Chess strategy for children aged 10 and up

Step 1: First, the rules

1. Lesson 1: The board and its squares

   You can find every square on the board by its name.

2. Lesson 2: How the pieces move

   You know how each piece moves and captures.

3. Lesson 3: Check, checkmate and stalemate

   You recognise a check and can tell whether a game ends in checkmate or in stalemate.

4. Lesson 6: Delivering a simple checkmate

   You give checkmate in two moves with king and rook or king and queen.

Step 2: First ideas from Nimzowitsch

1. Lesson 7: All your pieces want to join in

   In the opening, you bring your pieces into play one after another.

2. Lesson 8: Why the middle of the board matters

   You recognise the four squares in the middle and occupy one with a pawn.

3. Lesson 11: Clear paths for rooks

   You recognise an open file and put a rook on it.

4. Lesson 17: A knight stops the pawn

   You put a piece directly in front of an enemy pawn to stop it.

Step 3: If you want more

1. Lesson 21: What does your opponent want?

   Before you move, you ask what your opponent wants and prevent a dangerous plan.

2. Lesson 22: Improve your worst piece

   You find the piece that is doing the least, bring it to a better square and plan the next step.

Games to play through

• Nimzowitsch – Alapin, St Petersburg 1914

  Black grabs a pawn with the queen while the other black pieces stay at home. White brings one piece after another into play and gives checkmate in the end.

• Nimzowitsch – Salwe, Carlsbad 1911

  In this game White occupies the square in front of a black pawn and holds it with one new piece after another. In the end a bishop blockades the black passed pawn.

For parents and coaches

• Learn in short sessions of about a quarter of an hour.
• Set the position up on a real board and talk about the plan.
• The printable cards are good for solving in pairs.
• Progress stays on this device. You do not need an account.