Chess
How kids can learn chess online, from first moves to full games
Updated
ChessKid, a chess site aimed at children, mixes short lessons, puzzles, games against computer bots and games against other players. Lichess is a general chess site whose puzzles and practice positions lean toward children who already know the rules. For a child who would rather learn from a person, Bambinos.Live runs a live program called Unbox Chess.
Chess needs little more than a board and two players, and online versions add a steady supply of puzzles and an opponent at any hour. The three routes below run roughly from “how does the knight move?” to playing full games, though plenty of children mix and match.
1. Learn the moves and play
ChessKid
ChessKid describes itself as a chess site for children. A first visit might be one short lesson, a puzzle on the same idea and a quick game against one of the gentler bots, with games against other players further along. Lessons are offered in several languages, on the website and in the apps.
See ChessKid on bored.kids2. Practice with puzzles
Lichess
Lichess serves players of every age. It has a learning area for the basics, themed puzzles, practice positions and an analysis board, which a parent and child could use to look back over a game together. A child still learning how the pieces move may find it a lot to take in; one who knows the rules and wants more practice is closer to its usual player.
See Lichess on bored.kids3. Learn with a coach
Bambinos.Live Unbox Chess
Some children take more readily to a person than to a screen. As the program is described, an Unbox Chess coach teaches how the pieces move, works through tactical puzzles and goes over full games with the child, mistakes and endgame plans included.
See Bambinos.Live Unbox Chess on bored.kidsQuestions parents ask
What age can a child learn chess?
Many children pick up the moves somewhere between 5 and 7, often with a grown-up across the board, though some start earlier and some later. ChessKid’s lessons begin at the very first moves, and Bambinos.Live lists Unbox Chess for ages 7 to 14.
What does learning chess online look like day to day?
On these sites it is usually a blend of short lessons, puzzles and games. A computer bot lets a child try out an idea without anyone waiting on the other side of the board, which some children like; others seem to find a human opponent, online or at the kitchen table, more motivating.
For Turkish-speaking families, the TRT Çocuk children’s site has a chess explanation alongside its puzzles and tangrams.