As a parent, you’ve probably heard that playing chess is really good for your child’s brain, right? Well, it’s totally true! Chess is like a workout for the brain, and it’s awesome for both kids and grown-ups. To become a chess pro, your kids need to know some basic strategies for starting the game.
Studies say that kids who play chess a lot remember things better and can concentrate more. Also, playing chess helps them get better at solving problems, which is super useful for planning ahead. To get why chess openings are important, your kids just need to understand how these strategies make a big difference.
What is a Chess Opening Strategy?
Chess opening strategy is like figuring out how to start a chess game and deciding on your first moves. It’s like making a plan for the game and putting your chess pieces in the right spots to win. Think of it as a roadmap that helps new chess players learn the rules for different ways to start the game, like how to control the chessboard from the very beginning.
When kids learn these strategies, they’re using their thinking skills, like figuring things out, analyzing, and understanding. It’s like having a game plan to play chess smartly from the start!
Related Article:10 Reasons Why Your Child Should Start Playing Chess Early
Maybe you’re wondering, ‘What’s the best way to start playing chess if you’re just beginning?’ Well, not all chess strategies are good for beginners because some are for experts. Many chess strategies need a deep understanding of complex ideas that help players make perfect moves. For beginners, it’s better to stick to classic chess principles like controlling the center and moving pieces around. In the beginning, your child doesn’t need to memorize specific moves; instead, they should focus on doing things like controlling the center and getting their pieces ready.
Now, let’s check out some popular chess strategies for beginners-
1. The Italian Game
The Italian game begins with the following moves- 1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4. This move aims to gain overall control of the center quickly with pawn and knight and place your bishop on the most dangerous square. After all, even you are preparing yourself for the castle to safety. It is one of the greatest moves as it leads to sharp and interesting positions, teaches the player how to seize the initiative, and is a better move when compared to the Danish Gambit. Well, this move can also be played at the grandmaster level which is quite interesting.
2. London System
This is perhaps the most recommended and evergreen chess opening being played for years now. The reason is that it is very simple to learn and play; this strategy gives you the advantage to develop your pieces to the same square and it hardly matters what your opponent does. At some point, there is a slight possibility that your child might get bored with playing the same stuff regularly. Also, you will not get different positions and pawn structures to practice your move. This might affect your chess understanding and will eventually slow down your development. Though this is a decent opening, you should not only rely on this movement when you are playing. Be experimental and keep playing with the new moves.
3. Danish Gambit
Ideally, 1.e4 is considered to be the best chess move of all time and especially for those who are starting their career in chess. It leads to open positions and hence, allows the player to unlearn their tactical power. Against 1.e5 we would recommend starting with the Danish Gambit. It is considered as an impactful and aggressive move, where the white sacrifices 2 pawns for quick development. This position starts with- 2.d4 exd4 3.c3: Better development, aggressive piece placement, and open positions promise an exciting chess experience. With this move, you’ll get more attacking prospects and learn that the activity of pieces is crucial. Stronger opponents will know how to play well against Danish Gambit, so there is a need to look for another alternative move.
4. The Ruy Lopez or Spanish Opening
The Ruy Lopez has been one of the most popular openings in chess for a very long time. This move was named after a popular Spanish bishop who wrote one of the first books on chess. Therefore, Ruy Lopez attacks the knight which helps in defending the e5 pawn. While white hopes to use this attack to create pressure on black’s central pawn.
5. French Defense
This is one of the famous chess strategies for beginners. With this move, your kids will learn about space advantage, pawn chains, planning moves in closed positions, good and bad pieces, outposts, and so on. This move starts right after 1.e4 e6 which allows the white to occupy the center, but black immediately break the center with 2.d5. Eventually, white close the position by pushing the pawn forward from e4 to e5.
6. Sicilian Dragon
The Sicilian Defense is a popular and fun move at any level. It is considered the best chess opening for beginners. Though it is very theoretical, with this move you can revamp your chess-playing strategies. The only thing that will matter here is the initiative and the activity of the pieces. There are some very popular Sicilian lines, such as the Najdorf, the Scheveningen, or the classical version that your child can successfully use at the beginner level. Perhaps, the easiest one to play is the Dragon. This is because the dragon leads to sharp and exciting positions that are full of opportunities.
7. Queen’s Gambit
Queen’s Gambit is one of the most classical ways to initiate the game of chess and is also a good chess opening strategy for beginners. It starts with 1.d4 d5 2.c4: Though this is called a gambit, it mostly leads to strategic battles. Using this position you can learn about planning, manipulating, improving the placement of your pieces, and many other important concepts. The Queen’s Gambit has been played by all the world champions, and you can simply understand the concept by learning it from the very best players.
Related Article: Nurturing Young Minds: Fostering Chess Champions in Your Kids
8. The Four Knights Opening
The four knight opening is a fairly popular chess opening strategy among beginners who swear to the principle “ develop knights before bishops”. This move will lead to a positional play with some sharp variations. This move usually starts with 1.e4e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6. After these moves, white is responsible for developing the bishop with 4.Bb5, and black does the same with 4.Bb4.
9. The Slav Defense
The Slav Defense is an imperative chess opening that helps in defending the d5-pawn with another pawn. The majority of the black pieces can develop into natural squares, but black will have less space and you will have to find a good place for their b8-knight.
10. The 2 Knights Defense
Popularly known as the “fried liver”, this position comes to the board right after the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, and it is a classical move order in games that start with 1.e4, from here the players can reach The Ruy Lopez opening or even the Giuoco Piano.
Conclusion
Your brain, just like your body, needs exercise to work well. Playing chess is a fun way for kids to give their brains a workout. It’s a game enjoyed by people of all ages around the world! Chess helps kids think better and focus more. So, those are the top 10 ways to start a chess game, great for kids who are just starting.
If you want someone really good to teach your kids, check out MyChessCoach’s website. They have online chess lessons, and your kids will learn from experts who have played chess all around the world. Help your kids get smarter!
