Chess Homework: How Much Should Parents Help?

With chess homework, help your child understand what to do and how to get started, then give them space to attempt it. You do not need to supply the best move. An unfinished question with a clear explanation of where they got stuck can give the coach useful information for the next lesson.

First, find out what the assignment is testing

A worksheet about how a knight moves is different from a puzzle that asks a child to calculate several replies. Before helping, check the instructions together. Is the goal to find a move, explain a rule, replay a game or practise something demonstrated in class?

If the instructions do not say how much help is allowed, ask the coach. Some tasks are guided practice; others may be intended to show what the child can do independently. Agree on whether hints, moving pieces on a board or looking back at lesson notes are appropriate.

Match your help to the actual difficulty

• The instructions are confusing. Read them aloud and ask your child to describe the task in their own words. Clarify ordinary language without adding a solution.

• The board is confusing. Ask whose turn it is and whether they recognise the pieces. If a rule is uncertain, note it for the coach instead of inventing one.

• They have an idea but cannot explain it. Ask what they expect the opponent to do next. Let them point to the squares.

• They have no idea where to begin. Use only the kind of hint the coach has approved, or mark the question to revisit.

For example, “What is the question asking you to find?” helps establish the task. “Move your queen to that square” gives away the decision. Even when you know the answer, leave the child’s attempt visible so the coach can understand it.

Do not turn every wrong answer into a longer session

If your child is repeatedly guessing, stop and identify what is missing. Perhaps the piece movement is unfamiliar, the position is too complex, or the task was opened without the lesson notes. Repeating the same puzzle indefinitely will not tell you which explanation they need.

Ask the coach for a manageable stopping point and what to do with unfinished work. There is no universal number of puzzles that every child must complete each day. Our guide to planning a weekly chess schedule can help you leave space for practice without filling every free evening.

Send a useful note with the attempt

Keep it factual and short. A practice note might say: “We opened the assigned position. My child identified whose turn it was but could not explain the opponent’s reply. I read the instructions aloud and gave no move hints.” This is an example note, not a report about a Project64 student.

Record any hint you did give. The coach can then distinguish an independent solution from one completed with support. Ask for one clear next task rather than adding several unrelated videos or worksheets yourself.

Keep homework separate from a game in progress

During a game against another person, leave the moves to your child. For example, the platform’s fair-play policy prohibits help from parents and coaches, as well as engine assistance. Save your questions for after the game.

Project64’s online classes include coach-assigned puzzles and practice, with parent updates about learning and next steps. Book a free online demo to ask how practice would fit your child’s current level. For support during the lesson itself, see whether parents should sit in on classes.