Do I take a dive and let my son win?

[GagHalfrunt]

Get him some beginners books on strategy and let him improve at his own rate. Don't rob him of the enjoyment of beating you for real.

 

[TridenT]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
I've taught quite a few younger kids in middle school how to play better. You either need a really good memory of chess positions, else learn how to record games (not too difficult to learn). Then after the game, you can replay the game move by move & tell him exactly why you made certain moves & why certain moves that he made hurt him.

Last year, I played against a really weak kid who basically only knew how the pieces moved. By the end of the year, I would have put money on him to be able to beat any of the kids in the high school. One of the things I did which helped both of us was to handicap myself. Since he pretty much sucked, I played without my rooks or queen. I'll tell you what - it's a lot harder than you'd think to play with only you pawns, knights, and bishops. Very challenging. What made it easier for him to learn was that he only had fewer of my pieces to concentrate on. Granted, it really didn't help him learn to attack, but it made him a much better player quickly in learning how to avoid forks, etc. After a while, he was able to beat me 1/2 the time under those conditions. So, I added a rook. Then another rook. Then, I added a queen & removed a rook. Finally, by the end of the year, I usually played him with all of my pieces. If he made a really bad blunder, I'd point it out to him and have him make a different move. (He never afforded me the same luxury ) But, I believe he beat me fairly 2 or 3 times (as a result of blunders on my part.) The key: he did learn some offensive strategies - if I made any of the mistakes that he had made quite consistently in the past until he learned to avoid them, he recognized them quickly and took advantage of them. He learned to show no mercy, and he learned to keep his eye on the prize - not to get distracted by just taking pieces.

i.e. how many people have been kicking someone else's butt in chess, playing care-free and not thinking seriously about the game, and like an idiot, leave their castled king behind a wall of pawns, only to be check-mated by a rook. Those are the types of mistakes that are worth making intentionally on occasion; of course, don't point them out until after the game. "If you had done this, you would have won."

What do you do for a living?

 

[Auggie]

As long as you are both enjoying playing together, beating him isn't a problem. By being a graceful winner and a loving dad, you can do a lot to help him deal with losing, which is part of life.

I'd probably just keep asking him if he's having fun. If he starts having less fun or not learning (I'm not sure how serious of a chess player you want him (or he wants) to be)...

 

[sciwizam]

Originally posted by: TridenTBoy3555

Originally posted by: DrPizza
I've taught quite a few younger kids in middle school how to play better. You either need a really good memory of chess positions, else learn how to record games (not too difficult to learn). Then after the game, you can replay the game move by move & tell him exactly why you made certain moves & why certain moves that he made hurt him.

Last year, I played against a really weak kid who basically only knew how the pieces moved. By the end of the year, I would have put money on him to be able to beat any of the kids in the high school. One of the things I did which helped both of us was to handicap myself. Since he pretty much sucked, I played without my rooks or queen. I'll tell you what - it's a lot harder than you'd think to play with only you pawns, knights, and bishops. Very challenging. What made it easier for him to learn was that he only had fewer of my pieces to concentrate on. Granted, it really didn't help him learn to attack, but it made him a much better player quickly in learning how to avoid forks, etc. After a while, he was able to beat me 1/2 the time under those conditions. So, I added a rook. Then another rook. Then, I added a queen & removed a rook. Finally, by the end of the year, I usually played him with all of my pieces. If he made a really bad blunder, I'd point it out to him and have him make a different move. (He never afforded me the same luxury ) But, I believe he beat me fairly 2 or 3 times (as a result of blunders on my part.) The key: he did learn some offensive strategies - if I made any of the mistakes that he had made quite consistently in the past until he learned to avoid them, he recognized them quickly and took advantage of them. He learned to show no mercy, and he learned to keep his eye on the prize - not to get distracted by just taking pieces.

i.e. how many people have been kicking someone else's butt in chess, playing care-free and not thinking seriously about the game, and like an idiot, leave their castled king behind a wall of pawns, only to be check-mated by a rook. Those are the types of mistakes that are worth making intentionally on occasion; of course, don't point them out until after the game. "If you had done this, you would have won."

