Chess is not only a captivating game of strategy, but it’s also a powerful tool for exercising the brain.
Whether the player is a child or an adult, chess can significantly enhance critical thinking skills, patience, and strategic planning.
As a result, it’s not surprising that many of us want our kids to enjoy and appreciate this age-old game.
The problem, however, can be finding an environment where children can engage with the game safely and appreciatively.
That’s where ChessKid comes into play.
What is ChessKid?
ChessKid is a fun, safe, and parent-approved platform designed to enable your child to play chess online.
It’s an offshoot of the famous chess.com, immensely popular among the chess community, and boasts a well-thought-out platform suitable for children.
It offers a suitable environment for children of all levels—from total beginners to young prodigies—to connect with well-matched opponents from around the world.
Moreover, this platform is more than just a digital chessboard; it’s fundamentally designed to be a learning environment, serving as an engaging educational tool that just feels like playing.
Not only does the site offer an interactive arena for kids to learn and play chess, but it also provides an organized platform for coaches to conduct tournaments, even with hundreds of participants.
Let’s delve into the spectrum of features that ChessKid offers.
What ChessKid Offers
Fun starts as soon as a user creates a login.
ChessKid offers idiosyncratic usernames such as ‘CalmMintySneeze’, ‘FreeLikeable Spy’, and ‘RichLonelyKid’ which are provided for kids to make the sign-up process a thrilling experience.
With the log-in created, the child enters a warm community of keen chess learners.
Upon joining the ChessKid, every child is assigned a basic rating of 800 which demonstrates a level of skill in the chess community.
Kid’s ratings increase as they clinch victories, but with losses, their ratings decline.
This competitive but balanced rating system ensures that every player competes with opponents at their skill level, creating a fair learning environment.
For games against other children, time controls can be chosen from 5, 10, or 15 minutes.
I highly recommend that beginners practice against bots before venturing into real-life players, since bots offer interesting game situations and are not intimidated by impending checkmate.
While the gaming experience is paramount, ChessKid takes it a step further by providing a tool to review games and view the puzzle history, which the coach can use to guide students toward improvement.
There is an elaborate ‘learn’ section consisting of lessons, videos, and workouts. These sessions are not just instructive but also lively and engaging, making them appealing to kids.
ChessKid employs a comprehensive training program that advances kids towards levels of mastery gradually.
The curriculum, designed to align with common core standards and international educational guidelines alike, houses over 50,000 chess puzzles alongside an entire video library.
These materials, which specifically target children, cover areas such as strategies, tactics, and the famous chess openings and endgames.
ChessKid: A Friend to Parents, Coaches, and Schools
ChessKid doesn’t just focus on the child, it also provides support to those guiding the child.
If you’re a parent aiding your child’s progress, a coach managing a chess club, or a school incorporating chess into the curriculum, ChessKid eases the process.
You can effortlessly organize students and monitor their progress on this platform.
Every week, each child receives a report card detailing how many lessons, puzzles, and games they’ve completed.
For larger groups, ChessKid allows you to sort children into clubs, have group discussions, and send them messages.
Overall, ChessKid has carved out its niche as the online hub for thousands of kids, parents, schools, and coaches who adore scholastic chess.
ChessKid Pricing
ChessKid is free to join but that basic subscription has limited functionalities and features.
To get all the platform has to offer, I suggest getting a gold membership to get unlimited access to a host of amazing features.
And it’s just a great deal to go for the yearly subscription which costs $49 rather than the monthly which is $10. This way, you’ll be able to save a whopping $71!
Final Thoughts
To wrap up, ChessKid presents an enriched playground that intertwines education with fun, employing chess as a medium.
It’s also a really safe platform where you can leave your kids with no worries.
So here’s to nurturing the next Beth Harmon or Magnus Carlsen, through countless puzzles, training videos, and real-life matches.
Let me know if this review was helpful.