Chess Strategy for Kids: 3 Simple Games to Try

Does your child already know how the pieces move, and can they focus long enough to solve small puzzles? Good, because it's time to start working on planning. Here are three simple games to build good habits and start teaching chess strategy for kids.

Stopping a Checkmate Threat

The idea is simple. Every time your opponent has just moved, ask yourself, "why this move?" It's a really important habit. Show your child positions where the opponent is threatening checkmate, and ask them to find the defense. Here's one example.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

Black just played Qd6. What are they trying to do, and how can White stop it?

Black is threatening mate on h2. White can meet it by pushing the pawn to g3, among other defenses.

Reaching a Square With a Knight

The knight is the piece with the movement that's hardest to master. This next game is very useful for practicing how to plan its route.

Place a black pawn on one square and a white knight on another, then ask your child, without letting them touch the knight, which squares it will pass through to capture the pawn. Here's an example.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

It'll pass through c4 and b6, for example.

Chess Strategy for Kids: Making a Plan

To finish, there are simple positions you can use to show your child a plan for winning. One example is the ladder mate.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

Another is the king and queen versus king checkmate.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

If you want to brush up on your own chess strategy before teaching your child, our full guide to chess strategy covers the core principles in depth.

Tactics training with your child is a natural next step. You'll also find our full collection on chess for kids, and playing chess can also help build a child's self-esteem.

Those are the three chess tips for kids to start with.