Busting 6 myths that might be stopping you teaching chess

Unpick misconceptions and get top tips on teaching chess, with Hari Neocleous.

Have you ever thought about teaching chess in your school? If so, what’s stopping you?

Myths

Let’s unpick six myths that may be holding you back.

Myth 1 – Only chess pros can teach chess

As a primary school teacher, I’ve taught all subjects. It’s what we do, what we train for. So adding chess as a new string to our bow is a natural step for many. It should be treated like any other subject – we can teach it to a good standard, just like we teach geography and art and science. I learnt how to play chess as a young girl, so running a club was the perfect choice for me.

You don’t need to be a chess pro or play competitively in tournaments to teach chess. Deep down, I always knew this was the case but we teachers like to be perfect and will often only take things on in which we know we can succeed. How interesting, as we’re the first to talk about how we learn in failure and the importance of a growth mindset. (OK, I’m talking about myself here!).

The chess boom

There was a time where I was overwhelmed by the world of chess. Live streams, chess experts analysing games and streamers having chess banter. I was so happy that, out of lockdown and The Queens Gambit TV show, came a chess boom like nothing we’d ever seen before. But for a mere mortal like me, I was also lost amongst the Kings and Queens of the chess world. I’d follow a game analysis online, only to discover that the final moves wouldn’t be played through as the players knew who would win. They knew the final sequence of moves in their minds! I want teachers to know that you can be a very good chess teacher without tapping into that side of chess. It is a rabbit hole – fascinating, but overwhelming at the start. You don’t need to play or follow chess at that level to be a good chess teacher.

Myth 2 – Chess makes you better at maths

Controversial, I know! Especially as I’m a primary maths and chess teacher. Now, I’m very cautious about throwing out statements like, ‘Chess makes you smarter’ and ‘Chess makes you better at maths’. I don’t want the topic of chess to be clickbait or a topic people use to increase attention on social media feeds. I will never say (and have never said) that chess makes you better at maths, but I will say that it is a wonderful way to develop problem-solving skills.

As a maths intervention teacher, I’ve used the theme of chess in my lessons to develop number skills, investigative maths and create confident learners in my maths classroom. Chess has been my secret weapon to engage and motivate. My lessons and clubs also develop many other skills (but that’s an article in itself for another time). You can follow me to see the kind of tasks, games and investigations I share. The leaders of chess in education are Chessplus.net, the Fide Education Commission, the ECU Education Commission and the UK charity, Chess in Schools and Communities. They have also told me that school teachers, as well as chess tutors, make great chess teachers! There is room for all.

The benefits of chess depend on the teacher.

If you’re a literacy expert or school counsellor, for example, you might draw out other benefits of chess. The theme of chess is a great platform for talk tasks, debates, report writing and even poetry. It can also be used to explore behaviour, emotions and teaches resilience. Each teacher will bring something different to the chess classroom. Play for fun or explore the many benefits of the game. Chess is a gift to your students that they will take away with them when they leave you.

Myth 3 – It’s expensive to run a chess club

The financial squeeze in schools is real but don’t let money stop you from running a chess club. You can run a club on a low budget.

Chess in Schools and Communities will donate some chessboards for your start-up club. Ask for parental donations in your school newsletter – parents are always happy to hear chess is happening at their child’s school. You could also play online on Logiqboard. If you want to purchase your own chessboards, charity shops or car boot sales often have old chess sets.

Myth 4 – Running a chess club takes up too much time

How are you meant to squeeze is a chess club at lunch time or after school when your school day is so busy? Consider your options. Bring up the idea of a chess club at a staff meeting and invite those who are interested to pop into you room one day after school for a chat. Once you have a little group, decide if you’d like a lunch club, an after-school club or maybe just a drop-in area where there are a few chessboards laid out. Sharing the responsibility might make it easier.

A chess club team: Governors, support staff or parents might join you or run the club. Over my twenty-five or so years of teaching, my chess clubs have varied. It depended on the year group I taught, my extra responsibilities that year and just how I felt in my job role. A headteacher who is passionate about chess makes all the difference!

Resources ready: Find a day that suits you, a venue and area to keep resources safe and tidy. Start with a small group around a table if you need to build your confidence or just to figure things out. You can do this alone of course, but it’s worth seeing if there’s interest at your school or setting. Secondary schools sometimes have older students supporting the running of a club. I have always run a club alone. Whether it’s forty-five minutes or a full hour, it flies by and is totally worth the time.

Giving children ownership: The buzz of chess of will spread around your school like a magical spell. It’s also nice to start small – maybe a group of students show interest, then together they think of a club name, create posters, sign-up sheets. Let them take ownership and feel valued.

Don’t feel guilty if it’s just a ‘drop-in day’: If you’re having a particularly busy week, you can also take your books to mark or work on a laptop; students understand things change in a school week. Being flexible in your thinking is part of learning chess. They also need to sometimes play in silence.

Myth 5 – You need lots of time to prepare lessons

You don’t need to spend hours planning. There are many wonderful books on teaching chess and courses on teaching chess. However, to get you started, I’ll recommend you use the Chess in Schools and Communities lessons from its home learning page. They’re free and fabulous. Each lesson has teaching input, mini games, puzzles and there’s even a Kahoot quiz! Invest in a vinyl demo board or use Logiqboard.

A little preparation goes along way. You should, of course, read through the plans, solve the puzzles and explore the mini games. I’d give the same advice at maths teacher training. Experience the learning process yourself for a great lesson.

Myth 6 – You need the memory of a genius

You don’t need to see moves ahead or memorise sets of moves. You don’t need to know all the fancy names of openings, types of checkmate etc to teach chess. This might happen in time but don’t worry at the start. You’re not captain of the England chess team, so keep things in perspective and enjoy your new role as a chess club teacher.

Chess in education v. competitive chess

For students with star quality, you can recommend an out-of-school club for competitive chess and tournament training. If you feel you need a helping hand to get started, then get in touch with the Chess in Schools and Communities charity. They will offer lessons within the school day, a lunch club or after school club. This would be an investment in your school for future chess but also for you to gain confidence. They also have training opportunities available for your staff.

I hope that I’ve helped to break down some barriers. Come on board, join the chess movement and watch chess flourish in your school or setting.