EDUCATION

Homecoming is another favourite. In Homecoming you remove the sixteen pawns. The other eight pieces are on the back rows but they’re muddled. The winner is the first person to return their own pieces back to their home positions! The order of moves is key.

I want my child to play, what should I do next?

If there are a group of parents at your school interested in a chess club, get together and approach your headteacher. Find out about local chess clubs, in person or maybe online. Checkout the chesskid. com website and chessinschools.co.uk charity. If you can, learn together and keep it fun.

Enjoy the in-between moments and cope with plans changing. If you lose, use it as a lesson to reflect. You will realise that you’ve learnt something. This is the same in life too. I love the way I can weave in ‘life advice’.

The second type of game is for children who know how to play a full game. I love Loser’s Chess; in this game the winner is the first person to lose all of their pieces!

Mini-game websites:

Visit logiqboard.com, an interactive online chessboard for chess and mini-games.

Visit chessplus.net, play mini-games against the computer.

Download acornchess.com, many minigames to explore.

I hope I’ve inspired you to give your child the gift of chess. Focus on the social and educational benefits of chess but be curious and you’ll discover so many wonderful things happening. The Summer Chess Festival in London’s Trafalgar Square, chess café’s popping up, children’s chess stories, famous young players and movies. There are fascinating projects for Alzheimer’s patients, chess in prisons, refugee projects. The chess world is exciting and dynamic!

I’m going to leave you with some homework. Watch the movie, The Queen of Katwe’ (it’s important to hook your child in gently) and finally, choose three reasons to play chess for your pick and mix bag.