Any way to improve chess playing skills w/o joining a club?

[Jennifer132]

My son (11) has a keen interest in playing chess, and isn't too bad at it. Ideally, I'd like to get him in a chess club, but the reality is right now we just have too much going on to add anything at all outside the home to the schedule. Potentially next summer/fall we could do a club. Is there something online or computer based that anyone can recommend to help give him a chance to either play against others or against a computer, or a curriculum of sorts that teaches strategy?

[wapiti]

There are all kinds of online chess, against computers, against real anonymous players, etc.  I don't know the websites.  I've just seen my ds13 get addicted occasionally, usually when there's homework that needs doing LOL.  I've seen him play random people online.  ETA, he said it's https://www.chess.com

Edited August 13, 2016 by wapiti

[knitgrl]

My husband really likes a book called Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games by Laszlo Polgar. He uses it to help teach our daughter to play, but it is a very fat book, and I'm sure there is enough in it to help your son. It includes chess problems as well as the answers, plus a lot of other stuff I have no idea about because I'm not into chess.

[gratitude]

 

Elliot Neff is a Master Chess Player.  He happened to be home schooled and started a chess school.  I think there are some on-line options.  These DVDs though are excellent and taught my children to play chess beyond my level.  We went to their competitions, without classes, from these DVDs and my kids did well:

 

Elliott's Chess School on DVD, Chess Training Volumes 1-4

 

Here is their academy web-site that I think has some online options.  It says play online at the top:

 

Chess for Kids | Chess Academy - Chess4Life

[Tranquility7]

chesskid.com

 

You can join for free and play loads of games, as well as a few puzzles every day and I'm not sure what else.

There is also a membership that allows you to watch loads of really excellent instructional videos, as well as more puzzles and such. You can get the membership 50% off if you buy through homeschool buyers co-op (I think it is usually 25$/yr through the co-op).

[MerryAtHope]

My son really enjoyed Brain Fitness Solitaire Chess--Timberdoodle carries it.

[Jennifer132]

My son really enjoyed Brain Fitness Solitaire Chess--Timberdoodle carries it.

He is actually doing this one for school this year! 😊

[JennSnow]

Really, the best things he can do is to play lots of games, go over and study his games (especially the lost games) looking for mistakes and then studying to find ways to improve upon those weaknesses, and practicing tactics.

He can sign up at Chess.com where he can play games (both live and correspondence), watch videos on every chess subject imaginable, hone his tactical skills, study beginning and endgames, etc..

Chess Magnet School offers a free trial and is a great teaching tool which works along at the student's individual level and pace.

Tactics, tactics, tactics!  Almost all games at the intermediate levels are won or lost on tactics.  The more you practice the better you'll be at not only executing them but also recognizing when your opponent has a tactical threat against you. Chess Tempo is a free tactics server where you can practice and improve your tactical thinking.

Don't underestimate the value of live, in person, over the board games.  Even if he can get to a club or a tournament once a month it will help him to improve :).