Teaching DD (nearly 4) to play chess

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How?

DH and I know the rules, and DH is fairly good at it. It's not something we are crazy about but DD has said she wants to play.

I've heard though (on MN!) that it's good to start by only playing with a few pieces at once (e.g. Just the rooks and King or something) to get used to the moves. How do you do that? Are there any books with examples?

Thanks :)

That's a good point. I'm leaving it to DH - I don't really like chess tbh. I'm crap at it, can't be arsed to plan ahead enough!

I taught ds to play at four using all the pieces. He learnt by trial and error more than anything else. Initially it was just a case of him moving the pieces in the right direction then the desire to win gave him the impetus to plan and find his own strategies. He could beat me by age five and played for County by seven.
He's still a ferocious player but stopped playing County level once he got to senior school and gained other hobbies. He finds his opponents online nowadays.

I second draughts cat64. Also a game called 'fox and geese' using draught pieces - easier than draughts and requires forward thinking.
Nought wrong with snap or snakes and ladders etc at the ripe age of 4 though!!

there are free chess websites but I don't know if they would interest a 4 year old to be honest.

I suppose you could play with pawns, king and queen? Or just pawns and king to start with and then introduce other pieces with knight last. Maybe get him when you do it to mark on squared paper all the places a knight could move to (l-shaped , also on board of course 1,2,3 and 1 to the side).

You would need to be very patient. Not sure a 4 year old would enjoy it but maybe they just enjoy playing with xou I suppose, whatever it is.

Have you come across quick chess? Our infants play it.
Many also attend chess club and have been part of national competitions using the full game.
www.chessvariants.org/small.dir/quick.html

DS dragged the board out at 4 and nagged until I said okay. I just played a game with him and to my surprise he picked it up easily, simply because he was interested. He loved setting the board up, and remembering how each piece can move. Also was deeply into castles and knights, so we made up a whole story based on the battle/ game, and that got him even more hooked. Only real tip I'd give is set up things for her, so move your pieces so she can take them.

Meant to add, but DS is genuinely no Einstein. He was just very, very interested, so if your DD is, I'd say give it a go.