If you are teaching in a classroom, it may help to number the horizontal squares from 1 to 8, and letter the vertical squares from “a” to “h. ” You can then use a coordinate system while you are teaching.
The knight usually looks like a horse. The bishop looks like a hat. The king is the most important piece because the object of the game is to checkmate the opponent’s king. Point out the difference in the shape of the queen and king pieces Rooks are also called castles.
A pawn can move two spaces from its starting position, but only one space after that. A pawn can only capture a piece when it moves diagonally and can never move backwards. A knight is the only piece that can jump over another piece. It moves in an “L” shape. It can move 2 spaces horizontally and then one space vertically, or it can move 2 spaces vertically and then one space horizontally. The bishop can move diagonally and any number of squares. Rooks can move any number of squares forwards, backwards, or horizontally. The rook cannot move diagonally. The queen can move in any direction and any number of squares. It is one of the most powerful pieces. The king can move one space in any direction, but two kings can never be side by side.
Each player gets 8 pawns that lie on the 2nd and 7th rows Rooks/castles are in column A and H of rows 1 and 8. The queen is on column D of rows 8 and 1. The bishop is on column C and F of rows 8 and 1. The knights are on column B and G of rows 8 and 1. The king is in column E of rows 8 and 1.
An alternate goal of the game can be to see who can move a single pawn to the other side first. Remind the child that the white pawn moves first and that pawns can take two spaces on a first move. This helps the child get used to playing with the pawns.
Use their pawns to protect their bishop. Decide the best time to let their bishop out in front of their pawns. Get their bishop behind their opponent’s pawns. Understand the limitations that come with only being allowed to move the bishop diagonally.
The child should learn the importance of keeping the rook until the end of the game. At this stage, the child should also begin to see the difference between taking their opponent’s piece and winning the actual game.
Once the child is comfortable with the knights, add the pawns and play a game as you have done with the other pieces.
The child should begin to learn different patterns and how the pieces work together. If your child is having difficulty, go back to some of the more simple games. Your child should progress through each stage at their own pace.
Remind your child that the white piece always move first and once they take their hand off a piece, their move is over. Focus on the movements that the king and queen pieces can make.
Again, if your child want to go back to simpler games, allow them to do so.
You can have more than one queen on the board. [6] X Research source You may say, “If your pawn makes it to the other side of the board, it can become a different piece. You can choose the piece that you turn it into. The queen is usually best. "
This move may never happen naturally. Set up the board to demonstrate how this happens. A pawn can never be promoted to a king.
The king and the rook must be in their original positions to castle. [9] X Research source You cannot castle if the king is in check.
These games are also helpful for teaching strategy and can present different scenarios.
You may say, “It’s OK that you did not win. You still made some really nice moves with your knights during the game. ”
Once your child has the basic moves down, learning comes from playing and experiencing different scenarios. Emphasize that learning is a lifelong process and they can always improve their game.
