Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Chess tournaments

Good point about the kids (players) and parents being kept separate. The tournament itself is in a separate room from the parents; you can't watch the kids play at all. The organizers at the tournaments we've been to joked that the parents did not need to help the kids find their place at the table, saying that if the child can play a game of chess, then surely that child can also find a numbered spot at the table!

Really? A separate room? Is that standard? I could definitely see you not being able to sit by them--didn't imagine we would.

A good player (parent or coach) can watch the games of his children and later remember at least the opening moves and comment on the play. If a 5yo plays in a tournament where no spectators are allowed, and if he cannot write down the moves (my kids are older and can't/don't), he won't learn much. It may be a better to have a young child just go to a club where he can play more games (no waiting for the next round of a tournament to start) and where parents and coaches can watch.

Would you take your child to a baseball or soccer match you were not allowed to watch?

Yes, separate room seems weird! But I do see the problem with parents potentially coaching--how is that avoided?

BTW, I'm thinking DS needs to wait a while longer...not due to lack of skill, but lack of emotional maturity. I'd like him to get more experience playing lots of different kids at chess club. He has time.

Um, hoo boy. We are now being pretty assertively courted by the chess team coaches.

JMO, but I think with chess you're right to be cautious - chess is such a competitive world and children sometimes seem to spend *so* much time on it... The skills seem less transferable than maths competition skills (not that they're devoid of things that are no use outside competition) and less capable of bringing pleasure to people around than music - two comparisons that seem relevant when thinking about what my kid should spend time on. It seems like a better thing to do if you're *not* going to be very good at it than if you're in danger of being sucked into the whirlpool... But if your DS wants to and would enjoy it, tricky. I don't know how possible it is to stay moderate.

He really likes PLAYING. He loves the game. He loves ALL kinds of board and card games--he's just a total game hound. Is he a competitive personality? Not really. Winning is not his big motivator. I'd hate to see it go that direction.

I don't think being competitive (or not) should be seen as a flaw. The business world often wants people who have demonstrated a degree of competitiveness. Lots of good junior chess players become financial traders (to address ColinsMum's comment about transferable skills).

I want my children to be good sports. The other day, when my son reported to the tournament director that he had "creamed" his opponent, I told him to simply say "I won" in the future. But I also want them to want to win, whether it's at chess, physical sports, or talent search tests and to prepare accordingly.

A 5yo boy may cry if he loses. A benefit of a chess or other tournament is to toughen him up, although that could certainly wait for a few years.

Yes, well--difference in life philosophy. I'm a believer in excellence for the sake of excellence, improving on your own performance, enjoying the experience, etc. Not a fan of encouraging my kids to value winning just for the sake of winning. I don't think it leads to happiness in life.