Teaching Students "Chess for World, Wisdom for Life"

WFM Kiki Chen is the founder and director for
King's Land Chess
(KLC) in the San Francisco Bay area. Since 2012, Kiki and KLC have trained many young players, including winners of national championships, the Pan-American Youth Chess Championship, and the North American Youth Chess Championship. In 2025, FIDE recognized KLC with its
Gold School Award
for outstanding contributions to scholastic chess education and youth development.
Kiki has brought several other terrific coaches to KLC, including GMs
Bu Xiangzhi
,
Wang Yue
, and
November 2025
Chess.com Coach of the Month
Melik Kachiyan
. The last two world champions,
Ding Liren
and
Gukesh Dommaraju
, have also visited, offered their world-class experience to KLC students.
The world champion at KLC. Photo © Kings Land Chess.
In 2026, Kiki was also the Head Coach and Captain of the Solomon Islands Open Team at the 46th Chess Olympiad.
With over a decade of leadership in chess education, Kiki continues to inspire the next generation of players, emphasizing not only competitive excellence but also critical thinking, resilience, discipline, and lifelong personal growth. This mission is summarized by an inscription from her father: "Chess for World, Wisdom For Life," which has become a core motto of King's Land Chess.
As our October 2026 Coach of the Month, Kiki recounted her earliest chess memories, her favorite game, and her approach and philosophy that has led King's Land Chess into becoming one of the nation's top chess schools
.
At what age were you introduced to chess, and who introduced you?
I was introduced to chess when I was 11 and a half years old. At the time, I was the captain of my school’s basketball team. My basketball coach encouraged me to give chess a try and join the school chess team. That was how my chess journey began!
What is your first vivid memory from chess?
My first vivid memory of chess was when my very first chess coach, Coach Yan, told me, “A pawn may be the smallest piece on the board, but with determination, perseverance, and never giving up, it can become the most powerful piece—the Queen!”
That simple lesson fascinated me and left a lasting impression. It taught me that no matter how small you start, with hard work and persistence, you can achieve something extraordinary. That was one of the moments that made me fall in love with chess.
Which coaches were helpful to you in your chess career, and what was the most useful knowledge they imparted to you?
Throughout my chess journey, I was fortunate to have three wonderful coaches who had a tremendous influence on my development: National Coach Yan Muxiong, National Youth Team Head Coach WGM Ning Chunhong, and IM
Deng Kongliang
. Each of them played an important role in shaping me as both a chess player and a person.
One of the most valuable life lessons came from Deng Kongliang. He taught me that we don't always have to be perfect. Especially under time pressure, we don't need to find the absolute best move every time. Sometimes, making fewer mistakes than your opponent is enough.
IM Deng Kongliang.
His words stayed with me because they apply far beyond the chessboard. Nobody is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. What truly matters is how we learn from them, make better decisions, and keep moving forward.
Chess is like life. We don't have to play every move perfectly to play a great game. This philosophy has shaped not only the way I play chess, but also the way I teach my students and approach life.
What is your favorite or best game you ever played?
My favorite chess game is one I played in October 1999, when I had been learning chess for only a year and a half. It was against my teammate, Xu Hanbin, at the National Elite Youth Round-Robin Tournament in China, during my time on the National Youth Chess Team.
Even after all these years, this game remains one of my most memorable games. It taught me an important lesson: never give up in critical moments, and always maintain a strong fighting spirit and the determination to win.
I ended up losing a game that should have been a draw, but instead of being discouraged, I turned that disappointment into motivation. After that experience, I started studying endgame books one by one, determined to improve my skills and learn from my mistakes.
Looking back, I realize that sometimes our most valuable lessons come not from the games we win, but from the games we lose. That game helped shape my fighting spirit, resilience, and lifelong approach to learning chess. What makes this game special to me is not a brilliant combination or a beautiful victory, but a valuable lesson I learned from a rook endgame.
I love sharing this game with my students because it reminds them that chess improvement is not only about learning from great victories. Sometimes, our most painful losses become our greatest teachers. Nearly three decades later, I still remember that game—not because I lost, but because of everything it taught me.
How would you describe your approach to chess coaching?
My approach to chess coaching goes far beyond teaching students how to win games. I believe chess is a powerful educational tool for developing independent thinking, logical reasoning, decision-making, and emotional resilience.
As a coach, I focus not only on the moves students make, but also on the thinking process behind those moves. I encourage them to ask questions, evaluate different possibilities, take responsibility for their decisions, and learn from their mistakes.
I also believe that every child is different. Some students are naturally competitive, while others need more time to develop confidence and discover their passion for chess. My responsibility is to recognize their individual strengths, inspire their curiosity, and help them reach their full potential.
Most importantly, I want my students to understand that winning and losing are both part of growth. Chess teaches patience, discipline, perseverance, and the courage to face challenges. My ultimate goal is not simply to develop stronger chess players, but to help children become stronger thinkers and more resilient individuals who can carry these lessons into life.
Winning and losing are both part of growth.
