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GENERAL ENGLISH · GENERAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

KING OF
CHESS
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1 Warm-up

Which sports do you enjoy playing or watching? Why?

2 Key words

Match the following words with their correct definition:

1. an opponent a. a person, especially a child, with an exceptional talent

2. focus b. a person who has the highest level of skill at playing chess

3. a Grandmaster c. a person who you compete against in a sports event or other

contest
4. hesitant d. concentration

5. join e. energetic interest in a particular subject or activity

6. upset f. nervous or uncertain (about doing something)

7. a prodigy g. to become a member of (a team, etc.)

8. enthusiasm h. to choose someone (e.g. for a team)

9. pick somebody i. worried, unhappy, or angry

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KING OF CHESS

3 Find the information

Read the article below and find the following information:

1. How old is Shane Melaugh?

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2. Which country does he represent?

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3. When did he learn to play chess?

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4. How many Irish Grandmasters are there?

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5. How many young people in Ireland are involved in chess?

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6. At what age do pupils usually join the chess club at Shane’s school?

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7. How often does Shane play chess?

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8. How old was Shane when he learned how to set up a chess board?

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KING OF CHESS

Ireland’s youngest king of chess takes on the world

A player so young he cannot read or write is shocking the chess scene in Ireland.

1.
At the age of five, Shane Melaugh has already He’s just a normal kid, but as soon as you put the
become the youngest person to represent Ireland as chessboard in front of him he’s a genius."
a member of the under-12s team. 9.
His primary school was at first hesitant about
2.
Shane, who has just finished his first year at accepting him into the chess club because he was so
elementary school, has attracted a lot of attention for young, and players generally join at around the age
his exceptional talent for playing chess. of eight. But after a few games, teachers noticed his
3.
The boy, who was taught to play at the age of three talent.
by his grandfather, quickly showed both a passion 10.
His mother says he is not upset at losing a game. "He’s
for the game and a natural talent. Experts who have very competitive. If he loses the first thing out of his
observed him predict he will become very successful mouth is - I’ll play you again.
in the future. 11.
"He doesn’t want to play all day every day but he
4.
According to his chess coach, Alan Turnbull: "Shane is won’t go to bed until he has a game of chess. He can
very talented for his age and has beaten much older beat me easily, and now he can beat his father. He
pupils. In terms of his talent, he is very much above can’t even read or write and he has been picked to
anyone I have taught." play chess for Ireland."
5.
Mark Quinn of the Irish Chess Union said that the 12.
Mrs. Melaugh recalled: "When Shane was a baby he
boy had exceptional focus and concentration. "He’s used to pick up chess pieces and play with them. And
a completely normal five-year-old," he said. "But he’s then when Shane was about three my dad taught him
completely obsessed with the game at the moment. how to set up the board and he learned how to play."
He loves it." 13.
According to chess experts, the careers of young
6.
An Irish chess prodigy is very unusual because prodigies are difficult to predict, and some talented
the country has produced no internationally-known players may lose enthusiasm after some years.
players and is normally associated with physical 14.
At the moment, however, Shane shows no signs of
sports such as rugby and soccer. losing interest. According to his grandfather, Peter
7.
The only Grandmaster in Ireland is a Russian who Mc Grath: "I never force him to play - he is always
moved to the country some years ago. But chess is forcing me to get the board out. Instead of his
popular at school level, where about 10,000 young breakfast, he wants a game."
people are involved in the game. 15.
Shane himself, when asked why he plays chess,
8.
Shane’s mother Linda said: "He’s very, very smart. replies, "I just do. I love it up to heaven."
He learned to play quite fast, he has a natural talent. Adapted from The Independent, June 18th, 2007

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KING OF CHESS

4 Checking understanding

Choose the best answer according to the text:

1. A chess talent from Ireland is surprising because...

a. chess is not popular in Ireland

b. Ireland is associated with other sports
c. there was a Russian player in Ireland

2. Shane learned so fast because...

a. he has a natural talent b. his father coached him c. he joined a chess club
well

