Expert: Wuyanbu Zutali - 4/28/2010

Question
I am just beginning to tutor children and adults on the basics and  opening play/improvement for novices.  Do you have any suggestions  for individual chess tutoring or for good tutoring in general?

Answer
Hello,

This is a very good question.

When teaching new chess players it's imperative to start off with a good foundation.

They need to understand how to control the center, bring all the pieces (knights before bishops) out and get castled within 8-10 moves.
Once they understand that, then they need to move into tactics.
I do not recommend them learning openings until they have a good command of fundamentals.
Reading chess books such as Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess is a good way to start.
Chess computers are also great to sharpen up their skill level.
Once they learn tactics they need to start learning more about the end game.
If I were you I would teach basic end game fundamentals first and then openings.
Once they get a feel for the game I recommend they join the US Chess Federation and play in novice tournaments and then rated events.
Also, having a chess coach is always a good idea. It will save years of blundering around.

I hope this helps!