Table of Contents The Importance of Chess –Research –Georgia Performance Standard The Players The Battlefield Magical Moves –Castling –Check and Check Mate Opening a Game Winning at Chess Chess Glossary Fun Links References

Why Learn How to Play Chess? The research says … Many studies conducted, including a study in Texas, show that elementary students that participate in a chess program showed twice the improvement in reading and math in third through fifth grade on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. James Liptrap, “Chess and Standardized Test Scores,” Chess Coach Newsletter, Spring 1999, Volume 11 (1), pp. 5 & 7.

Georgia Says… Students will apply mathematical concepts and skills in the context of authentic problems and will understand concepts rather than merely follow a sequence of procedures. More Specifically … M3P1. Students will solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts.

Prominent Players PawnBishop KnightQueen RookKing

The Pawn Can move forward one or two spaces on the first move Only captures with a diagonal move Pawns are the only pieces that cannot move backwards Back to Players

The Knight The Knight is a jumper, just like a horse. He moves in the shape of an L. He moves two squares in one direction and then one square in another. A Knight always ends up on the opposite color square from which he started the move. Back to Players

The Rook Rooks travel on files and ranks. They can move as many spaces forward or backward. Back to Players

The Bishop Bishops move diagonally as many spaces as they want. They can move forward and backward. Back to Players

The Queen The Queen is the most powerful piece on the board. She is the tallest piece on the board, too! She can move as many spaces rank, file, or diagonal. Back to Players

The King The King moves one space at a time in any direction. He is the most important piece on the board. Back to Players

The Battlefield White Corner Square Black moves down the board. White moves up the board.

Magical Moves Castling gives the King a safe shelter to hide behind. It is dangerous to leave the King open to attack. Castling is optional, but good players do it!

How to Castle Move your King two squares kingside or queenside. Next, move your Rook to the other side of the King. This is the only time the King can move more than one space.

…However All the squares must be empty between the King and Rook in order to castle. If you move your King or Rook earlier in the game you may not castle.

Check and Checkmate! When a King is attacked by an enemy piece, it is said to be “in check.” You must REMOVE your King from check on your very next move. You cannot move your King into check...but what if I am stuck??

Checkmate! If you can’t move your King to a safe square… Or move a piece between the King and the enemy… Or capture the piece which is checking your King… You are checkmated…and lose.

Chess Game Moves

The Long and the Short of It! Click HERE to see the shortest Chess game ever played.HERE Click HERE to see the longest Chess game ever played.HERE

Harmony Center Safety Time Initiative Opening a Chess Game

Special Openings

Winning a Game Look at your opponent's move. Make the best possible move. Have a plan. Know what the pieces are worth. Develop quickly and well. Control the center. Keep your king safe. Know when to trade pieces. Think about the endgame. Always be alert.

Chess Vocabulary Attack: An aggressive action during a game or to threaten to capture a piece or Pawn. Blitz Chess: Rapid or lightning Chess games usually clocked in five or ten minutes. Capture: The movement of a piece from one square to another that takes an opponents piece from the board. Castling: A combined move of King and Rook permitted once for each side during a game. The King moves two squares to either side, and the Rook toward which it moves is placed on the square the King passed over. This is the only move in which the King moves more than one square at a time and in which more than one piece is moved. Center: The four squares in the geometrical center of the board. The opening moves are meant to gain control of the center. Check: It refers to a King that is being attacked by an enemy piece. The King should move out of check, place another piece between the King and the attacking piece, or the attacking piece must be captured. Checkmate: An attack against the opponent's King which the King cannot escape. Any position where a King cannot avoid capture. The objective end of a Chess game. When a player checkmates his enemy's King, he wins the game.

..more chess vocabulary Development: The process of moving pieces from their starting positions to new squares. Diagonal: A row of squares running obliquely across the board rather than up and down (a file) or side to side (a rank). File: A vertical column of eight squares. Illegal move: A move which is in violation of the Laws of Chess. If an illegal move is discovered during the course of a game, the game will be returned to the point it was before the illegal move was made. The player who made the illegal move must move the piece he had previously moved illegally, if he can make a legal move with that piece. Otherwise, he is permitted to make any legal move. Legal move: Move permitted by the Laws of Chess. Novice: A beginning Chess player. Opening: The start of a Chess game. The first phase of the game before the middle game and endgame, in which players try to rapidly develop their pieces, gain room for their pieces to maneuver, and on bringing their Kings to safety. Rank: A row of squares running from side to side of the board. Stalemate: A situation in which one side is unable to make a legal move although the king is not in check. A stalemate is a draw. Win: A common result in a game of Chess when the winning side checkmates or accepts the resignation before checkmate of his opponent.

Fun Links! “Chess, like music, like love, has the power to make people happy” (Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch)

References Kid’s Book of Chess by Harvey Kidder The Chess Kid’s Book of Tactics by David Macenulty All graphics used on these pages are assumed to be free and/or public domain. If I used a copyrighted graphic in error please contact me at my address immediately so that I may give proper credit or remove the graphic from my site. address