This question is for chess parents / coaches of young players of ALL levels (absolute beginner to master). If you have a chance to ask me or other prominent scholastic chess coaches 5-10 questions which could help your player(s), which 5-10 questions would you ask?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
OK – I’ll go first.
1. How should I teach/learn chess endings?
2. How should I teach/learn chess openings?
3. How do I learn how to analyze positions?
4. How do I learn to “calculate”?
5. What kind of practice schedule should I have to improve?
I can come up with some more, but
1. How do you get them to slow down and think about their moves rather than move impulsively and make the first move they see?
2. How do you get them to quit giving away pieces (especially putting them en prise or leaving them en prise)?
What is the best way to study CBM’s and Roman DVD’s ?
Do you sooner or later need some lessons from a professional chess coach?
What is the very best way to use Fritz, Shredder, Rybka other than analysis?
How does Naka, Moro and Shirov study?
How do you study ? what and how long ?
Is there a secret move that always wins?
1) What level of involvement should a parent be with his child in chess development? Some children do not like their parents hovering over them at tournaments, or dictating study time to them. Feels too much like school to the child…
2) How much time should be spent studying chess per day to be efficient in the learning process? I know from experience there is a point of diminishing returns….
3) The current mantra is ‘Tactics Tactics Tactics’..does that still hold true for players under 1800?
4) Endgames should be at least as important as tactics. What level of importance do you place on opening play, meaning knowing the main lines of most played openings? Children are great mimics – they will mimic a professional chess player by memorizing opening variations. How can you break that habit and get them to *understand* the openings better?
All the above assume that the ‘chess parent’ is pro-chess, and bringing up a chess-player first and a child second.
My question is:
“How do I wean my children away from their over-distracting obsession with what is only a board game?”
Questions regarding K-12 Players
1. What is the minimum time control you recommend in practice and club games?
2. How much time should students spend on chess exercises per day?
3. How much time should players spend on chess lectures per day?
4. How many games should players play per day?
5. What is the best tool to analyze player’s games?
6. How you teach players to analyze their own games?
7. How do you deal with children that cry during games?
8. How do you keep all the chess study fun over a period of years?
Michigan Chess Dad
1. What are the typical development barriers a younger (
2. How do I help the child overcome these barriers?
3. Are there barriers that the child has to overcome himself/herself and external help/coaching makes little difference?
How do I encourage my daughter in chess? The tournaments are almost all boys and she doesn’t like being the only girl playing.
Susan, what you are doing is awesome. Im happy that I have a coach, who is my dad to help me, but I am happy to see you wanting to help so many.
WCM Claudia Munoz
4th grade
womancandidatemaster.blogspot.com
1. how important is practicing with blitz games? are there cases where you would NOT recommend blitz for certain students?, for tournament preparation?
2. do you try to go over specific lesson plans during private lessons or spend the time going over games?
3. at what stage do you recommend young students begin studying ‘positional’ strategies