Ideas on how to help students learn Chess in Rural America

All Things Chess
1

Hello! I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to help students improve at chess faster with minimal use of online chess platforms or any great book/non online chess content for elementary school students.

Here is some Background Information:

I started a chess program in a rural town in Illinois in April of 2025. In March of 2026, the team won a 4th place team trophy in the K-1 section and a 9th place trophy in the 2nd-3rd grade section at the Illinois K-8 State Championship.

Many students do not have a device at home that they access ChessKid/Lichess to practice. The school just switched back to Chromebook carts instead of letting students take their Chromebooks home for all grades kindergarten through 12th grade.

At the after school chess club, I usually have students spent the first half doing puzzles on ChessKid, so they get some puzzles in for the week.

I have chess books geared towards kids that students have been reading. It is tricky to find books that are written in a way that young students can read, let alone understand though

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2

It’s time consuming, but perhaps the best way is one on one instruction or small group sessions playing a sample game together while you teach them foundational concepts such as diagonal pawn structures, controlling the center, castling early, connecting rooks, checking that all pieces are defended. That’s the way I learned from my father teaching me as child playing on a board, analyzing moves as I made them.

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