Sessions 4 & 5: Stalemate and Pins

Since we have finished going over what each piece can do, we've moved on to refining our skills.  We've started each of the past two sessions with a video.  In the 4th session, we looked at the one minute chess game video that I posted here. In the 5th session, we looked at this chess problem:

In Session #4, we talked about and looked at examples of stalemates.

We learned that:

• A stalemate is one way that a chess game can end in a tie.
• A stalemate occurs when one king is trapped and can make no legal moves, but is not currently in check.  In other words, the king is not being attacked, but would be attacked if he moved anywhere else.
• A stalemate is something that good chess players try to avoid by planning ahead.

In Session #5, we talked about pins.

We learned that:

• A pin occurs when one piece is trapped by another and cannot move.  For example, if a black bishop is between a black king and a white queen, then we say that the bishop is "pinned."
• Good chess players can use the pin to keep your opponent from using a piece.  This limits your opponent's ability to move freely.

Please make sure to come out for the next session.  It is our last session and I plan on doing some different things, as well as have a bit of a celebration!

No club this week, so here's some quick chess videos!!

OK, we don't have chess this week due to student leds and I got kind of a brain wave to search "one minute chess" on Youtube, so here's two I found.

The first features Magnus Carlsen (click for Wikipedia link), who is a Chess Grandmaster (that's a big deal in the chess world) from Norway.  This is a one minute game of chess.  You could slow it down and/or pause it to follow the moves a bit more closely.

The next one is a bit funnier and has another Grandmaster attempting to teach a not so cooperative talk show host how to play chess in one minute.

Enjoy and I'll see you all next week, March 3!

Session #3: Meeting the Knights

I began with something different this time.  I set up several boards with just the two kings and a queen in different positions.  These were all "Check or Checkmate?" problems.  We needed to look closely and decide if the situation presented was check or checkmate.  During that time, we discovered that a king can never move right beside a king or the opponent's queen because it is instant check.  Remember, you can never move your king into check.   When a king is in check, the player in check has to move the king out of danger by either moving the king, taking the attacking piece or moving another piece between the king and the attacker.  The question was asked: "What if your king is in check and neither player realizes it?"  My honest answer: "Don't do that."

I should look that one up somewhere and see, but I suspect that two good chess players always know when they are in check.  So the best answer is to become a good chess player, I guess.

Then we learned about the most sneaky of pieces: the knight.  The knight is not to be underestimated and can be the stuff of, ahem, knightmares to the poor chess player! *drum riff*

We learned:

• The knight moves two spaces then over either to the left or the right in any direction.
• The knight is the only piece that can jump over other pieces when it moves.
• The knight can be used to make a strong defensive position in the middle of the board.

We then played our first games with a full set of chess pieces.  I also switched the players in mid-game at one point as kind of an impromptu challenge.  Don't know if that went over too well...

Don't forget that we don't have chess club next week due to Student Led Conferences. See you on Thursday, March 3 for session 4!

Session #2: Meeting the Bishops and the Queen

You're on your own if you want to learn 3D chess!

We added two more pieces during our time this past Thursday.

The first pieces we learned about were the bishops.  We learned:

• The bishops move diagonally, on their color.
• Therefore, you have a white bishop and a black bishop.
• A bishop that's trapped by pawns or other pieces is called a "bad bishop."  A bishop that is free to move is called a "good bishop."
• Bishops are worth 3 points.

The second piece we learned about was the queen.  We learned:

• The queen can move like a rook or a bishop.  The queen can move straight or diagonally.
• The queen shouldn't be used right away. You don't want to lose your queen at all, if you can help it.
• The queen is a great power piece for creating "forks" - She can attack in many different directions at the same time.
• The queen is worth 9 points, so is considered the most valuable piece.
• A pawn that gets all the way to the other side of the board without being taken can become a 2nd queen, if the player wishes.

Next week, we'll focus on that most tricky of chess pieces, the knight.  Not a "horsie, " but a knight! We will also start looking at "Check or Checkmate" problems.

Some Chess Quotations

Random posting for a Saturday Morning:

Avoid the crowd.  Do your own thinking independently.  Be the chess player, not the chess piece. ~ Ralph Charell

Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game. ~ Goethe

Chess is intellectual gymnastics.  ~ Wilhelm Steinitz

You sit at the board and suddenly your heart leaps.  Your hand trembles to pick up the piece and move it.  But what chess teaches you is that you must sit there calmly and think about whether it's really a good idea and whether there are other, better ideas. ~ Stanley Kubrick

And now for some funny chess quotes:

My problem with chess was that all my pieces wanted to end the game as soon as possible. ~ Dave Barry

A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing. ~ Emo Philips

I got most of these quotes from this link!

Session #1: Meeting the King, Pawns and Rooks

We learned that chess has been around for at least 1500 years and probably came from India.  There was an emperor who taught the game to his children so they could learn to think, especially in battle.  So, chess is really a war game that's been around for hundreds of years.

The first piece we learned about was the king.  We learned:

• The king is the most important piece and must be protected at all times.
• The king can move only one space at a time, in any direction.
• The king cannot be taken by another piece.  When he is trapped by other pieces, then the game is over.  This is called "checkmate."
• When the king is being attacked, but can escape, that is called "check."

The second piece we learned about were the pawns.  We learned:

• Pawns are the least valuable pieces (only one point), but they can be important pieces if used wisely.
• Pawns can move one or two spaces on their first move.  After that, they can only move one space forward at a time.
• Pawns can only move forward.  Never backward.
• Pawns attack the two squares that are diagonal from the piece.
• When a pawn gets all the way to the other side of the board, it can be changed into a queen or any other piece that the player wants - except for a king.

The third piece we learned about were the rooks.  We learned:

• Rooks are called rooks and never "castles."  Really.
• Rooks are worth 5 points and so are fairly valuable pieces.
• Rooks can move in a straight line in any direction.

Feel free to add a comment if you have a question or just want to say something.  I ask that you only use your first name or a made-up name with your comment.  If you write both your first and last name, I will not publish your comment on the blog.

See you next week!

Chess Clubs a Growing Trend?

In the January 23, 2011 issue of USA today, there is an article about an elementary chess club program in the US.

Some of the interesting benefits of learning and playing chess are mentioned in this article:

"Chess teaches them not so much the movement of the pieces but what your opponent can throw at you ... preparing for the unforeseen by trying to predict ... just like life,"

"One of the more important lessons the students learn playing chess is not just losing graciously if they do lose but rather to not give up even when things seem hopeless,"

The article also notes how chess has a positive impact on problem solving and critical thinking skills. Kids who learn to play chess, tend to do better at school, especially in math.  For more on the benefits of learning to play chess, click here