How can I tell whether my child will like chess?

The truth is you can never tell. 

If you wait for your child to show his/her fondness of chess before you give him/her enough exposure to chess, then you may never know. It's like the question about chicken and egg.

Whether your child will like chess or not is not something you can do much about. But whether your child gets enough exposure to chess is something you can do a lot. Teach him/her the basic rules, sign him/her up for after-school chess club, go to library, find other kids who play chess, etc.  You can do many many things to test your child's interest, free or at a very low.


Even the current World Champion Magnus Carlsen didn't show that he liked chess at age 5, though his dad was active amateur player and chess lover. Only after he lost a game against his sister at age 8, he suddenly woke up and really got in it. He rarely played any game in those three long years between 5 and 8. He was busy with his Lego sets and memorizing the names, areas, populations of all 430 municipalities in Norway.

Here are some good signs that hint your child might like to play chess:

• like to play Lego
• like to play puzzle
• like to memorize things
• like to play other board games
• like to play cards
• like to play any game or sports that involves win and lose
• like to watch other people play games (any game)

Make your first step into the wonderland, you and your child will never regret.

Bon voyage!