Introduction

Chess is one of the most popular

intelligence games. People who play
chess know better that there is not only
one way to win a game and how to
evaluate alternatives. Chess improves
fast decision-making mechanism. Trying
to act fast and right provides strategic
thinking, concentration and attention
development.
 Chess is a powerful alternative among the
choices of brain teaser puzzles for adults and
children.

 is one of the oldest and most popular board

games,
 played by two opponents on a checkered board
with specially designed pieces of contrasting
colours, commonly white and black.
 White moves first, after which the
players alternate turns in accordance with
fixed rules, each player attempting to
force the opponent’s principal piece, the
King, into checkmate—a position where it
is unable to avoid capture.
 White moves first, after which the
players alternate turns in accordance with
fixed rules, each player attempting to
force the opponent’s principal piece, the
King, into checkmate—a position where it
is unable to avoid capture.
 Chess first appeared in India about
the 6th century AD and by the 10th
century had spread from Asia to the
Middle East and Europe. Since at least
the 15th century, chess has been known
as the “royal game” because of its
popularity among the nobility.
Rules and set design slowly evolved
until both reached today’s standard in
the early 19th century.
 Chess was once an intellectual diversion
favoured by the upper classes, chess went
through an explosive growth in interest
during the 20th century as professional and
state-sponsored players competed for an
officially recognized world championship title
and increasingly lucrative tournament prizes.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GAME
Chess is played on a board of 64
squares arranged in eight vertical rows
called files and eight horizontal rows called
ranks. These squares alternate between
two colours: one light, such as white, beige,
or yellow; and the other dark, such as black
or green. The board is set between the two
opponents so that each player has a light-
coloured square at the right-hand corner.
ALGEBRAIC NOTATION

Individual moves and entire games

can be recorded using one of several
forms of notation. By far the most
widely used form, algebraic (or
coordinate) notation, identifies each
square from the point of view of the
player with the light-coloured pieces,
called White.
 The eight ranks are numbered 1
through 8 beginning with the rank
closest to White. The files are labeled
a through h beginning with the file at
White’s left hand. Each square has a
name consisting of its letter and
number, such as b3 or g8.
Additionally, files a through d are
referred to as the queenside, and files
e through h as the kingside.
Position of chessmen at the
beginning of a game. They are
queen's rook (QR), queen's
knight
(QN), queen's bishop (QB),
queen (Q), king (K), king's
bishop (KB), king's knight (KN),
king's rook
(KR); the chessmen in front of
these pieces are the pawns.
Position of chessmen at the
beginning of a game. They are
queen's rook (QR), queen's
knight
(QN), queen's bishop (QB),
queen (Q), king (K), king's
bishop (KB), king's knight (KN),
king's rook
(KR); the chessmen in front of
these pieces are the pawns.
• MOVES
The board represents a battlefield in
which two armies fight to capture each
other’s king. A player’s army consists of 16
pieces that begin play on the two ranks
closest to that player. There are six
different types of pieces: king, rook, bishop,
queen, knight, and pawn; the pieces are
distinguished by appearance and by how
they move. The players alternate moves,
White going/moving first.
King

White’s king begins the game on e1.

Black’s king is opposite at e8. Each king can
move one square in any direction; e.g.,
White’s king can move from e1 to d1, d2,
e2, f2, or f1.
Bishop
Each player has two bishops, and they
begin the game at c1 and f1 for White, c8
and f8 for Black. A bishop can move to any
unobstructed square on the diagonal on
which it is placed. Therefore, each player
has one bishop that travels only on light-
coloured squares and one bishop that
travels only on dark-coloured squares.
Queen

Each player has one queen, which

combines the powers of the rook and bishop
and is thus the most mobile and powerful
piece. The White queen begins at d1, the
Black queen at d8.
Knight
Each player has two knights, and they begin
the game on the squares between their rooks
and bishops—i.e., at b1 and g1 for White and b8
and g8 for Black. The knight has the trickiest
move, an L-shape of two steps: first one square
like a rook, then one square like a bishop, but
always in a direction away from the starting
square. A knight at e4 could move to f2, g3, g5,
f6, d6, c5, c3, or d2. The knight has the unique
ability to jump over any other piece to reach its
destination. It always moves to a square of a
different colour.
Pawns
Each player has eight pawns, which
begin the game on the second rank closest
to each player; i.e., White’s pawns start at
a2, b2, c2, and so on, while Black’s pawns
start at a7, b7, c7, and so on. The pawns are
unique in several ways.
Pawns
A pawn can move only forward; it can never
retreat. It moves differently than it captures. A
pawn moves to the square directly ahead of it but
captures on the squares diagonally in front of it;
e.g., a White pawn at f5 can move to f6 but can
capture only on g6 or e6. An unmoved pawn has
the option of moving one or two squares forward.
This is the reason for another peculiar option,
called en passant—that is, in passing—available
to a pawn when an enemy pawn on an adjoining
file advances two squares on its initial move and
could have been captured had it moved only one
Pawns
The first pawn can take the advancing
pawn en passant, as if it had advanced only
one square. An en passant capture must be
made then or not at all. Only pawns can be
captured en passant. The last unique feature
of the pawn occurs if it reaches the end of a
file; it must then be promoted to—that is,
exchanged for—a queen, rook, bishop, or
knight.
Capturing
The king, rook, bishop, queen, and
knight capture enemy pieces in the same
manner that they move. For example, a
White queen on d3 can capture a Black rook
at h7 by moving to h7 and removing the
enemy piece from the board. Pieces can
capture only enemy pieces.
Castling
The one exception to the rule that a
player may move only one piece at a time is
a compound move of king and rook called
castling. A player castles by shifting the
king two squares in the direction of a rook,
which is then placed on the square the king
has crossed. For example, White can castle
kingside by moving the king from e1 to g1
and the rook from h1 to f1.
Castling
The one exception to the rule that a
player may move only one piece at a time is
a compound move of king and rook called
castling. A player castles by shifting the
king two squares in the direction of a rook,
which is then placed on the square the king
has crossed. For example, White can castle
kingside by moving the king from e1 to g1
and the rook from h1 to f1.
Castling
Castling is permitted only once in a
game and is prohibited if the king or rook
has previously moved or if any of the
squares between them is occupied. Also,
castling is not legal if the square the king
starts on, crosses, or finishes on is attacked
by an enemy piece.
OBJECT OF THE GAME
When a player moves a piece to a square on which
it attacks the enemy king—that is, a square from which
it could capture the king if the king is not shielded or
moved—the king is said to be in check.
The game is won when one king is in check and
cannot avoid capture on the next move; this is
called checkmate. A game also can end when a player,
believing the situation to be hopeless, acknowledges
defeat by resigning.
There are three possible results in chess:
a. win,
b. lose, or
There are six ways a draw can come about:
(1) by mutual consent,
(2) when neither player has enough pieces to deliver
checkmate,
(3) when one player can check the enemy king
endlessly (perpetual check),
(4) when a player who is not in check has no legal
move (stalemate),
(5) when an identical position occurs three times with
the same player having the right to move, and
(6) when no piece has been captured and no pawn has
been moved within a period of 50 moves.
In competitive events, a victory is scored as one point, a
THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF CHESS
Chess is more than just a game: It isn’t just about
protecting Kings, capturing Queens and stealing Rooks.
The game of Chess is about quadrants and coordinates,
lines and angles, weighing the options and making
decisions.
It is about decoding and analysis, thinking
strategically, and foreseeing the consequences. It is about
improving comprehension and social interaction.
In short, chess may be the perfect vehicle for teaching
our children. The game of chess is an excellent educational
tool.
Task 4