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Chess 13 year old present ideas

11 replies

Serenitesanta · 24/10/2026 22:08

Hi could I please get some ideas.
I have a child who loves chess.
He wants to improve and learn more about how to play better.
I don’t play, have no clue.
What could I get him to help him to improve at the game and please suggest anythings to do with chess which I could get him some things to do with this for Christmas

OP posts:
Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse · 24/10/2026 22:37

I got my DS13 the Lexibook ChessMan Elite Electronic Chess for Christmas last year. You can play against each other or challenge AI, with different difficulty levels to choose from. I think there are 64 levels.

Wistfultearia · 24/10/2026 22:57

A fabulous chess set? They would treasure it.

TISSHA · 24/10/2026 23:01

chess.com membership.

Absolutely brilliant, all my kids had it and improved massively through playing on it. It matches you to players of a similar standard (you have a chess.com score/ranking). As you win more, your ranking goes up, so you play harder players. There is zero communication with anyone, no chat function so it is very safe. Well regulated, players are banned if they are thought to be cheating - their moves and matches are assessed if there is a suspicion.

And Magnus plays on there sometimes!

Tulipvase · 24/10/2026 23:02

I some how amalgamated your name and the title and thought you were asking for Santa presents for a 13 year old! (And I say this as someone who has never actually said he doesn’t exist to my own children - who are adults and don’t believe).

Unless he doesn’t have a set, perhaps look at things that might support general chess playing. Maybe game playing ideas in general? Rules books etc? Books by chess masters?

TallagallaPenguin · 24/10/2026 23:25

Mine asked for a chess clock so you can play timed games. And chess.com is excellent - I don’t remember him needing paid membership though.

TISSHA · 25/10/2026 07:43

TallagallaPenguin · 24/10/2026 23:25

Mine asked for a chess clock so you can play timed games. And chess.com is excellent - I don’t remember him needing paid membership though.

With the membership, you get unlimited play on all the forms (blitz, bullet, rapid etc). Plus lessons and game analysis, where it goes through each of your moves in a game, and tells you if they are good or bad and why. My kids learnt so much through it, it’s truly brilliant. But yes, you can play on there with no membership that is true. But for a Christmas gift, the membership might be a good idea!

One word of warning on the novelty chess sets; they are very confusing for kids to play with sometimes; it is easy to forget which character is a rook or a bishop for example if it not reminiscent of the classic shape. Once the pieces are moving all over the board, it is hard to keep track and also disrupts your thought process as you are having to check what each piece is (both the one you are moving plus your opponents ones) to check you are making the correct move! We had a pokemon version and it was unplayable virtually…..

Serenitesanta · 25/10/2026 18:21

Thanks everyone so much.
We don’t need another chess board
I was thinking of an electronic one but a few tentative questions showed he wasn’t too interested so too much money to put on a maybe he’ll use it gift.
he plays all the time on chess.com and I didn’t know there was a membership so I’ll look into that.
its things to help him improve as I don’t play and he has a real interest in it

OP posts:
Favouritefruits · 25/10/2026 18:55

Lego chess set?

TealNewt · 25/10/2026 19:16

A book? Either instructional or a chess themed novel, plenty to choose from

BruachAbhann · 27/10/2026 10:22

I asked my son who's a highly rated chess player. He says it depends on what level your son is at. If he's a beginner, he recommends GothamChess's book 'how to win at chess'. Regardless of rating he's also recommend a book called 'Silman's endgame course'. Also good and fun to read through (if you're into chess:-) is 'Mammoth book of the world's greatest chess games'. He also recommends he joins a local chess club as a great way to improve and meet like-minded people.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 27/10/2026 10:56

DD has a travel chess set which she takes to school to play at breaks.

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