Teaching a 7 year old chess end games

timex · #1 06-07-2007, 02:37 AM

My cousin has some grade-based chess tournament tomorrow(I think its city wide, may be for our province, but I'm not sure), and he is in like grade 2, and asked me for some help with end games.

I'm a reasonable chess player, (like 1800 when I stopped playing), but have no idea exactly what level a 7 year old would be at.

He says he is mostly working on just trying to win when ahead, so I have no idea whether this means he need to learn how to not stalemate when he has like infinite pieces against nothing, or whether he is trying to learn K &P v K& P endgames.

Basically, I haven't played in a while, and have no idea exactly what would be good to teach someone who is probably quite inexperienced.

JavaNut · #2 06-07-2007, 07:05 AM

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My cousin has some grade-based chess tournament tomorrow...

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By tomorrow or even in few weeks time, all you can learn him is, avoid stalemate and positioning correctly when K+P against K so that you can force pawn to be converted. (I know this has a nice name, but never knew the english term and know I realise I don't even remember it in danish [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] )

amplify · #3 06-07-2007, 07:36 AM

From your description I can't tell if he already knows the mating patterns with K+Q v K, K+R v K, K+N+B v K or what. If he can't, you should show him the patterns and he should keep doing it until he can. The term JavaNut is looking for is Opposition, which is about the most basic endgame concept there is, but I have no idea if this is an appropriate concept for this particular 7 year-old who may or may not understand basic mating patterns.

smilingbill · #4 06-07-2007, 07:39 AM

pretty good suggestions here, KBN vs K is too hard and kinda unnecessary though. Add R+P vs R probably if he knows KP v K, KQ v K and KR v K. Also general principles like exchanging material when ahead and avoiding them while behind in material.

valenzuela · #5 06-07-2007, 02:19 PM

he should do tactics until he is 2100 or something.

smilingbill · #6 06-08-2007, 01:22 AM

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he should do tactics until he is 2100 or something.

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leveling [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

valenzuela · #7 06-08-2007, 01:32 AM

I wasnt leveling but Ive just decided that I I was wrong, he should know K+Q vs K , K+P vs K , K+R vs K and that bishops of opposite colors tend to drawn positions and then of course tactics.

RoundTower · #8 06-08-2007, 01:40 AM

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I wasnt leveling but Ive just decided that I I was wrong, he should know K+Q vs K , K+P vs K , K+R vs K and that bishops of opposite colors tend to drawn positions and then of course tactics.

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I agree, I would add in some more pawn endings with more pawns, obviously at some stage this turns into "tactics". I'm a bit surprised bill suggested R+P vs R, you could write a book on that and I have never met a seven year old who could learn to handle it well.

smilingbill · #9 06-08-2007, 03:03 AM

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I wasnt leveling but Ive just decided that I I was wrong, he should know K+Q vs K , K+P vs K , K+R vs K and that bishops of opposite colors tend to drawn positions and then of course tactics.

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I agree, I would add in some more pawn endings with more pawns, obviously at some stage this turns into "tactics". I'm a bit surprised bill suggested R+P vs R, you could write a book on that and I have never met a seven year old who could learn to handle it well.

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You are right, I was being lazy with my post. Learning Philidor's defense idea when defending and learning how to win Lucena-type positions ("bridge-building" as the kids like to call it) was what I meant. I am actually coaching a 6-year old rated around 1500 and she seems to be capable of understanding basic endgames. Of course, making suggestions would be easier if we knew how strong the kid in question actually is.

valenzuela,

i figured you weren't leveling but 2100 was quite a hyperbole [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

JavaNut · #10 06-08-2007, 05:03 AM

In general the endgame is the most overlooked concept in chess. Me old dad was very good at endgames in the olden days, if he wasn't beat by move 45-50 he usually won even if he was in a mediocre position at that stage. The opponents simply could not play endgames at all, they were around 1950 in rating. The general quality may have been lower in them days.

Amplify: opposition, THANK YOU! What is even worse is that it is the precise same term in danish, even the spelling is the same [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] I am getting too old for this .....