We get this question from time to time, and it’s always refreshing to hear. It tells us that as a parent, you are tempering your expectations and remembering that chess excellence first starts with a love of the game, and fostering that love means not demanding too much of our children. That being said, the answer we always give is “No, it’s not too much to ask.”
Chess for Children vs. Chess for Adults
Chess for children is much the same as chess for adults. The rules and mind games are the same, and even the opponents can sometimes span all ages. The chess coaching for children versus adults is what is key. How we approach chess coaching for children is to foster a sense of community, engagement, and love for the game. If that is there, then age is no limit for chess excellence.
Child Chess Prodigies
The word prodigy often comes with the implication that a child has to be born with a certain talent. But let us be the first to say that your child’s first words do not have to be “Rook to Bishop 4” for him to be a prodigy.
Take for instance Sergey Karjakin. Sergey learned how to play chess at the age of 5, and in just 6 years he was an international master. Although Karjakin may be one of the greatest chess players of all time, we see young chess prodigies emerge more often than you might think.
Gukesh Dommaraju made chess look easy when he became one of the youngest chess grandmasters in history. What really surprised us is the story behind this child chess star. Gukesh’s talent was discovered by his first school coach, who fostered Gukesh to becoming a FIDE-rated player only six months after he had learned the game!
Chess Coaching For Children
Our coaching methods are focused on developing an environment in which your child will learn to love the game, and at the same time preparing them for the opportunities chess can provide. While it’s important to temper our expectations of our children’s success, we must also realize that success in chess comes in infinite forms. That being said, there is no reason your child couldn’t be the next big chess prodigy. Find out by joining our chess lessons! Learn more here.