Chess Parenting Guide with Gaurav Zagade

The Right Way to Support

A Practical Guide to Chess Parenting, Psychology & Child Development

Every chess parent wants their child to succeed. But between tournaments, ratings, expectations, and results, it is easy to lose sight of what the child is actually experiencing.

The Right Way to Support is a psychologically informed guide for parents who want to support their child’s chess journey without unintentionally turning it into a source of pressure, anxiety, or emotional dependence on results.

Drawing from principles of psychology, child development, motivation, emotional regulation, and the realities of competitive chess, this book explores how parents can:

• Understand the emotional world of a young chess player

• Recognise the difference between support and excessive involvement

• Handle losses, mistakes, frustration, and performance pressure

• Encourage motivation without making chess feel like an obligation

• Build confidence without creating dependence on praise or results

• Support ambition while protecting the child’s wellbeing

• Develop a healthier parent-child relationship around achievement

• Help children grow through chess rather than feel defined by it

This is not a book about becoming a more demanding chess parent. It is about becoming a more psychologically aware one.

Whether your child is just beginning competitive chess or already participating in serious tournaments, this handbook offers practical insights, relatable examples, reflection exercises, and actionable guidance to help you support their development with greater clarity and sensitivity.

Because the goal is not simply to raise a stronger chess player. It is to help raise a child who can grow through chess, rather than feel defined by it.

Book Description - 80 Pages, 6 Chapters