3. Shane’s school didn’t want to accept him into the chess club at first because...

a. he was a normal kid b. he was too young c. he was a genius

4. When Shane loses a game, he...

a. wants to play again b. becomes upset c. goes to bed

5. Careers of young chess prodigies are unpredictable because...

a. they can lose their talent as they become older

b. they can start to lose interest in the game
c. they can become too obsessed

6. According to his grandfather, Shane hasn’t lost interest in playing chess because...

a. he always wins
b. he doesn’t eat breakfast
c. nobody forces him to play

5 Prepositions

Complete the phrases from the text with a preposition and write a sentence for each expression:

1. obsessed something
2. associated something
3. involved an activity
4. hesitant doing something
5. upset losing a game

6 Talking point

Are there any young sporting talents in your country? Who is your country’s greatest sportsman or
sportswoman?
Most popular sports here.
Do you like going to the gym?

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7 Grammar - Tense review

Look at the following underlined structures and match them to the correct tenses and rules below:

1. He doesn’t want to play all day every day.

2. The country has produced no internationally-known players.
3. When Shane was a baby he used to pick up the chess pieces and play with them.
4. My dad taught him how to set up the board and he learned how to play.
5. Shane, who has just finished his first year at primary school, has attracted a lot of attention for his
exceptional talent for playing chess.

a. We use used to + infinitive to talk about a past routine or state that doesn’t happen or exist now.
b. We use the present perfect simple to talk about recently-completed events or changes that have
a connection with the present.
c. We use the present perfect simple to talk about something that happened or didn’t happen at an
unspecified time before now.
d. We use the simple past to talk about completed events in the past.
e. We use the simple present to talk about a present routine or state.

What is the negative form of ‘used to’? How do we form questions with ‘used to’?

8 Practice

Complete the sentences below with the simple past or present perfect simple.

1. He (go) to the party a few minutes ago.

2. The movie (not/start) yet.
3. I (be) ill since Monday.
4. I (visit) Hong Kong last year.
5. This is my friend Michael. (you/ever/meet) him?
6. I (give up) smoking last year.
7. I (not/see) you for a long time. How are you?
8. I (go) to the movies last night.
9. I (just/finish) my work. I’m coming home.
10. He (die) during the war.
11. She (find) a new job last week.
12. Silvio (go) to France five times in his life.

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Now do the same with the simple present or ‘used to’ + infinitive.

1. I’m a college student. I (attend) lectures every day.

2. I (attend) lectures every day during my student years.
3. I (travel) to Rome every month. It’s part of my job.
4. I (travel) Rome every month. It was part of my job.
5. Peter lives a very healthy lifestyle now. He (smoke) every day.
6. Peter lives a very unhealthy lifestyle. He (smoke) 40 cigarettes a day.
7. I (go) to the movies all the time. I don’t have much time for that these days.
8. I (go) to the movies all the time. I have a lot of free time.
9. I (not/eat out) very often these days.
10. I (not/eat out) very often. I preferred to cook at home.
11. Joanne is a musician. Which instrument (play)?
12. (you/play) an instrument in your childhood?

Work in pairs. Tell your partner four things about yourself using the simple present, present perfect
simple, simple past and ‘used to’ + infinitive, for example:

I used to get up at 6 am every morning.

Four years ago, I changed my job.

I have been to Italy five times.

I don’t go out very often these days.

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TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

KING OF CHESS

Key

2. Key words

1. c 2. d 3. b 4. f 5. g 6. i 7. a 8. e 9. h

3. Find the information

1. five (P1)
2. Ireland (P1)
3. three (P3)
4. none (P7)
5. 10,000 (P7)
6. eight (P9)
7. every day (P11)
8. three (P12)

4. Checking understanding

1. b 2. a 3. b 4. a 5. b 6. c

5. Prepositions

1. with 2. with 3. in 4. about 5. at

7. Grammar - Tense review

1. e 2. c 3. a 4. d 5. b

didn’t use to, did ... use to?

8. Practice

Simple past v. Present perfect:

1. went 2. hasn’t started 3. ’ve been 4. visited

5. Have you ever met 6. gave up 7. haven’t seen 8. went
9. ’ve just finished 10. died 11. found 12. has been
Used to v. Simple present:

1. attend 2. used to attend 3. travel 4. used to travel

5. used to smoke 6. smokes 7. used to 8. go
9. don’t eat out 10. didn’t use to eat out 11. does she play 12. Did you use to play

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