Niche ask, but does anyone have any good steers for an accessible, child-friendly read on the *history* of chess? If it veers into technique and instruction all good, but something that discusses the creation and history of the game in a way a precocious kid would enjoy would be great. - ThreadSky

seamas.bsky.social • 6 days ago

Niche ask, but does anyone have any good steers for an accessible, child-friendly read on the *history* of chess? If it veers into technique and instruction all good, but something that discusses the creation and history of the game in a way a precocious kid would enjoy would be great.

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captainveg.bsky.social•5 days ago

There used to be a great episode on it in the Explained series on Netflix (maybe 20mins long max), if it’s still on there ♟️

captainveg.bsky.social•5 days ago

(realise you asked for reads but thought this may be of use still…)

victoriadecapua.bsky.social•4 days ago

I believe @hotspur.bsky.social is a chess inclined person.

theaggressivehippy.bsky.social•5 days ago

Paging @wonderlandbookshop.bsky.social

oddreally.bsky.social•6 days ago

No, but I’d also be interested in this if anyone does

seamas.bsky.social•6 days ago

Ever since my son started asking me about it, me too!

oddreally.bsky.social•6 days ago

I play chess with my nephew, which I love, but he has so many questions

11mmyjohns.bsky.social•6 days ago

This isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, but I’m going to mention it anyway because I like the question and want to see the responses: Garry Kasparov’s series on world champions, I think it’s called “My Great Predecessors,” is very good

seamas.bsky.social•6 days ago

Always good to put future reads on the docket, so thank you!

tomwd68.bsky.social•5 days ago

No book recommendations I'm afraid but I do know my friend's son spent a lot of happy hours playing hnefatafl (Viking Chess) at Sutton Hoo last year.

alexlooksup.bsky.social•5 days ago

I feel there were loads of these in the 80s - I remember being pushed to go to chess club in primary school, got beaten in two moves, never returned. But they handed us books and there were illustrations and history etc. And then there were these, and I remember THIS:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/395707935748?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=-o_pmxnbqfe&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=g54nvzllrxw&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

gabsy.bsky.social•5 days ago

an old encyclopaedia for children?

michealnuallain.bsky.social•5 days ago

Not really a history of chess but great doc. Bobby Fischer against the world
https://youtu.be/5EUyzBB08sg?si=51u259B50fwTeC3G

debbjay.bsky.social•5 days ago

My children learned by playing Lego chess video games. They are such great entertainment as well as teaching them all the skilz!

paulframe85.bsky.social•5 days ago

@philmakepeace.bsky.social might be your man.

sesn.bsky.social•6 days ago

@jaywbabcock.bsky.social ?

jonhalling.bsky.social•6 days ago

I made my five year old watch The Wire, no regrets.

liammorrison.bsky.social•5 days ago

'Ssshhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttt.'

kwoovo.bsky.social•4 days ago

I don't have a particular source but they might find it interesting that chess is said to be based off the ancient celtic game of ficil (spellings vary as you'd expect)

aveteresa.bsky.social•5 days ago

A US-based friend sent me this a while back, when I mentioned my own curiosity about the game and how I’d like it explained to me as if I were a child, but I never followed through and have no “review” https://www.chess.com/blog/raync910/chess-history-children-literature-illustrated-storybook

fionnoh.bsky.social•5 days ago

Not the history of chess, but The Mechanical Turk is a fun mix of history, robots and chess. I don't remember it being too technical, just that it was a short read.

longsightblues.bsky.social•6 days ago

There used to be a BBC children’s TV show called Play Chess. This is the accompanying book.
When he’s grown up, give him The Grass Arena. One of the best and most brutal autobiographies ever, how a violent alcy street dosser was saved by a screw in jail handing him a chess set
https://amzn.eu/d/bWnuWqZ

nickwithheld.bsky.social•5 days ago

Thanks for the pointers, I got The Grass Arena on my list for the bookshop buy.

The film interests me, a great cast list but I cannot find it anywhere, seems the BBC have black holed it. shame

gerard01.bsky.social•4 days ago

Its a hard, compelling watch. It was released on DVD so one of those might be around. Most odd its not available online.

seamas.bsky.social•5 days ago

There's a SUPERB documentary about its author John Healy, called Barbaric Genius. It was made by immortal delight and Irish national treasure @paulduane.bsky.social and is (I think) still on Netflix. A beautiful, sad, funny story of a complex man, well told. Knocked my socks off.

paulduane.bsky.social•5 days ago

Thank you Séamas!

seamas.bsky.social•5 days ago

I think about it often. His line about some of his yoga being "good" but most of it being not, "because of the unsatisfactoriness of everyday life" I apply to everything; writing, thinking, living. Even if the daily results aren't great in and of themselves, the habit rewards you in the end.

paulduane.bsky.social•4 days ago

That is great to hear - it's fantastic knowing the film has an ongoing life out there in the world.

teachingthevoid.bsky.social•5 days ago

Thanks for the tip. Grass Arena the bleakest book I've ever read.

praddenkeefe.bsky.social•5 days ago

This is a gratuitous parenting flex even for you, Seamas. Over here in America my kids aren't even precocious enough to locate the key to our gun safe.

colmcille.bsky.social•5 days ago

Get a Simpson’s themed chess set and restrict the time they can play on it. They’ll think it’s subversive.

otternaut.bsky.social•5 days ago

First of all be seen to take it out at night just when they're going to bed and then keep it on a very high shelf during the day 😁

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