Learning concept
Not simply more exercises: the right ones
As with a house, in chess the foundation decides how securely everything else will stand.
The materials on which beginners take their first steps are therefore decisive. It is not a matter of putting as many exercises as possible in front of children. What matters is which exercise they solve, in which order it appears, and how what has been learned is then consolidated and transferred to new situations.
The CHESS MONKEYS series follows a clear learning path that grew out of decades of practical work in school chess, with young talents and in the training of strong players. Carefully chosen exercises, demands that rise step by step, targeted repetition and tests build children’s skills systematically. The result is not only short-term success on a single exercise, but a foundation on which further learning can rest.
1. Precise selection of exercises
Every exercise serves a clear learning purpose. It introduces a motif, consolidates an idea already known, or asks for that idea to be applied in a new setting.
2. Careful progression
New demands are introduced in steps that can be followed. Each level builds on skills already developed and raises difficulty and independence with care.
3. Active solving
Children should first observe, think and decide for themselves. A solution is used afterwards, to check the result and to understand it better.
4. Repetition and transfer
Familiar motifs return in changed form. In this way what has been learned is consolidated and increasingly transferred to unknown positions. Tests close important learning sections.
5. A balanced mix
The number of exercises on a topic follows its importance and how often it occurs in practical play. Motifs and moves with individual pieces that appear especially often, or that need extra, targeted practice, are trained more thoroughly. This produces a balanced mix close to real play.