Introduction

  • Working Checkmate Puzzles / Checkmating (optional review of notation)
  • Beginning
  • 20-25 minutes

Learning Objectives

Students will know three ways to get out of chess

Students will know how to work mate-in-one puzzles and place the opponent in checkmate

Materials

Demo board

Checkmate in 1 worksheet and pencils

Resources

Just Chess
http://www.justchess.biz/challenges.php

Kid Chess
http://www.kidchess.com/puzzles/puzzles.html

Mark Lowery’s Exciting World of Chess
http://www.markalowery.net/Chess/Downloads/pdf_files/Beginner/Checking_Checkmating_StudiesI.pdf

Rockford Chess Instructional Materials (Getting out of Check)
http://www.rockfordchess.org/instruction/

US Chess Federation
http://www.uschess.org/beginners/letsplay.php

Yury Shulman International Chess School
http://www.shulmanchess.com/coaching.html

Teaching and Learning Sequence

  • Introduction:

Place the White King on c6, White rook on c8, and Black King on a8. Is it check or checkmate? Why? Move the White King to b6.

  • Lesson Development:

1.       Using the first illustration and game at Mark Lowery’s site, review the three ways to get out of check:
1...Qxf1+ 2.Kxf1 (Capture the attacking piece)
2… Bc4+ 3.Rd3 (Put another piece in the way unless the attacking piece is a knight.)
3…Bxd3+ 4.Kg1 (Move to a safe location.)
4…Re1 mate (This is check mate because none of the three options above will work.)

2.       Introduce mate-in-one puzzles. Some examples may be found at the sites listed above.  Students will need to know that White typically moves first. Work several puzzles together on the board. If reviewing, write down notation. Help students through the thought process:
      A. Where can the opposing King move?
      B. Can you move a piece to check the King?
      C. Can the opposing King get out of check by moving, capturing your piece, or interposing a piece?

  • Closure:

Print out one move check mate puzzles from one of the sites listed above. Have students finish as many puzzles as possible. If they are familiar with notation, they can write down their moves on the worksheet. Otherwise, they can draw lines to indicate their move.

Study Sheets / Future Review:

For players just learning how to play, distribute handout, Getting Out of Check, from the Rockford Chess site.  More advanced students may enjoy practice with handouts from Kid Chess.