Thu, May 8, 2025

Can Chess Help Your Child Discover Who They Are?

By Nicholas Nieves, Director of Growth at Chess at Three

As a parent, there’s something you’re probably hoping for: that moment when your child finds something they love. A spark. A passion. A thing that makes them feel strong and curious and confident in themselves.

For some kids, that comes through music or art. For others, it might be animals, or dinosaurs, or space. For a surprising number of families I work with—it’s chess.

I know that’s not what people expect to hear. Chess can feel formal or intimidating, maybe even too serious for young kids. But at Chess at Three, it’s anything but. We use silly, funny, character-driven stories to introduce each piece and concept. Our kings eat too much pizza. Our knights go on quests. And our lessons are filled with movement, games, and laughter. It’s less “sit still and think” and more “jump up and be a dragon.”

But underneath the stories is something real and lasting. When kids play chess, even as young as three, they’re building early confidence, learning how to focus, and figuring out how to solve problems on their own. And slowly—sometimes without even realizing it—they begin to feel proud of themselves in a way that really sticks.

One of the kids we taught years ago is named Sofie. She was five when she started learning with one of our founders, Harlan. The two of them clicked right away. Chess became their shared language. But it was never just about the game. Sofie grew up learning that she could be smart, strategic, and bold. She learned that mistakes weren’t failures—they were part of the story. And over time, chess became something she carried with her. A grounding force. A quiet confidence.

Now, ten years later, Sofie is fifteen—and helping us grow. She’s working on ways to bring Chess at Three to under-resourced communities, sharing the same sense of play and possibility that shaped her. You can hear her talk about it in this short video. If you’re wondering whether this kind of learning experience can stay with a child—you’ll get your answer.

The truth is, we’re not here to create chess champions (although we’ve had a few!). We’re here to help your child try something that’s hard and fun and theirs. We want them to discover what it feels like to learn something that seemed impossible at first… and to feel really, truly proud when it clicks.

I’ve seen shy kids speak up for the first time in a lesson. I’ve seen high-energy kids who can’t sit still stay laser-focused on a board because they care. I’ve seen siblings play together, kids teach their parents, and parents tell me: “I didn’t know they had this in them.”

That’s why we do this.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably not just looking for something to fill the time—you’re looking for something that matters. Something that helps your child grow into who they’re meant to be. And while I’m not a parent myself, I care deeply about helping kids take those early steps into confidence and curiosity.

When that spark happens—and it does—you’ll know. You’ll see it in the way your child explains a rule to you like they’re the teacher. You’ll hear it in the way they talk about their next game. And you’ll feel it when they ask, wide-eyed, “Can we play again?”

It’s never just chess. It’s curiosity. It’s confidence. It’s the beginning of something.

And we’d be honored to be part of that with you.

Nicholas Nieves is the Senior Director at  Chess at Three, where he helps families find the perfect tutor to spark a lifelong love of learning. A former tutor himself, he’s passionate about making every first lesson feel like the start of something big. He lives in Brooklyn and believes the best learning happens when kids find their spark, and parents can breathe a little easier.