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Where can I find chess camp for my children?
You can find chess camps on our Chess Camps and Classes page.
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Where can I find chess coaches for my children/school?
Please visit our Local Chess Coaches Page for coaches in the area and around the nation.
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How do I introduce my child to tournament chess in a non-pressure way?
We suggest your child's best first tournament experience will be at a scholastic chess event. Any event on our list and calendar of upcoming tournaments marked with a checkmark icon ✅ is a scholastic event.
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How do I know my child is ready to compete in tournament chess?
We recently asked a leading scholastic chess club organizer for advice for parents of young children. Here are her suggestions:
I suggest this little checklist guide is the minimum to meet before their first tournament:
- Feels good about their chess. Ready to lose from inexperience.
- Knows touch move, castling, and en passant rules. Knows how to promote their pawn.
- Knows checkmate, stalemate, and aware of draw by repetition, 50-moves rule, and draw by insufficient material. And that there are more ways to draw.
- Knows how to use a chess clock.
- Learned or is learning chess notation.
Otherwise, have your kids evaluated by a chess instructor or coach. They want to begin competing when they stand a chance to score in the lowest section.
Prepare your kids in advance to take losses in stride. I have seen kids cry, collapse in disappointment, or stomp out with a parent frantically trying to manage a graceful exit.
You want them to feel good about themselves, have a good time playing good opponents, want to come back, and be up to the next challenge.
Additional notes: Kids should also have a reasonable understanding of good chess etiquette as outlined in this document. Parents should understand the rules for scholastic competition as outlined in this document. Also, check out our FAQ for all beginners (kids and adults alike :)
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How do I start or how do I run a chess club at my child's school?
The US Chess Federation (USCF) offers some useful resources, including this scholastic chess club guide (see also this article). You can also contact us with further questions.
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How can I get free chess equipment for my school/organization?
Please visit The Living Memorial Chess Foundation (LMCF) page to find out the details.
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Where can I find more information about Scholastic Chess?
You can find more information by visiting MACA Scholastic page or USCF Scholastics page.
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