The short answer
To teach a kid chess, first explain the board and the goal of the game (checkmate), then introduce one piece at a time - rook, bishop, queen, king, knight, pawn - and teach the board setup last. Keep each session to 15-20 minutes, play mini games instead of full games at first, and let your child win often enough to stay excited. Total time: about 2-3 hours of video and drills spread over two weeks.
How Chess Works: The Board, the Pieces and the Goal
Start here. This lesson explains what chess actually is: two armies on a 64-square board, one goal - trap the opponent's king (checkmate). Your child meets all six pieces, learns that white always moves first, and sees that players take turns making exactly one move each.
The rules
- ✓The board has 64 squares, 32 light and 32 dark, arranged 8 x 8.
- ✓Each side has 16 pieces: 8 pawns, 2 rooks, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 1 queen and 1 king.
- ✓White moves first, then players alternate one move at a time.
- ✓The goal is checkmate - attacking the king so it has no safe square left.
Try this at home
Ask your child to point to all six piece types and name them out loud. Repeat until it takes under 15 seconds.
How the Rook Moves
The rook is the easiest piece for a beginner, which is why we teach it first: straight lines only - up, down, left and right, as far as the path is clear. Rooks become powerful late in the game and when two of them team up on the same file.
The rules
- ✓Rooks move forward, backward, left and right - never diagonally.
- ✓A rook can travel any number of empty squares but cannot jump over pieces.
- ✓It captures by landing on the square of an enemy piece.
- ✓Rooks also move during castling, later on.
Try this at home
Move a rook from a1 to h8 in the fewest moves. The answer is two: a1-a8, then a8-h8.
How the Bishop Moves
Bishops slide along diagonals and stay on one square colour for the entire game. Each side starts with one light-square bishop and one dark-square bishop, so together they can cover the whole board.
The rules
- ✓Bishops move diagonally, any number of empty squares.
- ✓A bishop never changes the colour of square it stands on.
- ✓Bishops are strongest on long, open diagonals.
- ✓Keeping both bishops (the bishop pair) is a real advantage.
Try this at home
Place one bishop on the board and ask your child which squares it can never reach - the fastest way to teach square colours.
How the Queen Moves
Once a child knows the rook and bishop, the queen is easy: she does both. Straight lines and diagonals, any distance, but she can never jump over a piece. She is the strongest piece - and the one kids love most.
The rules
- ✓The queen moves like a rook and a bishop combined.
- ✓She can move any distance until a piece blocks her path.
- ✓She captures by landing on an enemy piece's square.
- ✓Do not bring her out too early - smaller pieces can chase her around.
Try this at home
Put the queen on d4 on an empty board and count the squares she controls together. There are 27.
How the King Moves, Check and Checkmate
The king is the most important piece even though it is slow: one square in any direction. It can never step into an attacked square, and when it is attacked with no escape, the game is over.
The rules
- ✓The king moves exactly one square in any of the eight directions.
- ✓Check means the king is under attack and must be saved right away.
- ✓Checkmate means the king is attacked and has no legal escape - the game ends.
- ✓You never capture the king; you trap it.
Try this at home
Set a lone king in a corner and walk it to the opposite corner, naming each square it steps on.
How the Knight Moves
The knight is the trickiest piece for kids. It jumps in an L shape - two squares one way, then one square at a right angle - and it is the only piece that can leap over other pieces.
The rules
- ✓The knight moves in an L: two squares, then one square sideways.
- ✓It jumps over anything in between, friendly or enemy.
- ✓A knight always lands on the opposite square colour from where it started.
- ✓Knights are strong in the centre and weak in the corner.
Try this at home
From the centre, count the knight's eight possible moves out loud. From a corner, count only two.
How Pawns Move, Capture and Promote
Pawns look simple but confuse almost every beginner: they move straight forward and capture diagonally. On their first move they may go one or two squares - and if a pawn reaches the far end of the board it promotes, usually into a queen.
