Introduction

• Notation
• Beginner
• 20-25 minutes

Learning Objectives

Students will learn how to read and use notation

Materials

Demo board

Chess boards for students

Notation sheets (printable score sheets found at Chess 101 and Professor Chess listed below)

Printed list of chess notation symbols

Resources

Chess Corner
Notation: http://www.chesscorner.com/tutorial/basic/notation/notate.htm

Chess Central
http://www.chesscentral.com/novice/chess_notation.htm

Chess 101: The Basics
Notation: http://www.okschess.org/starting/promotion/notation.doc
Printable score sheet: http://www.okschess.org/starting/promotion/scoresheet.doc

Mark Lowrey’s Exciting World of Chess
Notation: http://www.markalowery.net/Chess/Notation/notation.html

Logical Chess
http://www.logicalchess.com/info/reference/notation/

Northwest Washington Scholastic Chess
http://mysite.verizon.net/kaech/notation.html

Professor Chess
score sheet downloads: http://www.professorchess.com/downloads/

Teaching and Learning Sequence

• Introduction:

Discuss the advantages of knowing chess notation such as checking answers to chess puzzles and replaying games. Additional reasons are listed at Chess Central.

• Lesson Development:

1. Following the introduction of chess notation at Chess Central,

· Introduce files and ranks; then check understanding by having students identify squares

· Introduce notation for pieces. Check understanding using demo board. Move pieces and have students provide the corresponding notation. Provide the notation and have students move the piece.

· Introduce notation for capturing a piece and practice.

· Continue with promotion, castling, check and check mate.

2. Provide students with score sheets and pencils. Play through Fool’s Mate and Scholar’s Mate games found at the Northwest Washington Scholastic Chess site. Check notation accuracy.

• Closure:

Provide students with a printed list such as the notation help sheet provided at the end of this lesson. Have students play through the game illustrated at Logical Chess. Verify the final board position.

Study Sheets / Future Review:

Have students turn over their notation help sheet. Let them play through the game listed under II.G at Mark Lowrey’s Exciting World of Chess. Verify final board position. The two-page hand out on notation at Chess 101 may be printed and sent home with students.

K = King Q = Queen R = Rook B = Bishop N = kNight e4 = pawn move to e4 x = capture + = check # or ++ = checkmate O-O = castle Kingside O-O-O = castle Queenside a8Q or a8=Q = promotion exf6 e.p. = en passant ! = an excellent move ? = a poor move 1-0 = white won 0-1 = black won ½-½-= draw or stalemate	K = King Q = Queen R = Rook B = Bishop N = kNight e4 = pawn move to e4 x = capture + = check # or ++ = checkmate O-O = castle Kingside O-O-O = castle Queenside a8Q or a8=Q = promotion exf6 e.p. = en passant ! = an excellent move ? = a poor move 1-0 = white won 0-1 = black won ½-½-= draw or stalemate	K = King Q = Queen R = Rook B = Bishop N = kNight e4 = pawn move to e4 x = capture + = check # or ++ = checkmate O-O = castle Kingside O-O-O = castle Queenside a8Q or a8=Q = promotion exf6 e.p. = en passant ! = an excellent move ? = a poor move 1-0 = white won 0-1 = black won ½-½-= draw or stalemate	K = King Q = Queen R = Rook B = Bishop N = kNight e4 = pawn move to e4 x = capture + = check # or ++ = checkmate O-O = castle Kingside O-O-O = castle Queenside a8Q or a8=Q = promotion exf6 e.p. = en passant ! = an excellent move ? = a poor move 1-0 = white won 0-1 = black won ½-½-= draw or stalemate
K = King Q = Queen R = Rook B = Bishop N = kNight e4 = pawn move to e4 x = capture + = check # or ++ = checkmate O-O = castle Kingside O-O-O = castle Queenside a8Q or a8=Q = promotion exf6 e.p. = en passant ! = an excellent move ? = a poor move 1-0 = white won 0-1 = black won ½-½-= draw or stalemate	K = King Q = Queen R = Rook B = Bishop N = kNight e4 = pawn move to e4 x = capture + = check # or ++ = checkmate O-O = castle Kingside O-O-O = castle Queenside a8Q or a8=Q = promotion exf6 e.p. = en passant ! = an excellent move ? = a poor move 1-0 = white won 0-1 = black won ½-½-= draw or stalemate	K = King Q = Queen R = Rook B = Bishop N = kNight e4 = pawn move to e4 x = capture + = check # or ++ = checkmate O-O = castle Kingside O-O-O = castle Queenside a8Q or a8=Q = promotion exf6 e.p. = en passant ! = an excellent move ? = a poor move 1-0 = white won 0-1 = black won ½-½-= draw or stalemate	K = King Q = Queen R = Rook B = Bishop N = kNight e4 = pawn move to e4 x = capture + = check # or ++ = checkmate O-O = castle Kingside O-O-O = castle Queenside a8Q or a8=Q = promotion exf6 e.p. = en passant ! = an excellent move ? = a poor move 1-0 = white won 0-1 = black won ½-½-= draw or stalemate