Chess is much more than a game, it is an excellent exercise to stimulate the cognitive abilities of the little ones at home. Not only does it improve concentration and stimulate problem-solving abilities, but it also favors the development of intelligence, especially in the field of mathematics, according to a study carried out at the University of Liverpool.
From the age of 4, children already have the ability to learn to move the pieces and make simple moves, so you can take advantage of this stage to stimulate their interest in chess and delve into that world. In addition, there are online platforms specially designed for children who are taking their first steps in this game or who have already mastered the moves and strategy, so that they can continue learning and playing on their own.
10 spaces where your children can play chess online
1. Chess King
Specially designed for beginners, with this application the little ones at home will be able to learn chess in a more professional way. From courses on openings, middlegames and endgames to lessons on tactics and strategy, the app helps children master chess and improve their technique. Basically, the application works as if it were a trainer, it puts the children to the test, helps them find the best solution in each case and explains and demonstrates their mistakes. Although the courses have a structured table of contents, the lessons are delivered interactively and with each user’s skill level in mind, allowing children to learn at their own pace.
2.SimpleChess
It is an application with 13 boards and 20 piece designs in which children over 4 years old can play chess online against real opponents. Access in guest mode is free and has unlimited games, although you can also register to access additional features, such as entering their ranking system, having a statistics table or the possibility of reviewing the latest games. The platform allows you to define some game criteria, such as the pace and strength of the opponent, as well as choosing between three varieties of games: standard, chess960 and battle. With the opportunity to play at any time of the day, it is an excellent alternative for the little ones to start in this game.
3. Chess for kids
Intuitive and fun, this chess application is specially designed for the little ones at home. From basic lessons for them to learn the rules of chess to more advanced classes to teach them some of the most used strategies and tactics, with this application children will not only learn chess but also develop their logical and deductive reasoning. They can also improve their game through fun videos and perfect their chess skills thanks to thousands of riddles and puzzles about chess. In addition, they will have the opportunity to test their skills with children from all over the world and even communicate with them, always with the prior consent of their parents.
4.Play Magnus
Recommended by the First Move American Chess Foundation, through this application the little ones at home will have the opportunity to test their skills against the World Chess Champion, Magnus Carlsen. With Magnus as their coach, children will be able to learn everything from how to play chess and how the pieces are moved to some tactics and strategies.that they will be able to put into practice on their way to becoming chess masters. When kids are ready, they can take on the app’s custom chess engine that replicates Magnus’ gameplay at different times in his life, so they can play counting the 8-year-old Magnus, but also the 28-year-old. The most daring will be able to join the Play Live challenge, where they will have the opportunity to play against Magnus in person.
5.Lichess _
Available in 80 languages, Lichess is a free, ad-free, open source chess server for anyone. The app has various game modes both online and offline, so kids can choose to play classic chess, bullet chess, quick chess, join tournaments, start correspondence games or practice with chess puzzles. Designed for both smartphones and tablets, it includes an opening move explorer, as well as a game analysis system and an independent clock with various time settings so that children can configure the games at their convenience and when finished, it allows them to learn of their mistakes and successes.
6. Chess.com
With this application, children will be able to play until exhaustion since it has free and unlimited chess games. Unlike other platforms, they don’t even need to have full mastery of the game since it includes a lesson session in which they teach how to play chess step by step and where they can learn all the rules. And so that they can improve their level as they learn , it has more than 50,000 tactical puzzles, videos and interactive tutorials,as well as an analysis system that allows you to review the games to identify mistakes and learn from them. In addition, it offers different variants, from double chess and for four to chess 960 or blindfolded. Of course, children can also be part of the community of more than 38 million chess players on the platform.
7. Chess-online.eu
Whether as a guest or as a registered user, the little ones at home will be able to play chess online on this platform specially designed for Spanish-speaking people. The advantage of playing as a registered user is that the games of the kids are evaluated to determine their level of play, which offers them the possibility of entering the platform’s classification table. Another point in your favor? Children will be able to filter the game proposals of other players according to their level of play to find the perfect opponent, and they will also be able to create online tournaments and invite other players or friends to a game of chess. Those who prefer it, will also have the opportunity to play against the machine.
8. Chess by post
With this application, the little ones who are just starting out in the world of chess or those who can’t handle the pressure of playing in real time well, will be able to train at their own pace and without stress since the games are by correspondence. In addition, the application has an activity level monitoring system to randomly match players with similar skill development, so that children will always play with other users of the same level. To make it easier for the little ones, the application allows you to practice several sequences to plan a long-term strategy more easily. And in addition, it allows you to play as many simultaneous games as you want.
9. Chess24
With this platform, children over 4 years of age will be able to play chess online with anyone in the world or face one of its three computers even without a connection. Free to use, it has various game rhythms and difficulty level settings so kids can choose the mode they feel most comfortable with. In addition, it has an automatic storage function that allows you to save the games on your mobile or tablet to review it whenever you want. And to improve the game level of its users, the application offers interactive video lessons with some chess grandmasters, broadcasts all the games of the London Chess Classic 2014 and follows the most important chess tournaments in real time.
10. Real Chess
Children who want to feel immersed in an authentic game of chess can do so now through this completely free platform. Thanks to its advanced 3D graphics, each game is given a new dimension that allows children to play as if it were a game in person. With more than a million registered users around the world, you also have the option of playing against the computer, testing its 2,400 levels of difficulty. Unlike other applications, it has a system of lessons for beginners in which they offer advice, teach them some tricks and show them some possible movements depending on the game.