Hardbopjazz Posted October 29, 2004 Report Posted October 29, 2004 My daughter just turned 5. She has started to learn the game of chess. Any chess players on this board? I am wondering if starting her at 5 is too early. She knows how each piece moves and that the king is key to the game. I've been playing with her every day for anout 8 days. I don't let her win. When she makes poor moves I try to explain to her why that wasn't a good move. I don't recall how old I was when I started playing. Quote
connoisseur series500 Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Any chess players on this board? You're kidding, right? I've played a few games in my time... Swingin Swede is a chessplayer as well. Ghostie says he was a 1500-1700 player at one time...can't remember the exact rating; but he said so in a pm long ago... I'm at 2000+ ("expert" level.) Currently, laying off the tournament scene, but will be getting back into it in another few months, hopefully. Some other boardmember plays chess...forgot who. Anyway... Five years old is a bit young, but who cares? I teach a 10-year old who travels to my house once a month for paid lessons. (He lives about two hours away.) He's very talented and will likely be better than me when he's an adult. Scholastic chess is on fire in the US. I get written invites to teach chess for "a living." (If you call "a living" $25,000/yr.) Right now, the tournament scene in America is dead for adults. The game has moved away from the old demographic of aged males to school kids and women. All the national federation's resources have moved toward promoting chess in the schools and for promoting the game to women. Right now, the US woman's Olympic team is in second place in Spain with only a couple rounds to go. The team is comprised of a team of women who were all born outside the country. We have kind of "bought" ourselves a killer women's team. I know the third board, Anna Zatonskih personally. She is a Ukrainian woman's grandmaster who lives nearby in Bowling Green, Ohio. She came over and obtained a Green Card on the basis of "having an exceptional talent." The point I'm trying to make is that there couldn't be a better zeitgeist for a female scholstic player like your daughter to get involved in the game. Old males like myself are on the way out... Good luck! Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 First, learn your Muddy and Wolf. Then maybe on to Jamal and others. Quote
Hardbopjazz Posted October 30, 2004 Author Report Posted October 30, 2004 Any chess players on this board? You're kidding, right? I'm 100% serious. Her cousin who is 10 plays and she watched him, and picked up on how each piece moves. She asks me every night when I come from work to play chess. Quote
Tjazz Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Depends on the interest of the kid and teacher. If the kid has an interest and can understand concepts, that's the right age. If the child can follow others and watch and participate, that's the right age. If the kid gets frustrated, NOT the right age. If the teacher gets frustrated, NOT the right teacher. Quote
sheldonm Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Any chess players on this board? You're kidding, right? I'm 100% serious. Her cousin who is 10 plays and she watched him, and picked up on how each piece moves. She asks me every night when I come from work to play chess. I think Conn's "Your're kidding, right?" was in reference to you asking if anyone played......look at his avatar ! Mark Quote
7/4 Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 I learned when I was 7 or 8. I stopped playing after I started whomping my Dad on a regular basis. Didn't stick with it. Quote
Jazzmoose Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 I started at five. Didn't stick with it, either. I usually start playing whenever I change jobs. I suck at first, of course, as I'm totally out of practice, but eventually start kicking ass. Then it gets boring again. I probably should have gotten serious about it like Paul, but at this point, I doubt there's enough "learning curve" left in my decrepit grey matter. Quote
GloriousBlues Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 I learned when I was 5. I knew all the rules, and how all the pieces moved. Didn't understand much stragedy though...that took years to develop. Quote
maren Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 First, learn your Muddy and Wolf. Then maybe on to Jamal and others. Quote
maren Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 (edited) There are a lot of chess programs for kids in New York City, in and out of schools. You might want to look at nychesskids.com. I'm not sure how current this info is on P.S. 116, but if Bonnie Waitzkin is still reachable at the phone/email listed, she is a wonderful teacher, and incredibly sweet. She's great with kids of all ages, but I can't think of anybody better with really little kids, and I think it'd be a huge plus for a little girl to be taught by a woman. (I'll PM you if I get a definitive contact for her.) Edit for a P.S.: Bonnie was played by Joan Allen in the movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer" -- about having a chess-prodigy child (her son Josh), and how to nurture that kind of gift but still have a normal well-adjusted kid -- she has been a devoted chess teacher and coach in public schools for about 25 years, very generous, sweet and level-headed. Edited October 30, 2004 by maren Quote
ghost of miles Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Any chess players on this board? You're kidding, right? I've played a few games in my time... Swingin Swede is a chessplayer as well. Ghostie says he was a 1500-1700 player at one time...can't remember the exact rating; but he said so in a pm long ago... Yeah, when I was 13... then I "retired." Well, I kept playing throughout high school, off and on, and ended up on a couple of Indiana state championship teams, and then I really did "retire." My grandfather taught me to play when I was 6. I'd say 5 or up is fine, and who knows? If you have the next Bobby Fischer on your hands, then even earlier... just keep 'em away from the anti-Semitic literature. Quote
connoisseur series500 Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Didn't understand much stragedy though...that took years to develop. I still haven't learned any "stragedy." Quote
ghost of miles Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Didn't understand much stragedy though...that took years to develop. I still haven't learned any "stragedy." How about "strategiosity?" B-) Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Or "strategery"? I learned when I was five or six and played through elementary school. I was never great (I couldn't beat my older sisters) but I could beat my classmates. Quote
Dr. Rat Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Chess can be great. I played on a pretty good team in Philly for a while. A couple of black kids on our team obviously had their lives turned around by the discovery of their chess-board prowess, I hope less obviously (!), it was the only thing a lot of us white dweebs could really do well. It's good to do something well--to earn respect-- and royally whipping your elders assses is an OK way to do that. Besdies, the skills learned in chess can be of great use in anyone's life. BUT, there is a slippery slope into obsession, and its pretty easy to slide down it, especially if you are fairly good. I'd second maren's recs. on this. Chess, yes, but properly contextualized. --eric Quote
connoisseur series500 Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Besdies, the skills learned in chess can be of great use in anyone's life. I've heard this said before. Where's the evidence? I'm totally useless outside of the game. Somebody's making this crap up! Quote
Jazzmoose Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 Well...if you're ever attacked by bishops... Quote
connoisseur series500 Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 or cornered by rooks... Quote
connoisseur series500 Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 then you just lose... Quote
Guest ariceffron Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 YOU SHOULD LEARN IT WHEN YOURE 36 SO YOU HAVE SOMETHING DO DO DURING YOUR MIDLIFE CRISIS INSTRAD OF FONDLING 9 YEAR OLD BOYS Quote
The Red Menace Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 YOU SHOULD LEARN IT WHEN YOURE 36 SO YOU HAVE SOMETHING DO DO DURING YOUR MIDLIFE CRISIS INSTRAD OF FONDLING 9 YEAR OLD BOYS ??? I sense a prime candidate for re-education!!! Quote
maren Posted October 30, 2004 Report Posted October 30, 2004 YOU SHOULD LEARN IT WHEN YOURE 36 SO YOU HAVE SOMETHING DO DO DURING YOUR MIDLIFE CRISIS INSTRAD OF FONDLING 9 YEAR OLD BOYS ??? I sense a prime candidate for re-education!!! Or maybe it's a reference to being "attacked by bishops" ? Quote
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