Chess for kids: how to teach a child to play
A plan for a parent or teacher who knows the basics, or none at all. Short sessions, one piece at a time, and a first game against a computer opponent that makes plenty of mistakes.
A 3D chess game in your browser. Play the computer on five levels, play a friend on the same phone, or solve the daily mate puzzle. Free, no account.
Play Cats vs Dogs ChessWorks on phones, tablets and computers. Nothing to install.
Before you start
- Sit beside them. Learn the same lesson yourself the first time. If your child sees you enjoying it, they may want to join in.
- Use a screen, not a set, at first. Tapping a piece shows where it can go, so the child gets the answer from the board instead of being corrected.
- Pick a time when nobody is hurried. Ten minutes is enough.
The pieces in Cats vs Dogs Chess are animals: the white army is cats and the black army is dogs. You could try calling the knight "the Bengal that leaps", which some children find easier to remember than "the knight". See the 3D chess page for the full cast.
The order to learn the pieces
The first steps follow the order of our free lessons: the board, then the pieces. Do one or two per sitting, and let the child try the move before you explain it.
| Step | Teach | Why here | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The board and the armies | Squares, rows, columns, and where every piece starts. The child needs this picture before anything moves. | Chess board setup |
| 2 | The rook | It goes in straight lines, so it is the easiest move to see. | Rook page |
| 3 | The bishop | The same idea along diagonals. It also shows that a bishop stays on one color. | Bishop page |
| 4 | The queen | She moves like a rook and a bishop together, so there is nothing new to memorize. | Queen page |
| 5 | The knight | The L-shaped jump is the hardest to explain. Wait until straight lines feel natural. | Knight page |
| 6 | The king | One step in any direction. Add that it can never move next to the other king. | King page |
| 7 | The pawn | It has the most rules: it moves forward, captures sideways, can take two steps from its home square and can become a queen. | Pawn page |
| 8 | Check and checkmate | This is how a game is won, so a child needs it before a first full game. | Free lessons |
The free lessons cover all of this in 24 short steps on the same 3D board, in seven groups: the board, the pieces, special rules, check and checkmate, basic checkmates, tactics and opening principles. Castling, en passant and promotion are in their own group, after the pieces. Hold those back until the child asks about them or has played a game or two.
Keep sessions short
- One new idea per sitting. A lesson or one piece, then play with it.
- End on something they can do. Finish with a move they know, not the one they just met.
- Come back the next day. A few short sessions in a week work better than one long one.
- Let them lose a piece. Do not take a move back for them. Ask what they think will happen if they put the piece there.
Notes by age
Every child is different, so treat these as starting points, not targets.
- Around 4 to 5: the animals and how each one moves. One piece on an empty board is enough, and counting squares is good practice. Skip full games.
- Around 6 to 8: all six pieces, check and checkmate, and a first game against the Kitten level. A parent can sit beside them and say what each piece is attacking.
- 9 and up: the special moves, beginner puzzles, and a step up to the Puppy level once they win three games in a row.
Their first games
Level 1, called Kitten, plays loosely and often leaves pieces undefended. Teach one habit: before every move, look at whether any enemy piece is hanging free, and whether the square you are moving to is attacked. When a child wins three games in a row, move up a level. There are five levels, up to Legend.
Two children, or a child and an adult, can also share one phone with pass and play. Captures play a short fight between the two animals, which you can turn off if it slows the game down.
Common stumbling blocks
- The knight. Have them count it out: two squares one way, one square to the side. Try the knight practice board.
- Pawns that capture sideways. A pawn moves straight and captures diagonally. This catches most beginners at least once.
- Moving the queen out early. It is easy to attack there. Suggest developing the knights and bishops first. The how to play chess guide has a simple game plan.
Rules: FIDE Laws of Chess
Keep going
Questions
How do I teach a 7 year old chess?
Start with the board and one piece at a time, using the free lessons or the piece pages. Teach the rook, bishop, queen, knight, king and pawn over several short sessions, then play a first game against the Kitten level. Wait on castling, en passant and promotion until the pieces feel familiar.
Can a 4 year old play chess?
Some children of four may enjoy moving the pieces and learning what each animal does, and that is a fine place to stop. There is no age they have to reach. For the youngest, practice one piece at a time on an empty board and leave full games for later.
What age should a child learn chess?
There is no set age. Children who can follow a two-step instruction, such as two squares forward and then one to the side, can start learning how the pieces move. Reading helps with the lessons but is not needed for the piece practice.
Which chess piece should I teach first?
We suggest the rook. It moves in straight lines, so it is the easiest to picture. The bishop, the queen (a rook and a bishop in one), the knight, the king and finally the pawn follow. Some teachers start with the pawn, and that works too.
How long should a child chess lesson be?
Keep it short. Ten minutes or one lesson is plenty for a first sitting. Stop while it is still fun and pick it up again the next day.
Is chess good for kids?
It is a game that asks a child to think about what will happen after a move, to wait their turn and to lose without being upset, and many children enjoy it. Treat it first as a game to enjoy together.
Is there a free chess game for kids?
Yes. Cats vs Dogs Chess is free, has no account and no download, and the pieces are friendly animals. Level 1 plays loosely and makes many mistakes, so a first game is a fair match for a beginner.