A clever dad at my son's elementary school started a chess club. A professional chess player would come once a week and give lessons afterschool. It wasn't long before the club started competeting in district and regional games.

Well, that is how my son started playing chess. He played for 2-3 years until someone in middle school said chess is for geeks and wierdos. Before that, he placed 20th in state competitions under his ranking class.

I hope he starts playing again. He's a teen now and beats all of us here at the house. Sometimes he will play online or with the computer.

It's very good strategic thinking practice!

My DS picked up the game in April and is "chess-obsessed"! Another Mom on this site suggested the Lego Chess software. DS (6yr)loves it. He can select the difficulty level and if feeds his other obession ...legos!:)

We also attened a summer chess camp. It was great for helping him with strategy and tatics. Now, only my DH (gifted) can beat him.

Speaking of legos, and chess, we got our lego chess board in the mail, and today we made our chess pieces. I was just going to take it slow with DS4, showing him one at a time what each player does. I tried to start with the pawn, but he said "i want to know what my queen does first!" When we got through all the pieces, he had to play a game, of course. It all came so easily for him, that it made me a bit worried.

The first half of the game, I would point out things like "but if you move there, I can take your queen, and then you'll be sad." In one move in the second half of the game, I told him if he moved there, I'd take his queen. He said, "But you won't, because then I'll be sad." At that point, I told him yes, i would start taking his queen now.

My favorite part was making the pieces with DS4. I'm not a big fan of chess, but I like arty, creative stuff. I think DS4 will be able to overtake my chess ability soon, so hopefully DH will get home from work early enough to play DS, otherwise I'll seek out a chess club. Or check out the Lego software - i didn't know that existed (we too have a lego-obsessed child)

"In one move in the second half of the game, I told him if he moved there, I'd take his queen. He said, "But you won't, because then I'll be sad." At that point, I told him yes, i would start taking his queen now."

ROFLMAO!!!!!

That's too great!

I taught ds at 6 what basics I knew of chess and within a few weeks he was beating me repetedly. I tried to get a high schooler from the chess club to tutor him over that summer but the kid never showed. I signed DS up for USA Chess he loves getting the Chess Life for Kids since each issue has moves to try. The Middle school he will go to in 2 years has a chess club so he said he will wait till then to learn more since beating me is getting boring. lol

TheMommason

I hired a middle school boy (chess club kid) to come in twice a month and hang out with my ds (6). They played chess, risk, monopoly etc. It was fantastic! Keep looking! The older boy got a kick out of the fact that a little kid could keep up with him.

I think it was Questions who recommended posting notices at a close college on the career board for the department of interest for the child.

I think that's a brilliant idea.

I think I'll go over to the sciences and post:

Wanted: Science student to "babysit" six year old girl who wants to learn to blow stuff up.

How much do you think they would charge for something like that?

ROFLMAO!!!

Heck, the college students might pay you, provided you bail them out when the cops show up to arrest someone!

HOO HOOOO LOL!

Sounds like a PARTY!!!!!

incogneato ROTFLSHIPMP!!! Well if you find one don't tell my DS he would be expecting the same thing LOL