Updated: Oct 21, 2019

If you were taught how to play chess by your parents, you may recall that magical day when you beat your mum or dad for the first time. For me, I will always remember being seven-years-old and defeating my grandfather with a back-rank checkmate. He went on to beat me many times after that, but he never dared to underestimate me again.
Playing chess with our children is a wonderful way to encourage them to practice and more importantly, to develop their confidence. I may not have been able to join in with the “grown-up” conversations at dinner when I was a shy seven-year-old, but when I played my grandfather at chess, I felt like his equal.