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ARTICLES ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF JUNIOR CHESS

FOURTEEN FALLACIES ABOUT JUNIOR CHESS

NEW: MAY 2012. Why everything you thought you knew about junior chess is wrong. A hard-hitting critique of what's happening in junior chess in the UK (much of which is applicable in the USA, Canada etc.) first published on the Streatham & Brixton Chess Blog which has already attracted much interest.

A new series of essays (2011) on various aspects of chess teaching and children's chess.

THE GIFT OF CHESS

CHESS AND SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION



ARTICLES ON CHESS AND EDUCATION

I have written two articles on chess and children, both of which were first published in the English magazine CHESS in 2003.

They are available here in pdf format (you need ADOBE ACROBAT READER to read them) and will be of interest to parents and teachers.

CHESS, PIAGET AND POLGAR

When is the best age for children to start chess? How do children learn chess, and how should they be taught? Why do so many children fail to make progress after the first year or two? Why do so many children give up chess so soon? What are the REAL benefits of chess for children? These are just some of the questions addressed in this influential paper.

CHESS THINKING SKILLS IN CHILDREN

Every move of every game of chess you have to make a decision. To choose between maybe 30, 40 or more different moves. You success at chess depends on how good you are at making these decisions. More than 70 children of different ages and playing strengths were asked how they would decide on their move in eight positions. The results indicate the different methods of thinking used by children of different ages and levels of experience, and point towards how we can improve our methods of teaching and presenting chess to young children.

These two articles are the basis of a chapter in The Chess Instructor 2009, published by New In Chess.

You'll also find a more recent, but currently incomplete article on the same subject HERE

Back in 1998 I wrote another article which is reproduced here. Much has changed - including my views - since then, but it is still worth considering.

PRIMARY SCHOOL CHESS SINCE 1975: AN OVERVIEW

I have also published an article for parents about teaching your children chess. This article also appears on the English Chess Federation website.

HELPING YOUR CHILDREN WITH CHESS.

If you are interested in chess lessons for your children, or starting a chess club at your school, I would recommend that you read the articles on this page first.