This is probably the most famous boardgame of all time. The game is so popular that chess needs no introduction. In fact, a number of chess terms are embedded in our culture.

It is estimated that there is more possible iteration of chess games than there are atoms in the observable universe. Chess is one of the few games that actually develop cognitive skills. It teaches patience, pattern recognition, thoughtfulness. It promotes logical thought process and helps one to focus.

Chess builds creativity, develops problem solving skills, teaches decision making and most importantly, it exercises the brain. Therefore, it's a great idea to teach your child how to play chess. Here's how you should approach this —

Introduce the board and the pieces

Let your child get a feel of the board and the pieces. How many pieces there are? Teach them the name of the pieces. Individually let them play with the pieces and show them different pictures of the pieces. It's helpful if you use the appearances of the pieces to teach them their names — a Rook is shaped like a castle. A Knight is similar to a horse.

Movements

Teach them the movements but only after they have mastered the names of the pieces. If they cannot distinguish between the pieces, then you should not try to teach them the moves. It will only confuse them.

Patience is key here.

Start the movement's lessons with the simplest piece — the Pawn. Then move on to more complicated pieces — the Bishop or the Knight.

Maintain the simplicity

Explain the possible moves and illegal moves in the simplest terms. While introducing the pieces and how they move, save the Queen for the last. This will simplify the learning process.

Given the possible moves and power of the Queen on the board, it's a good idea to introduce it after you have explained all the other pieces, as a Queen has the combined power of a rook and a bishop.

Captures

The objective of a chess game is to checkmate the King. This might be a difficult concept for children. So, teach them about capturing the pieces first. Like other board games, capturing the opponent's pieces are always fun. Make small games out of capturing the pieces.

Make it fun

Remember, chess is a complicated game, and it is difficult to hold a child's attention for long. It's not going to work if your child finds no interest in the game. So, make it interesting for him. Show him the pieces, tell him stories and explain how one piece represents a King, the Pawns represent the soldiers and Knights are, well, Knights!

Draw reference from famous movies like Harry Potter. Once he gets interested, the learning will be easier.

Consistency

Just like math, it's a good idea to maintain consistency while teaching chess. Set aside half an hour every day for chess. Let your child fiddle with the pieces, let them arrange the pieces on the board. Play small games with them. When they have mastered the moves, let them take back a move if they make a mistake. It will ignite logical thoughts in them. Try to avoid jargons and complicated concepts like sacrifice or traps in the beginning. Play for fun. You can also use online videos to help you in teaching chess. Stay patient, and have fun!

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Model: Dayyan, Rania