2 H ow the p ieces go

GOAL OF THE LESSON

• learning the way chess pieces go
• learning the ranking order of chess pieces

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
• naming chess pieces

ACQUISITION

Concepts
way pieces go, move, making a move,
straight, diagonally, forwards, backwards,
sideways, jump, game rule, game

Instruction
We will now discuss the way the pieces go
in the order of difficulty for the students.
We will therefore start with the rook. They
have to look for the rook in their own chess
set. We put the rook on e4 (diagram �) and
show what the rook can do. The rook goes
straight: forwards, backwards and sideways
as far as you want it to go. We move the
rook from e4 to b4. White has played a
rook move. We play the rook to the other
squares, to the middle, to the edge and into
the corner. We show all the different possi­
bilities on the board and give a running
commentary.
The students can exercise the moves of the
rook on their own board alone or in twos.
In the latter case, they play a move in turn
as White and Black. The rooks are not
allowed to land on the same square.
Counting the number of possible moves

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gives a good impression of the value of the
pieces. On an empty board the rook can {- �
move from each square to 1 4 squares.
After the rook, it is the turn of the bishop
which will receive the same treatment as
the rook (diagram 1}). The bishop moves � � � �
diagonally: forwards and backwards, as far
� � � �
�:-,�
as you want it to. Let them move the
bishop from d5 one, two or more squares,
forwards and backwards. Avoid that the
bishop is only played to the edge. Ask for
the shortest and longest bishop move (e.g.
from a7 to b8, respectively from al to h8).
Explain, then let them work by themselves.
To keep the lesson fresh and varied, please
call a student to the demonstration board to
show a few moves.
Bishops are different. There is a bishop for
the white and one for the black squares.
They can of course never change their
square colour. A bishop on b7 can never
come to g3.
A bishop on d5 may choose out of 1 3
squares on an empty board. That is its
maximum. There are only 7 squares possi­
ble from a l or b I .
After having dealt with rook and bishop, it
is only logical that the queen is next in line.
She can play like the rook and like the
bishop. The queen in the diagram (.0.) can
move both straight and diagonally, in all
directions, as far as you want her to go. She
can move in eight different directions from
the middle of the board. If she stands on
e5, then she covers at least 27 squares on
an empty board. In the corner, the queen
has to be satisfied with 2 1 squares. The
queen can do a lot and she is therefore very
strong.
The way the knight moves is the most com-

35
plicated of all pieces. There are several
ways to explain its movement. We have
chosen for one diagonally, one straight
(one straight, one diagonally is also possi­
ble). Children may have learned the move
of the knight differently. The way a knight
moves also imitates (follows) the letter L.
It does not really matter what way a student
uses, but teaching them more than one way
will create confusion.
The move ( or jump) of the knight must be
demonstrated well and several times. The
knight jumps in the diagram (Q) from d4,
always to a square of a different colour. In
order to make the visual image and the
control easier, it is recommended to put
pawns on all the squares where the knight
may jump in one move. Put extra emphasis
on the word jump in order to eliminate
illegal moves like Nd4-e4 (after moving in­
correctly one diagonally and one straight).
A knight in the centre of the board gives a
nice circle; but half a circle also suits our
pwpose.
It is unfortunate that some children conti­
nue to have problems with the knight jump.
A good visual prop is a 'board' of 3x2
squares (standing and lying). That can be
simply drawn and cut. On such a board a
knight jumps from one corner to the other
corner.
The way the king moves is easy again. We
deal with him last in order to let the stu­
dents become used to the unique position
of the king in chess. In the diagram (�) the
king on f3 may move straight and diago­
nally, but only one square per move. Do
not only place the king in the middle of the
board, but also at the edges and in a corner.
Also show a king of the other colour.

36
Counting the various options gives the
students a good first impression of the
activity of this piece.
The concept of check will be introduced at
a later stage. The way the pawn moves is
left for another lesson. It takes a while
before the students are sufficiently familiar
with the way the pieces move. Allow the
children to play as much as possible with
the pieces!
A rough knowledge of the value of the
pieces is indispensable for the following
lessons. The students should make an order
of ranking. The probable order that they
will give is queen, rook, bishop, knight,
king. The queen is worth the most, then the
rook. Knight and bishop are roughly worth
the same because each bishop only can
come on one square colour. A point list
will be introduced at a later stage. A rough
ranking list is sufficient for the moment,
their relative worth comes in lesson 1 0.

Summary
The rook, bishop, queen, knight and king
each move in their own way over the
board. The pieces differ in their importance
and value.