What do you consider your responsibility as a coach and which responsibilities fall on your student?
I believe chess education is a partnership between the coach and the student, built on mutual trust, respect, and commitment.
As a coach, my responsibility is to provide the right guidance, create a positive and challenging learning environment, and help each student discover their potential. Beyond teaching chess knowledge and techniques, I want to inspire curiosity, build confidence, develop independent thinking, and teach students how to handle both success and failure.
However, I always remind my students that a coach can guide you, but cannot think, practice, or make decisions for you. True improvement comes from the student's own effort.
Photo © Kings Land Chess.
A student's responsibility is to stay curious, work hard, practice consistently, complete assignments, and most importantly, take ownership of their learning. They must be willing to challenge themselves, accept mistakes, and learn from every game, especially the ones they lose.
I believe the best coaching relationship is one where the coach gradually becomes less necessary because the student has developed the confidence, discipline, and ability to think independently.
My responsibility is to show students the path, but their responsibility is to walk it.
My responsibility is to show students the path, but their responsibility is to walk it.
What is a piece of advice that you give your students that you think more chess players could benefit from?
One piece of advice I always share with my students is the philosophy behind King’s Land Chess: “Chess for World, Wisdom for Life.”
Photo © Kings Land Chess.
I encourage my students to look beyond winning and losing. Every chess game is an opportunity to develop independent thinking, make decisions, take responsibility, and learn from mistakes. Just like in life, we cannot control every situation or always make the perfect decision, but we can learn to face challenges with courage, patience, and resilience.
I often remind my students that winning a game is a moment of success, but developing the wisdom to navigate life's challenges is a lifelong achievement.
Ultimately, I want them to become not only stronger chess players, but also wiser, more confident, and more responsible individuals. That is what “Chess for World, Wisdom for Life” truly means to me.
What is the puzzle you give students that tells you the most about how they think?
One of my favorite puzzles comes from my game against Xu Hanbin, specifically the position after move 26.
I find this position particularly interesting because it is not just about calculating the best tactical move. It is also about understanding time pressure, evaluating risks, and challenging your opponent's decision-making.
When I present this position to my students, I pay close attention to how they approach it. Do they immediately look for forcing moves? Do they consider their opponent's possible responses? Can they recognize the difference between an objectively strong move and a practical decision that creates difficult problems for their opponent?
Under time pressure, even experienced players can struggle to make accurate decisions. A well-chosen tactical move can put tremendous psychological pressure on an opponent, forcing them to calculate carefully with limited time.
What makes this position so revealing is that it tests not only how well students calculate, but also how they think under pressure and whether they can see the position from their opponent's perspective.
To me, that is one of the most valuable skills chess can teach: making thoughtful decisions when time is limited and the outcome is uncertain.
[O]ne of the most valuable skills chess can teach [is] making thoughtful decisions when time is limited and the outcome is uncertain.
Do you prefer to teach online or offline? What do you think is different about teaching online?
I enjoy teaching both online and in person, and I believe each format has its own advantages. During the pandemic, all of my classes moved online, which gave me valuable experience in adapting my teaching methods and keeping students engaged in a virtual environment.
Online teaching offers flexibility and allows me to connect with students from different locations. It also provides excellent tools for analyzing games, demonstrating ideas, and sharing learning resources.
However, if I had to choose, I would prefer teaching in person. Chess coaching is not just about delivering knowledge; it is also about building connections with students. In a physical classroom, I can interact with children more naturally, make eye contact, observe their body language, and immediately recognize when they are confused, excited, or losing focus.
Chess coaching is not just about delivering knowledge; it is also about building connections with students.
I especially enjoy the energy of a classroom, the spontaneous discussions, and the personal connections that develop over time. These interactions help me better understand each student's personality and build trust.
Ultimately, I believe technology can make chess education more accessible and efficient, but the emotional connection between a coach and a student is something that in-person teaching brings to life in a very special way.
What do you consider the most valuable training tool that the internet provides?
One of my favorite online training tools is Chess.com's Puzzle Rush in the 3 minute format. We regularly incorporate it into our lessons, and my students absolutely love it!
I believe Puzzle Rush is especially valuable because it teaches students to recognize tactical patterns, calculate accurately, and make decisions under time pressure. The real challenge is not simply solving puzzles quickly, but learning to remain focused and calculate carefully even when the clock is ticking.
Another benefit is that Puzzle Rush provides a practical way to assess students' tactical abilities. By observing their performance over time, I can better understand their pattern recognition, calculation speed, accuracy, and overall tactical development. It also helps me identify areas where they need additional training.
Most importantly, it makes learning fun and motivating. Students enjoy challenging themselves, improving their personal best scores, and seeing their progress.
I always remind my students that speed is important, but accuracy comes first. The goal is to develop the ability to think both quickly and correctly, especially under pressure.
Which under-appreciated chess book should every chess player read?
How to Beat Your Dad at Chess
by GM
Murray Chandler
and
1001 Deadly Checkmates
by GM
John Nunn
.
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