Whats a fair way to play chess with a child?
First off, if you don’t know how to play, now’s a chance to learn something together with your child! If you’re already adept, it’s important to keep the game honest. Don’t deliberately lose to a child — they will learn very quickly what you are doing, and it will take much of the fun out of the game. Many kids are secretly delighted with a parent who beats them regularly (i.e. “My dad is a great player!”) Still, you want to keep enough of a sporting element that the child sees their own improvement and develops a personal sense of accomplishment. Here are some suggestions that have worked for other families. Turn the board around. Give the child three chances to change sides during a game, at any three moments of their choosing. Reduce the number of chances to “flip sides” as they progress. Use time odds. Invest in a chess clock. Kids like using them in their own games. For you, give the child 7 minutes and yourself 1 minute. Not only may you lose on time, you will make natural error
