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A Parent's Guide to Chess
Parents' roadmap to their child's fascinating new hobby - chess. The good news from teachers and other kids who play chess not only have a lot of fun, but they * do better in school * learn self-reliance * develop lifelong analytical skills But you may be clueless about the game, it's vocabulary, and it's potential for your child! The questions will come fast and often sound like another * What do you think of the Petroff Defense, Dad? * What do I do with an isolated pawn, Mom? * Where can I find other kids to play chess with? * I'm ready for a chess coach--where can I find one? * How can I play in a tournament to get an official rating? Here are the basics to help any parent guide their child to get the most out of an occasionally confusing, but extremely rewarding opportunity. Parents can teach their children important skills while strengthening their relationship and sharing an activity that can serve as a life-long bond.
- GenresChess
153 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2002
30 people want to read
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December 23, 2024
Heisman is a well-respected coach and most of his other books (aimed at players) are very good, but this book is a bit outdated and presents a lot of information that an engaged parent would learn anyway (without a book); moreover, some big claims are presented (e.g., kids who play chess do better in school, kids who play chess develop critical thinking) with little to no supporting evidence.
There is also just a lot of information that certainly a kid who plays will come to learn but it would just be overkill for a parent to learn who isn't all that familiar with chess.
You say, "But that's the point of the book." Aside from making money, the point of the book is to help parents with the initial experiences and nomenclature used in the chess community; but I can tell you that after having taught thousands of chess classes, clubs, and hundreds of private students, and having directed over 500 tournaments, and having spoken with hundreds of parents, that your kids can excel in the chess community with you, the parent, knowing only a fraction of what's in this book. For the most part, a chess parent really could just talk to a coach for 20 minutes instead of reading this book, which will certainly take more than 20 minutes to read.
As an experienced coach and tournament director, in my opinion, the most useful part of the book is the section on what to do to improve your kid's game. This has helpful info on studying, how often to play tournaments, whether to get a coach and what to look for in a good coach. It also has a decent glossary at the end.
Chess coaches, after-school enrichment chess programs, and anyone with an interest in selling chess, often claim that studies prove that chess increases analytical skills (whatever that means), critical thinking (whatever that means), and improves focus, attention, and academic performance.
I got news for you. Most "studies" (and I've read over a dozen of them) making these claims are junk methodologically sloppy, consisting of correlation fallacies, insufficient sample sizes, suppressed background evidence; or people misinterpret the scope of the study's claim and make illicit inferences.
There are also a number of studies that purport to demonstrate that in fact, chess analysis, focus, concentration help your student get better at chess--and that's about it; that is, all those skills do not significantly apply outside the chessboard.
Lastly, many studies prove that the main reason most kids who study chess get better grades is because kids who have access to chess programs are typically affluent kids, whose parents already have the resources for academic tutors, access to better schools, can afford more of the best materials, etc.
You get the idea: it's not the chess producing skills that yield greater academic performance, it's the resources and academic culture that already exists for the affluent. Sure, there are exceptions, but they are few and far between. In short, rich kids just do better than the poor kids because the rich have access to far more resources. The affluent kids get the best books, multiple top tier memberships on Chesskid.com, Chess.com; affluent kids get the titled coaches, get to go to multiple tournaments a year; affluent kids get to go to the scholastic club on Saturday mornings, their school enrichment chess class on Tuesday, then the regular chess club on Thursday night; the rich kids get the USCF membership, get the time and encouragement to play, study, and practice. These are the same rich kids who go to elite private schools that foster academic erudition and rigorous study habits--no wonder they focus better and get better grades.
Now, I know a great many chessplayers. Many of them started when they were children. I know or know of many titled players from CM to Super GMs--I've worked with a lot of them. I can tell you, anecdotally, that just because someone started chess as a kid and they are now a titled player, that this in no way necessitates that person having any critical thinking skills that help them in the real world; likewise for the so-called analytical skills and focus. A GM that sincerely believes that the earth is flat and that Elvis is a living cyborg, is not a person with critical thinking and analytical skills. This is just one example of a person I've worked with at a few chess summer camps.
Try talking to some of these strong players about anything outside of chess, say, some argument advocating for some political policy, and you'll be quickly disappointed when the so-called critical thinker, is persuaded by objectively fallacious arguments; that is, they are incapable of identifying elementary mistakes in reasoning and conceptual analysis, and assent to the conclusions of invalid, unsound, and non-cogent arguments.
