Parents · 2026-10-13 · 3 min read

7 tips for parents of a young chess player

How to support your child without pressure, from a coach’s point of view.

Chess teaches focus, patience and handling losses. Here is how parents can help.

Seven tips

• Praise effort and good ideas, not only wins. "I liked how you checked every threat" is better than "You won".
• Ask, do not tell. After a game: "Which move was hardest? What would you change?" Children learn more from their own answers.
• Keep a routine: a short daily practice (15–30 minutes) beats one long weekend session.
• Let them lose. Losses are the best teacher; do not rescue the child from every difficult game.
• Do not compare with other children. Compare the child with themselves from three months ago.
• Choose tournaments that fit: age-group and rating-group events, not only the biggest ones. Playing opponents of similar strength is more fun.
• Protect sleep, play and school. Chess is a long journey, and a happy child plays for many years.

You do not need to know chess. Your interest and calm matter more than your chess knowledge. Our Chess Guide answers the questions parents ask most.