggestions. 

1.  My husband bought a lot of good stuff for the chess club from wholesalechess.com.  He bought "buddy boards" because he was trying to teach 40 children with short attention spans how to play chess. http://www.wholesalechess.com/chess/buddy_board_to_the_teaching_chess_rules_companion He found that the kids could refer to the buddy board to remind them how the pieces move while they were still getting started in learning to play their first games. (Of course, the back of a chess book can work just as well.  Husband was shooting for durability.)

2. Here is a a chess computer game that my husband says is decent.  He researches everything to death before purchasing, so he probably means that it's very good unless you are a chessmaster, and at a reasonable price. (He got it on sale.) He bought it from the local mall while I wasn't looking:  http://www.amazon.com/Kingmaster-Electronic-Chess-Checkers-Game/dp/B000R8YMJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343669141&sr=8-1&keywords=kingmaster+iii+chess

3. Solitare chess - dd enjoyed it, dh approves

http://www.amazon.com/Think-Fun-3400-ThinkFun-Solitaire/dp/B0032UKQFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343670824&sr=8-1&keywords=solitare+chess

4. I got a lot of good books our local public library by entering the keywords, "chess juvenile".

Here are a few library books for kids about beginning chess that my dd (entering third grade) especially liked:

A. http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Kids-Michael-Basman/dp/078946540X

Dd's favorite out of this list.  In depth, and read this book many times before tiring of it.

B. http://www.amazon.com/Checkmate-First-Chess-Book-Everyman/dp/1857443586/ref=pd_sim_t_2

Dd's second favorite out of this list.  Introduced some simple tactics.

C. http://www.amazon.com/The-Kids-Book-Chess-Set/dp/0894807676/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343669528&sr=8-1&keywords=kids+book+of+chess

Dd says that this was interesting and appealing to kids.  Introduced how the pieces moved, and that was it.  Dd didn't read this book more than once because after reading this book, she wanted to read more about simple tactics.

5. Once my dd had played for a couple months, I was also surprised that my dd was able to read many of the books in the adult non-fiction section of the library.  Simply enter the keywords "chess beginning", or go to the Dewey Decimal section #794.1, and browse to look for the easier books.  She finds these books helpful to learn some simple tactics.

Edited by emilysmama - 8/14/12 at 5:51am

[emilysmama]

Hello KCMichigan,

You may be interested in the Michigan Chess Association:

http://www.michess.org/interim/index.html

one of the events listed in this website (Click Events, Click Calendar) is an upcoming chess tournament  in Troy during Labor Day weekend.

http://www.michess.org/tools/viewevent.php?eventID=2489

If you don't live far from Troy, MI, maybe you and your kids would like to go watch for an hour or two.
 

Edited by emilysmama - 8/14/12 at 5:44am

[PacificMar]

My husband has played chess since he was five years old and currently teaches chess to children of all ages. Here are his recommendations:

1) Clubs and organizations: Many schools have capitalized on research that shows how learning chess can benefit children in the development of mathematical skills, self-discipline and organization, and internal motivation. One school-associated program in our area is Chess For Success. We also have an active competitive chess community, which starts with lessons at around age five or six (this seems to be the age when children grasp strategy). We've attended the state chess competition when it's held in our town, and we've noticed a wide range of attitudes among the parents: everything from the stereotypical "stage parent" or "coach parent" who pushes the kids to win to parents who support their children in doing an activity they chose for themselves and consider enjoyable. Each club will have its own flavor (more competitive vs. more about learning, fun, being sporting, and camaraderie).

2) Books: Anything by the Polgar sisters; The Chess Kid's Book of Tactics; Winning Chess Strategy for Kids.

3) Do you have a "chess park" in your area? They provide a great multigenerational social experience as well as valuable information. Many of the players who congregate in a chess park are retired elders and enjoy teaching their grandchildren's generation.

Enjoy learning!

[emilysmama]

In no particular order, here are some library books about chess that my dd8 read last week. She says that they are good for beginners.

1. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0789202506/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=10628147979&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1211215287835197497&hvpone=12.37&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_4h5axoe57j_b

2.  http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Children-Worlds-Popular-Board/dp/1904600069

3.  http://www.amazon.com/Learn-Chess-Fast-Start-Master/dp/0970472943

4.  http://www.amazon.com/Chess-From-First-Moves-Checkmate/dp/0753458209

Here is a child's fiction book about children in a chess club at school.  Not a book about chess, but my dd read it over and over and over again, probably because it depicts otherwise normal children playing chess:

http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Love-It/dp/0618977902

Here is an adult review of children chess books http://www.chessville.com/reviews/ChessForChildren.htm
 

Here is an adult book that I found in the library that looks very good at fostering chldren's love of chess.  It has a chapter with some suggestions of books for children, and a chapter called "25 activities to keep it fun".

Edited by emilysmama - 8/14/12 at 5:55am

[emilysmama]

Here are some kid library books that dd8 checked out:

1. http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Games-Around-World-Meachen/dp/0756506743

dd thinks that this is an enjoyable book for a beginning chess player.
 

2. http://www.amazon.com/How-Beat-Your-Chess-Gambit/dp/1901983056/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344947390&sr=8-1&keywords=beat+your+dad+at+chess

dd loves this book!!!

3. http://www.amazon.com/The-Chess-Kids-Book-Tactics/dp/0812935098

4. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1011366.202_Checkmates_for_Children

5. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8018413-chess-in-action

dd thinks that this is a very good book for children who are learning about tactics and strategies.  She also likes the artwork in the book, which portray the pieces as if they are real soldiers engaging in battle.

---

As your kids get more experience, they might demand books about tactics, attacks and defenses.  Here are some adult library books that dh says dd will probably enjoy, chosen because there are lots of pictures and explanations, and in some cases colors:

1. http://www.amazon.com/Checkmate-Tactics-Kasparov-Garry/dp/B005FTCFUE

2. http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Yourself-VISUALLY-Chess-Edwards/dp/0470049839

3. http://www.amazon.com/Winning-Chess-Tactics-Bill-Robertie/dp/1580420753

4.  http://www.amazon.com/Silmans-Complete-Endgame-Course-Beginner/dp/1890085103

dd says that it's pretty good.

5.  http://www.amazon.com/Rules-Winning-Chess-Nigel-Davies/dp/1857445961  (Dd might not like this book, it doesn't have many explanations in it.)

6. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/85080.Winning_Chess_Tactics_revised

7. http://www.amazon.com/Art-Attack-Chess-Vladimir-Vukovic/dp/1857444000

8. http://www.amazon.com/Simon-Schuster-Pocket-Book-Chess/dp/0671679244

I'll be back to post reviews about the above books, as dd reads them.

Edited by emilysmama - 8/21/12 at 8:17am