Autistic kids are learning chess - and communication skills - with a former teenage champion

For autistic kids, even shaking hands can be a tricky prospect, says Evguenia Charomova, a Russian-born NZ women's chess champion turned speech therapist.

As her students at Parkside School learn to interact with other people over a chessboard, they're building confidence and critical communication skills, she tells Nine to Noon.

"You learn how to take turns, how to respect the other person, and how to listen when the other person is speaking."

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Charomova's chess students are also making new friends through learning how to wrangle their pieces via the international Infinite Chess programme.

Two years ago, one particularly shy boy wasn't opening up - “He didn't want to talk in front of others and explain what he was thinking about" - but is now helping teach fellow students to play.

"That was just mind-blowing … For me, that was a huge achievement. It was really great to see how he was just teaching other kids how to play chess. The way he was teaching was very logical. It was perfect."

Importantly, the autistic teens are in a safe setting as they learn how to play the game, Charomova says.

“Once they know the rules and they understand that 'This is what we're doing - we're coming here and we're going to do this specific activity and there aren't many changes during that activity - they feel quite safe in that environment.”

No matter a student's skill level, you can see their joy in playing the game unfold, says Charomova, who ended up moving to New Zealand as a teenager after visiting with her family in a round-the-world sailing trip.

“I guess it's just like learning anything. With an instrument, you're able to make different types of music, and when you're drawing a picture, you're able to use different techniques.

"That's the same with chess. The more you do it, the more you understand it. But you can definitely enjoy it right at the start, as well.”