Connecting with kids/Guardianship

To connect with family and friends you know in real life, ChessKid uses a system of " Friends" and "Guardians." 

When a Kid account friends another Kid account they become Friends. 

When a Kid account wants to friend an adult (Coach/Parent/Teacher) account, the Adult account will need to be listed as a Guardian on the Kid account first in order to connect with them. This can be done by the Adult account and the Kid account having the same primary email address. Our system will then recognize the Guardianship status between the Adult and the Kid account. 

Here's how to add an adult Guardian to a Kid's account:

1) If the Kid does not already have a Guardian:

• From a browser, the Kid should log into their account,
• Go to the "Settings" page (the gear cog icon at the top of the screen) & enter the parent's email in the Guardian's Email field.
• This will make the parent the Primary Guardian of that Kid. The Kid will now appear on the Parent's Kid page.
• You may still need to each send a Friend Request in order to become "friends." 

2) If the Kid already has a Guardian:

• The Guardian has the ability to add Additional Guardians (like a coach, teacher, or family member). The additional guardian will need to already have a ChessKid account.
• The Guardian should log into his/her account, and click on "Manage" followed by "Kids".
• Next to the Kid's username, select the "Edit Kid" tool from the horizontal menu.
• Choose "Edit Guardianship" on the right side menu, choose "Add Guardian" & add the adult's email. Make sure to click "Save".
• This will make that adult a Guardian of the Kid. They may still need to send each other a Friend Request in order to become "friends."

Here's an article about ChessKid's safety features.

Here's an article about ChessKid Guardianship.

After your adult account has been added as a Guardian on the Kid account, you can then challenge the Kid account to a game:

• Log in to your adult account
• Click on the "Play" tab at the top of the page followed by either 
  • "Play vs. Kid" to play Fast Chess or
  • "Slow Chess" to play a game that could last several days

Once in the "Play vs Kid" area:

• Click on the "Friends" icon resembling a person. 
  • If your friends are online and you're already connected as friends (meaning you both have sent and accepted a friend request from each other), you will see them when you click on the "Friends" tab on the right you will see them listed below. There will be a "Play" icon to the right of their name, click on that to start a game!
• You can also search for your friend.
  • Type their ChessKid username into the search box at the bottom and click the magnifying glass.

Or, if you chose the " Slow Chess" option:

• Click on "Friends" or "Clubmates"
• Select the friend or classmate you'd like to play
• Then click "Play" to start a game with them