Role of technology - both computing and non-computing - in Chess coaching

A lot has been written about the role, and use, of computers in chess, as well as other strategy games. This started when in 1997, IBM’s chess-playing computer Deep Blue defeated the reigning chess world champion Garry Kasparov. Deep Blue became the first computer chess-playing system to win both a chess game, and a chess match against a reigning world champion.

“Magnus Carlsen, a product of computer age” announced Viswanathan Anand after Magnus won his world championship fight defeating Sergey Karjakin. Both, as 26 year olds, were the youngest pair ever to face-off for the world championship title.

The use of computers also led to the possibility of cheating. Previously, it was usual for world championship matches to be adjourned to the following day, even if that meant allowing the players an opportunity to analyze their positions, along with their respective support teams. However, those days are long gone. Changes were brought in time controls, such that chess matches are rarely adjourned now. 

If matches were to be adjourned now, the world championship players would have access to computers that have computing powers often greater than their own. These can be used to analyse the game overnight, before resumption the next day, and could therefore lead to undue advantage for some.

In strategy games other than chess, the situation is similar. In Shogi, also known as Japanese Chess or Generals’ Game, recently a 9-dan-ranked player Hiroyuki Miura was accused (but subsequently acquitted) of cheating, because he took many toilet breaks during a game.

Computers of course play an important role in improving chess performance, but only after a player has attained a certain skill level. For these people of the so-called computer age, while big investments have been made in developing, testing, trialling and launching chess softwares, there is little or no mention about the use of technology other than computers, in teaching or learning chess.

Can instructors use other non-computing technology to get better results, while teaching chess to kids?

I find my students, especially the younger 6-7 year olds, suffering from a limited attention span if they are made to look at paper books, chess boards or chess teaching demonstration boards for a long time. Besides, if they have spent the entire lesson looking at books or chess boards, I find it difficult to get them to play fun chess with each other after the class is over. It is a struggle to build their ‘chess’ stamina i.e. simply getting them to sit and spend longer hours at the chess board.

All these kids, belonging to a generation that’s one step ahead of the “computer age” generation, do better when there is a mix of teaching tools, with an appropriate usage of technology. While projectors have been put to good use, esp. in big class sizes, what is required is a smart use of various widely available tools, a technology-combination to help kids not only sustain their interest and attention in class, but also get them looking and applying themselves at chess boards, for longer hours to build their mental ‘chess’ stamina. The ideal combination and balance required, can differ from student to student.

What I particularly find extremely helpful, is when I use my internet-enabled smart TV, along with Apple TV. This allows me a seamless use of internet sites, youtube videos, as well as projection capability whereby I can pretty much project anything, often via my iphone, that I would otherwise show on paper or a chess demonstration board. 

This is of course possible to achieve at a low cost, because of my home set-up, as I conduct classes at home. In particular, the benefits I find of using the above-mentioned tools include:

1.       Improved concentration levels and longer attention spans: I can keep my chess students focussing on the screen, and am able to sustain their concentration levels for longer

2.       Efficiency - Switching quickly between soft copy of a book and an internet site or youtube video, without wasting any time in setting up positions on the chess board

3.      Ability to use different resources such as chess puzzles or different pages from the same chess book, with seamless switching from one to the other, depending on the topic being taught e.g. say, two chess puzzles on the topic of ‘stalemate’, one on page 10 and the other on page 88 of the same book, can be shown one after the other quickly, helping both teachers and students get more out of any coaching session

4.      Wide viewing angle/range: A big 60-70 inch TV can achieve far more than the biggest chess demonstration boards ever made. Further, there is little or no need for a trainer to stand near the screen (the chess board), which in the past would typically block some students views. 

And here are some of the results: I find improved recall memory of students, i.e. the % of teaching that they retain after each coaching lesson is much higher. During the class, all kids are able to see the screen, allowing me to see the kids all the time. Any distraction or lack of focus can be spotted and rectified immediately. The speed with which students learn new concepts such as forks, pins, the naming of the squares, remembering the white and black squares, is faster. These are, just to list a few.

I would like to see coaching classes use more technology in teaching kids, and achieve better and faster results. Many classes don’t use projectors or screens. Some have an internet connection, which they use only for receiving and sending emails, but not to teach kids. further all kids are able to see the screen, allowing the coach to focus on the kids all the time. The teaching methods, tools, and technology used, have to change in line with the ‘computer age’. An entire eco-system consisting of a mix of such tools, should be researched and developed to help sustain children’s attention in class, and get more out of the teaching sessions. Kids should be able to see the screen, allowing the instructor to focus on the kids. 

Personally for me, gone are the days where I used using chess boards/demonstration boards where I'd to stand near the board, set it up, move the pieces with my hand and repeat the movement in order to emphasize my point, not to mention how the pieces would sometimes fall in the process. 

Use of such technology will no longer be an option. Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. Kids will soon refuse to look at books and chess teaching demonstration boards. Use of smart TVs, along with Apple TV and any app like Stockfish, etc. which allows for analysis arrows to be shown (read 'projected on TV'), or other combination tools with similar capabilities will be developed, and are going to be the wave of the future.