PRACTICE

Reminder
o Moves ofthe pieces

Playing format

Knight 's jump

The first game ! The players make a move
in turn and White starts just like in a real

37
game.
In the position in the diagram ( fi) the white
and the black knight must 'eat' the pawns
of the other colour. That means capturing
them, and although this will be only
covered in the next lesson, this inconsis­
tency does not pose any problems in
practice. The knights are not allowed to
capture each other.
Whoever has captured the most pawns is
the winner.
The purpose of this game is to exercise the
way the knight jumps in a playful manner.
This is a very useful exercise.
Variation: Both players have two knights.

The game may be repeated after the follo­

wing lesson has been covered. The knights
could then be allowed to capture each
other.

'Making circles '

Each player has two pieces (a rook and a
bishop). The children have to return these
to their original square in the diagram (Q).
The pieces have to move clockwise. The
area in the middle of the square is the
' inner circle' . That part of the board serves
as a barrier. This block of pawns serves our
purpose very well (draughtsmen will do
too, if they are at hand). Capture is not
allowed, and to stand with two pieces on
the same square is of course not permitted
either. The aim of the game is to let the
children exercise the way the pieces move.

Variation : Add the queen and a knight and

let these play as well. The maximum is
four pieces for each player.

38
Initial position
A � � �� 1& ��;;; \UlJ ��
All pieces are in the wrong position in the .JL �� a �.�� 53 �.:
diagram (fi). The aim of the game is to
bring the pieces move by move to their
correct place in the initial position. The
pieces are not allowed to move beyond the
middle half of the board (i.e. 4th / 5 th row).
It is not necessary to erect a barrier. Who­
�� �� �� ��
ever reaches the initial position first wins.
White begins. ��
B;c,,,,,
�� ';(
rO-, ;:/�0
�;c n//. �./u/,.a, ?� � �illi: Y':\
This is a nice game where the children not � 'g �� � �):-lJ: .§ �§� �
// / / / / � /" " , Y: /:/" " " />" " , %

only exercise the way the pieces go, but in

which they will learn to remember the ini­
tial position in a playful manner. Even
children who already know the way the
pieces move a bit longer, will play this
game with relish.
The game can also be played individually
with only the white pieces.
The children have not yet memorised the
initial position. This position should there­
fore stand on the demonstration board
during the game (on the white side give the
position they are starting from, on the black
side the initial position, which they are try­
ing to achieve). It is also possible to con­
sult the reminder 'The board '.

Workbook

D Rules of the game / Moves of the pieces: A l!:,

Explanation: All squares to where the piece may move in one move get
a plus sign.
Mistake: The squares in between (from where and to where the
knight moves) get a plus sign (a knight on e4 can jump to
f5 and f6).
Help: The knight is compared too much to other pieces;
therefore the jump has to be explained one more time.
Ask once more how the knight moves and set up pawns

39
 for the knight' s moves. Looking at the reminder will also
help.
Mistake: A piece can play unexpected moves. There are too many
plus signs for the moves of various pieces.
Help: After a few plus signs have been written down by the
child, one of them has been taken as a starting point. Ask
him if the piece shown is allowed to go to the square with
the wrong plus sign. He will then often realize his
mistake.
Mistake: Too many plus signs when the queen is discussed.
Help: The queen can do 'anything' has been taken too literally.
Asking once more how the queen moves is often
sufficient.
Mistake: The bishop moves to a square of a different colour. A
white-squared bishop becomes a black-squared one.
Help: "Have another look ! " Carelessness is often the cause.

ANSWERS

D Rules a/the game / Moves a/the pieces: A

I ) Rb4: b l , b2, b3 , b5, b6, b7, 6) Ng5 : e4, e6, fl, h7, h3 , f3
b8, a4, c4, d4, e4, f4, g4, h4 7) Rh8 : a8, b8, c8, d8, e8, fS,
2) Bd7: a4, b5, c6, e8, c8, e6, f5, g8, h l , h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, h7
g4, h3 8) Qe4: a4, b4, c4, d4, f4, g4,
3) Ne4: c3 , c5 , d6, f6, g5, g3, f2, h4, e l , e2, e3, e5, e6, e7, e8,
d2 d3 , c2, b l , d5, c6, b7, a8, f3,
4) Qg7: a7, b7, c7, d7, e7, fl, g2, h i , f5, g6, h7
h7, g l , g2, g3 , g4, g5 , g6, g8, 9) Ke8 : d8, d7, e7, fl, fS
f6, e5, d4, c3 , b2, a l , h8, fS, 1 0) Na7 : b5, c6, c8
h6 1 1 ) Drawing
5) Kb3 : a2, a3, a4, b4, c4, c3 , 1 2) Rg2 : a2, b2, c2, d2, e2, f2,
c2, b2 h2, g l , g3, g4, g5, g6, g7, g8

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