Earlville Public Library District

The Object of the Game

THE OBJECT OF THE GAME!

Chess is a game of WAR. If a student doesn’t realize that up front,

he/she will find it difficult to comprehend the strategies needed to

play the game.  I always tell kids Chess is a game of wits, not weapons.

How can they outwit, outsmart their opponent? Only by learning the

way

each piece moves and its duties can anyone expect to win.

 

To WIN: is to put your opponent’s King in checkmate. That means the King has no other move to break free of the check. When the opponent’s King can not move out of check, that is checkmate. Once that is accomplished, the game is over.  If the opponent’s King can move out of the check, that is not considered checkmate, but simply a check, and the game continues.

 

What is CHECK: When one or more of an opponent's piece(s) has direct attack on the King. Any piece, with the correct moves, are capable of putting a King in check. If the next move, relieves or manuevers out of that check, the game continues. If the check can not be broken, then check becomes checkmate, ending the game.

 

STALEMATE: Ugh! I always tell the kids nobody likes a draw – in Chess a stalemate happens when the opponent’s King (or their King) is NOT in check but has no move to further the game. A King may never put himself in check. When we play a tournament at our library, a stalemate is a LOSS for both participants.

 

HOW TO MOVE THE CHESS PIECES!

I like to explain the movement of the various chess pieces in a way a child can understand. Here are a few of the examples I use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE PAWNS:

Pawns are the foot soldiers of the King’s army. They may start out in an excited 2 step movement – forward only – not to the side, nor diagonal. A pawn may also move ahead one square in their first move. After the first move, that pawn may only move forward in a straight line one square at a time.

 

Pawns may ATTACK any other chess piece IF that piece is at its left or right diagonal. A Pawn only attacks on the diagonal, never straight ahead. This may be the hardest lesson for students to remember. I ask kids to imagine a pawn as a soldier carrying a spear – they move forward in a straight line, but attack with a diagonal thrust. I usually demonstrate this in class.

 

PRACTICE MOVING PAWNS!

Set the board up using only pawns. Have students have a mini-war using only their pawns. I usually have the students have the King on the board and they are surprised how quickly some of the pawns move across the board to put their opponent in check.

 

Black Pawns positions: a7, b7, c7, d7, e7, f7, g7, h7. Black King starts on e8.

White Pawns positions: a2, b2, c2, d2, e2, f2, g2, h2. White King starts on e1.