It occurs to me that lately I've been posting a lot of games (chess) and not a lot of other content (stuff). In order to be true to the name of my blog (Chess and Stuff), here's some stuff:
So I've been wondering what age to start teaching my son to play chess. Right now he is a little over 2 and loves it when I let him move the chess pieces. When I have a chess set out he always starts saying "pawn pawn pawn" while making a hopping motion with his hand as if he's moving a piece.
Do you have any thoughts? Any parents out there that have taught their children chess? I know that some GMs learn to play at an early age like 5-7, but most don't start to really get into it until 8-9. I'd love it if he could learn to play at 4-5...not to really play, but at least learn the rules and how to move the pieces. My niece is 4 1/2 and I think she's capable enough to learn the rules if she really wanted to.
On a side note, I got my first ever Jury Summons today. Blah! Oh well, we must do our civic duty. I was thinking that practicing law is like playing chess for some one's future...or even for their very life!
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11 comments:
I just saw that Swedish movie about a month ago!
When my son was about two and saw me with a chess set out studying, his eyes got so big, and he approached the board with great excitement.
I probably taught him the rules when he was about 5 - 6.
It was impossible for me to play badly enough to let him win. I'd try to give him odds of like, all my queen side pieces, but he wanted me to play with the whole board set up. So he never developed much confidence or killer instinct.
He did play in the elementary school chess club that I organized when he was in 5th - 6th grade. And three years later he would regularly attend the HS club, where I would show up to offer playing tips to any receptive kid. He and a couple of his friends became the best in the club/school by his sophomore year, but then they lost interest. During that period I got him and his friends to play in a few unrated tournaments, and one rated event, as well, but finally he told me that he just wasn't into it the same way I am. So I backed off.
He's 20 now, and has had a renewed interest in the game during the past year or two, and even played in a couple more rated events. But he only likes studying openings, (which I've hinted is not very helpful, but he's not interested in doing tactical puzzles or endgames). In the events he's played in this year, but most of the time he still doesn't play with passion or a strong desire to win.
So, what do I know about teaching kids how to play the game.
es trick: interesting. Maybe if I ignore him at all times except when he's playing chess with me, he'll come to love playing chess! LOL just kidding...don't tell my wife I said that.
Seriously though, that is an interesting story...I wonder why he is so into studying Openings. I guess maybe some people love chess and some don't, regardless of how we raise them.
Thanks a lot for such a thoughtful and personal comment!
Friends of mine got their son started at age 4, and he fell in love with chess. He's now close to 7 years old and very, very good for his age - he is working with a personal coach. His parents offer him lots of other fun activities (tennis, skiing etc) too so he doesn't get too narrowly focused on chess (which is not the most social of sports). I think providing a balance of different activities is very important at a young age, but other than that I don't think there's anything wrong with getting your kid started early.
chessaholic, it's really encouraging to hear of such a (so far) success story. Thanks man. So I guess right now I'll stick with 4 as a target age to start actively trying to teach my son chess.
I know I am a couple of posts late but I noticed you were considering getting Fischer's 60 Memorable games book. I am still new to this whole chess study thing (I just started in November and didn't join the ICC until May), but I really enjoyed going through Fischer's book. (I got it through Interlibrary loan at the University I teach at...NICE PERK!)
Anyway, the games and annotations were above my level but MAN were they fun and I learned something from them. I think it is okay to study annotated games that are over one's head because: A) They are fun, and B) We can still learn something from them.
As a music teacher I have my students listen to recordings past their level of development. It gives them something to strive for...
Have a great day!
TommyG
Well, my daughter is 3 and she knows the names of all the pieces and how to setup the board but I think actual playing will wait until 4. But only if she wants to play. :)
es_trick, another thing I wanted to ask since you mentioned it, did you like that movie "Seventh Seal"? I googled it last night and read a plot summary and it sounds really interesting. Let me know if it's worth finding.
TommyG, thanks for the tip! That's a nice perk indeed, as even Amazon doesn't sell any new copies anymore...I wonder why that publishing company would let one of chess' most acclaimed books to go out of print. I guess when I get it I'll have to buy it used.
I know what you mean about studying things over our heads, like the music. I used to play sax and sometimes I'd listen to...what was his name...Dave Koz? and maybe Kenny G.
Likesforests: That sounds really good for 3 years old. Hey, she's 3, he's 2, we'll have 'em play correspondence chess in a few years! ;-)
RT, Seventh Seal was interesting to me for a number of reasons. Playing Chess with "Death" for the lives of his friends was kind of neat, even though that was an anachronism, since chess had not assumed its modern form in the 13th or 14th century. (It was also anachronistic to have Crusaders return to find the Black Plague in full swing, as the last Crusade ended half a century before the great plague that began in 1347.)
Neverthless, the depictions of medieval life and culture were interesting. The cinematography was also intriguing.
I heard copies of Fischer's "My 60 Memorable Games" go for $200 on EBay. It's out of print due to squables between Fischer and the publisher over who owns the copyright, and whether it could be revised into modern, algebraic, notation, and some other issues. Fischer, somehow, did not own the copyright. I'm not sure why the publisher didn't immediately print 50,000 copies when he died. Seemed like a great opportunity to make a quick buck.
Recently a friend from my chess club lent me his copy. I felt like I should handle it with kid gloves.
-Eric
Jury duty is the perfect way to get out of work. And they can't punish you for it.
I've worked with kids as young as five. Some of the five year olds I've worked with learned how the pieces move when they were four. I find the majority of five year olds don't have the attention span to really absorb much beyond how the pieces move. There are some exceptions to the rule. I had one kindergarten student in an after school program who was quite sharp and understood a lot about the game. He's still playing as an 8th grader. He's rated mid 1600s. He always impressed me with how much he understood about the game even when he was so young.
es_trick: I'm definitely going to rent it.
LEP: yeah...and I was scheduled to work on that day, so extra time off is definitely a good consolation!
Polly: thanks for the info. I'd definitely be content if he mastered how the pieces move at 5. :-)
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