All About Weiqi and Chess

[jedamum]

oh…by chess, they don’t mean chinese chess ah…

[r2010]

I personally think 6 years old is a good year to start. when they are too young sometimes they do not understand the rules. However, there are a lot of preschoolers who can play the chess very well. Just 2 cents worth.

[ongcheryl]

Hi all,


the chess you all are referring to is international chess right? i have a 4 year old daughter and am interested to let her attend some courses. i was searching online and happened to chance upon a math and chess website. something about learning math through chess or the other way round. sounds good but yet a little skeptical about it. anyone heard of this program can enlighten me? would appreciate any replies. thanks! http://www.mathandchess.com.sg

[autumnbronze]

blueblue:

I remember it is $160 for 10 lessons.

Okie, thanks blueblue

Will seriously consider and update here.

[blueblue]

autumnbronze:

blueblue:

I remember it is $160 for 10 lessons.

Okie, thanks blueblue

Will seriously consider and update here.

Do keep us updated

[qizai]

blueblue:

Thks HyperKiasu & Qizai for yr advice!


I think I will continue to play with him and send him later for formal training. Even though he is able to play basic chess, I guess he is still too young to handle the tactics and strategy part.

Qizai, you mention about the personal coaching. Do you know roughly how much it cost?

I think the fees differ from coach to coach. One coach I heard charges $80 per session or something like that.

But at the beginner level, you don't need a personal coach. In fact, its good to learn in a group since there's interaction and play with other kids.

[qizai]

ongcheryl:

Hi all,


the chess you all are referring to is international chess right? i have a 4 year old daughter and am interested to let her attend some courses. i was searching online and happened to chance upon a math and chess website. something about learning math through chess or the other way round. sounds good but yet a little skeptical about it. anyone heard of this program can enlighten me? would appreciate any replies. thanks! http://www.mathandchess.com.sg

Never heard of it.

Does it use math to teach chess, or the other way around, or both?

Check up http://www.intchessasia.com , that's where I got my son enrolled last time. But it turns out that one of the bosses in IntChess Asia left, and went to SCF to offer similar courses.

Honestly, I wouldn't know which one is better, SCF or IntChessAsia. Their curriculum is rather identical to me..

[qizai]

autumnbronze:

blueblue:

wonder if anyone interested in registering their kids who falls under 4? maybe we can see if we can form a class? My son keeps asking me to register him for the chess class but he is under 4 at the moment.

Hi blueblue,

My DS just turn three. Is he too young?? I was going to pick it up for him but if there's a class then it would save me the trouble

Can you provide some details about the venue, time etc .... I may consider signing him up ....

Hi autumnbronze, 3 years is a little too young. Even super grandmasters who were child prodigies start at 4.

In my opinion, 5 to 6 is the best, but then your son might have a brilliant chess mind and can start earlier!

[qizai]

Just to share…


International chess is a rather complex game… so maybe it’s good to start your kids with something simpler…

It might be a good idea to start with draughts, animal chess, and progress to chinese chess, and then international chess …

That’s how I began my son with, but then I’m quite chess mad…

International chess differs from chinese chess, because you need to also look at the diagonals, something exponents of chinese chess like to point out.

Chinese chess is easier to learn (but not necessarily easier to master!) because only 4 types of pieces can cross the river, unlike international chess which have all 6 types attacking across the board and which has weird rules like "en passant".

Hope that helps.

[blueblue]

qizai:

blueblue:

Thks HyperKiasu & Qizai for yr advice!


I think I will continue to play with him and send him later for formal training. Even though he is able to play basic chess, I guess he is still too young to handle the tactics and strategy part.

Qizai, you mention about the personal coaching. Do you know roughly how much it cost?

I think the fees differ from coach to coach. One coach I heard charges $80 per session or something like that.

But at the beginner level, you don't need a personal coach. In fact, its good to learn in a group since there's interaction and play with other kids.

Thanks for info Qizai. I agree that one don't need a personal coach at beginner level. Maybe at more advanced level. I suppose that boy from NPS must have gone through personal coaching.