What do you do for a living?

I believe he teaches high school.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
I've taught quite a few younger kids in middle school how to play better. You either need a really good memory of chess positions, else learn how to record games (not too difficult to learn). Then after the game, you can replay the game move by move & tell him exactly why you made certain moves & why certain moves that he made hurt him.

Last year, I played against a really weak kid who basically only knew how the pieces moved. By the end of the year, I would have put money on him to be able to beat any of the kids in the high school. One of the things I did which helped both of us was to handicap myself. Since he pretty much sucked, I played without my rooks or queen. I'll tell you what - it's a lot harder than you'd think to play with only you pawns, knights, and bishops. Very challenging. What made it easier for him to learn was that he only had fewer of my pieces to concentrate on. Granted, it really didn't help him learn to attack, but it made him a much better player quickly in learning how to avoid forks, etc. After a while, he was able to beat me 1/2 the time under those conditions. So, I added a rook. Then another rook. Then, I added a queen & removed a rook. Finally, by the end of the year, I usually played him with all of my pieces. If he made a really bad blunder, I'd point it out to him and have him make a different move. (He never afforded me the same luxury ) But, I believe he beat me fairly 2 or 3 times (as a result of blunders on my part.) The key: he did learn some offensive strategies - if I made any of the mistakes that he had made quite consistently in the past until he learned to avoid them, he recognized them quickly and took advantage of them. He learned to show no mercy, and he learned to keep his eye on the prize - not to get distracted by just taking pieces.

i.e. how many people have been kicking someone else's butt in chess, playing care-free and not thinking seriously about the game, and like an idiot, leave their castled king behind a wall of pawns, only to be check-mated by a rook. Those are the types of mistakes that are worth making intentionally on occasion; of course, don't point them out until after the game. "If you had done this, you would have won."

Sadly, I could probably beat him soundly if all I had was pawns and my king.

 

[sciwizam]

Originally posted by: SunnyD

Originally posted by: DrPizza
I've taught quite a few younger kids in middle school how to play better. You either need a really good memory of chess positions, else learn how to record games (not too difficult to learn). Then after the game, you can replay the game move by move & tell him exactly why you made certain moves & why certain moves that he made hurt him.

Last year, I played against a really weak kid who basically only knew how the pieces moved. By the end of the year, I would have put money on him to be able to beat any of the kids in the high school. One of the things I did which helped both of us was to handicap myself. Since he pretty much sucked, I played without my rooks or queen. I'll tell you what - it's a lot harder than you'd think to play with only you pawns, knights, and bishops. Very challenging. What made it easier for him to learn was that he only had fewer of my pieces to concentrate on. Granted, it really didn't help him learn to attack, but it made him a much better player quickly in learning how to avoid forks, etc. After a while, he was able to beat me 1/2 the time under those conditions. So, I added a rook. Then another rook. Then, I added a queen & removed a rook. Finally, by the end of the year, I usually played him with all of my pieces. If he made a really bad blunder, I'd point it out to him and have him make a different move. (He never afforded me the same luxury ) But, I believe he beat me fairly 2 or 3 times (as a result of blunders on my part.) The key: he did learn some offensive strategies - if I made any of the mistakes that he had made quite consistently in the past until he learned to avoid them, he recognized them quickly and took advantage of them. He learned to show no mercy, and he learned to keep his eye on the prize - not to get distracted by just taking pieces.

i.e. how many people have been kicking someone else's butt in chess, playing care-free and not thinking seriously about the game, and like an idiot, leave their castled king behind a wall of pawns, only to be check-mated by a rook. Those are the types of mistakes that are worth making intentionally on occasion; of course, don't point them out until after the game. "If you had done this, you would have won."

Sadly, I could probably beat him soundly if all I had was pawns and my king.

Probably, but he is still in elementary school. DrPizza is talking about middle school kids.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Maybe his interest in chess is more along the lines of 'doing something with dad.' I learned from my older brother who never let me win any game we played and I was 10 or 11 before I ever won anything in chess, cards, board games, war games, basketball, baseball....

 

[rh71]

let him win, but barely... throw him a bone.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

You never "let" anyone win, ever.