The method, what a chess palace teaches children who never play chess

The Chess Palace method uses the chessboard and its pieces as a playground, not as a contest. Children aged 4 to 10 move, draw, sing and tell stories with the pieces, and on the way they practise six superpowers: Communication, Memory, Movement and Fine Motor Skills, Creativity, Self-control and Collaboration. Many of them never play a full game, and that is fine.

Where it comes from

Judit Polgár, the greatest female chess player of all time, built the method with teachers in Hungary, where it is known as Sakkpalota. It has been taught since 2013 in over 3,000 schools and nurseries, most of them in Hungary, and it comes with a series of books for children and teachers.

Why use chess at all

The chessboard is a simple, clear space: squares, rows, columns, diagonals. The pieces each have one rule for moving. That makes them a good tool for young children to practise directions, counting, patterns, taking turns and planning, with characters they quickly come to like.

What a session looks like

• A story about a piece and how it moves.
• A movement game on a big floor board, where children walk like the rook or the bishop.
• A drawing or building activity.
• A short puzzle, alone or with a partner.

From the classroom to Jupo World

Jupo World takes the same idea into a castle world. The pieces are friends, each with their own games, and the games practise the same six superpowers, mapped to 26 skills in 9 areas so parents can see what was practised.

Questions parents ask

Does my child need to know chess to use the method?

No. It is designed for children who have never played chess.

Will my child learn to play chess?

Many children learn how the pieces move along the way. Playing full games is a later, separate step.