Coaching the Beginner stage

Teaching the game to newcomers and young children: playful, short, safe.

Recommended teaching order

1. Board and coordinates; how each piece moves, through mini-games (pawn wars, capture games).
2. Check, checkmate and stalemate; capture-the-king style games before the full rules.
3. Basic mates: two rooks, queen, rook.
4. Value of the pieces and safe trades; hanging pieces.
5. First tactics: forks, pins, back-rank mates.
6. Three opening principles; how to start a full game sensibly.

Tips

• One new idea per lesson; end with a game the child can win.
• Use the coordinates trainer for a few minutes every lesson — it speeds up everything else.
• Let children make mistakes in mini-games before correcting; discovery sticks.