There is also just a lot of information that certainly a kid who plays will come to learn but it would just be overkill for a parent to learn who isn't all that familiar with chess.
You say, "But that's the point of the book." Aside from making money, the point of the book is to help parents with the initial experiences and nomenclature used in the chess community; but I can tell you that after having taught thousands of chess classes, clubs, and hundreds of private students, and having directed over 500 tournaments, and having spoken with hundreds of parents, that your kids can excel in the chess community with you, the parent, knowing only a fraction of what's in this book. For the most part, a chess parent really could just talk to a coach for 20 minutes instead of reading this book, which will certainly take more than 20 minutes to read.
As an experienced coach and tournament director, in my opinion, the most useful part of the book is the section on what to do to improve your kid's game. This has helpful info on studying, how often to play tournaments, whether to get a coach and what to look for in a good coach. It also has a decent glossary at the end.
Chess coaches, after-school enrichment chess programs, and anyone with an interest in selling chess, often claim that studies prove that chess increases analytical skills (whatever that means), critical thinking (whatever that means), and improves focus, attention, and academic performance.
I got news for you. Most "studies" (and I've read over a dozen of them) making these claims are junk methodologically sloppy, consisting of correlation fallacies, insufficient sample sizes, suppressed background evidence; or people misinterpret the scope of the study's claim and make illicit inferences.
There are also a number of studies that purport to demonstrate that in fact, chess analysis, focus, concentration help your student get better at chess--and that's about it; that is, all those skills do not significantly apply outside the chessboard.
Lastly, many studies prove that the main reason most kids who study chess get better grades is because kids who have access to chess programs are typically affluent kids, whose parents already have the resources for academic tutors, access to better schools, can afford more of the best materials, etc.
You get the idea: it's not the chess producing skills that yield greater academic performance, it's the resources and academic culture that already exists for the affluent. Sure, there are exceptions, but they are few and far between. In short, rich kids just do better than the poor kids because the rich have access to far more resources. The affluent kids get the best books, multiple top tier memberships on Chesskid.com, Chess.com; affluent kids get the titled coaches, get to go to multiple tournaments a year; affluent kids get to go to the scholastic club on Saturday mornings, their school enrichment chess class on Tuesday, then the regular chess club on Thursday night; the rich kids get the USCF membership, get the time and encouragement to play, study, and practice. These are the same rich kids who go to elite private schools that foster academic erudition and rigorous study habits--no wonder they focus better and get better grades.
Now, I know a great many chessplayers. Many of them started when they were children. I know or know of many titled players from CM to Super GMs--I've worked with a lot of them. I can tell you, anecdotally, that just because someone started chess as a kid and they are now a titled player, that this in no way necessitates that person having any critical thinking skills that help them in the real world; likewise for the so-called analytical skills and focus. A GM that sincerely believes that the earth is flat and that Elvis is a living cyborg, is not a person with critical thinking and analytical skills. This is just one example of a person I've worked with at a few chess summer camps.
Try talking to some of these strong players about anything outside of chess, say, some argument advocating for some political policy, and you'll be quickly disappointed when the so-called critical thinker, is persuaded by objectively fallacious arguments; that is, they are incapable of identifying elementary mistakes in reasoning and conceptual analysis, and assent to the conclusions of invalid, unsound, and non-cogent arguments.
September 19, 2010
This book is a great introduction for non-chess playing parents who want to get involved in their child's growing interest in the game of chess. It covers subjects such as Getting Started (rules, moves & equipment); Benefits to your child; Tournaments (preparation & participation); and ways for your child to improve his or her game.
My favorite section of the book was, by far, Chapter 6 -- The Personal Side of Chess. It covers the use of chess as an opportunity to teach your child life skills the scope of which expand far beyond over-the-board play. I highly recommend this book to all parents who are looking to enter the exciting world of chess with their child. You will not be disappointed.
My favorite section of the book was, by far, Chapter 6 -- The Personal Side of Chess. It covers the use of chess as an opportunity to teach your child life skills the scope of which expand far beyond over-the-board play. I highly recommend this book to all parents who are looking to enter the exciting world of chess with their child. You will not be disappointed.
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