The rules
- ✓Pawns move one square forward; two squares only on their first move.
- ✓Pawns capture diagonally forward, never straight ahead.
- ✓Pawns can never move backward.
- ✓A pawn reaching the last rank promotes - almost always to a queen.
Try this at home
Play a pawns-only race: set up both pawn rows and see who gets a pawn to the far side first.
Setting Up the Chess Board
Now that your child knows every piece, the setup is easy to remember: rooks in the corners, knights beside them, bishops next, and the queen on her own colour. After this lesson your child can start a real game without help.
The rules
- ✓Turn the board so each player has a light square in the bottom-right corner.
- ✓Rooks in the corners, knights beside them, then bishops.
- ✓Queen on her own colour - white queen on light, black queen on dark.
- ✓King takes the last centre square; pawns fill the row in front.
Try this at home
Time your child setting up the board. Most kids get under 60 seconds within a week.
Finished all 8 lessons?
The next step is playing real games with feedback. In a free 45-minute 1:1 class, a vetted MyChessCoach coach checks what your child already knows, plays a game with them, and gives you a simple plan for what to learn next.
Book Your Free 1:1 Class →A simple 2-week practice plan
- Days 1-3Watch the intro, rook and bishop lessons plus their drills. Play a mini game with only rooks, bishops and pawns.
- Days 4-6Queen and king lessons. Practise spotting check, then set up king-and-queen versus lone king to find checkmate.
- Days 7-10Knight and pawn lessons. Play the pawns-only race every day - it teaches capturing better than any explanation.
- Days 11-14Board setup plus one full game a day and five one-move checkmate puzzles. Ask two questions after each game: what was your best move, and what would you change?
Mistakes to avoid when teaching kids chess
- ×Teaching all six pieces in one sitting - children retain far more with one piece per session.
- ×Starting a full game before your child knows how pawns capture.
- ×Correcting every move; pick one lesson per game instead.
- ×Practising for an hour once a week rather than 15 minutes four times a week.
- ×Focusing on winning instead of on finding a good plan.
Frequently asked questions
What age can a child start learning chess?
Most children can start between ages 4 and 6. At that age they can learn how each piece moves and play short games. Kids ages 7 and up usually pick up the full rules, notation and basic tactics within a few weeks.
What order should I teach the chess pieces in?
Start with an overview of the board and the goal of the game, then teach one piece at a time in order of difficulty: rook, bishop, queen, king, knight and pawn. Teach the full board setup last. That is exactly the order of the eight video lessons on this page.
How long does it take a kid to learn chess?
Most kids learn all the piece moves in about 2 to 3 hours spread over a week or two. Playing complete games with confidence usually takes 4 to 6 weeks of short, regular practice - about 15 to 20 minutes a few times a week.
Are these chess lessons for kids free?
Yes. All eight video lessons on this page are free to watch with no signup. MyChessCoach also offers a free 45-minute 1:1 trial class with a vetted coach if your child wants personalised guidance.
How do I explain checkmate to a child?
Say the king is in trouble and has nowhere safe to go. Show a simple position where the king is attacked, then walk through each escape square and show that it is attacked too. Kids understand checkmate far faster by seeing it than by hearing a definition.
Do kids need a coach to learn chess?
No child needs a coach to learn the rules - these videos are enough. A coach helps once your child wants to improve, play tournaments, or stop repeating the same mistakes. MyChessCoach matches families in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the US with independent coaches for ages 5 to 15, starting at $69/month.
Is chess good for a child's brain?
Chess builds pattern recognition, planning, patience and the habit of thinking before acting. Parents most often report better focus on schoolwork and a healthier response to losing and trying again.
Ready for a real coach?
MyChessCoach matches kids ages 5-15 with independent, vetted chess coaches for 1:1 and small-group lessons - flexible timings, standardized pricing from $69/month, and a free 45-minute trial class.