Do you remember when you started learning to play chess? What made you interested in it? Who was your first teacher? How old were you then? Actually, I never really go back to reminisce about my chess beginnings. It is as if when you know how to play the game, you sort of forget that once upon a time you were a bungling, struggling young person being beat by your friends who were more advanced in the sport. It's sort of a given in life, a skill you learned that now comes naturally to you, just like breathing. It's automatic.
Now how come, all of sudden, I am thinking of these things? Well it's because of my grandson. He's 4 years old and I would like him to learn and love this sport just as I do. Here's a picture of us together, my strategy in getting him more acquainted to the game.
I was hoping to see some spark of genius in him, like you know, when I show him how the horse moves, he gets it at once. No luck. He's still just a kid whose mind is still in playing with his toys and he thinks the chess pieces are toys and he is playing with them just like how he normally does.
But I guess I just have to keep on getting him familiarized with the chessboard and the pieces. It doesn't matter if he throws them or bowls them over with his ball or makes the pieces ride his toy trucks all over the board. It'll make sense eventually and he'll start learning, (I really hope).
Just thought of posting this in the hope that some of you may have some ideas on how to get this 4-year old get interested in chess. You see, I was already 9 when I got interested in the game. My father taught me how to play. But I just can't remember what he did to make me interested enough to learn it. And we really had a lot of combats and battles over the years until 2 days before he died. He was 90 years old then and sick with cancer. But his mind was still as sharp as ever. And that last game we played, he won. I just think now that he must have been so happy beating me under the circumstances that he was in. Because you see, between my dad and myself, winning a chess game is its best reward. It gave you the bragging rights until the next game lol. And I guess he finally had the last laugh while taking the trophy with him on his way out.
Thanks for your time. I hope you enjoyed it. Stay safe everyone and have a blitzkrieg of a week ahead!
(All photos are mine.)