How to Play Chess by the Students of Summer School 2009 - P5
HISTORY OF CHESS
A game almost like the chess we play today was played hundreds of years ago in China, India and Persia.
People can’t agree where the games may have been invented. The game was brought by soldiers going and
coming from war to Spain where it spread to the rest of Europe.
The Europeans changed the game slightly and made it the game we know today. It is a game that was
played by Royalty that taught strategy and thinking skills. This made them better at planning fighting wars
and ruling countries. Many of the pieces in a chess a game represent the types of people who used to live
in a medieval kingdom.
THE BOARD by Jason
The board is a 8x8 Checker board. There should always be a light square in the right hand corner when
each player looks down. To remember this say light on the right. The first move is always made by the
light player and must be made by a pawn or a knight.
PAWN by Matthan and Cody
The pawn moves forward never backwards. It moves 1 square ahead except when it can move 2 squares on
it’s 1st move. It captures or eats other pieces diagonally. If a pawn gets to the other side of the bored it can
be promoted to any other piece. A promoted pawn usually becomes a queen and sometimes a knight. It is
possible to have more then 1 queen. If needed an inverted rook may be used for the 2nd queen.
Pawns are the workers, laborers or soldiers. In the medieval ages these people had a hard life they were
often sacrificed, used as a distraction to set traps or help other escaped. Pawns are often used that way in a
chess game too. There are 8 pawns, which start in on the 2nd row in front of the more powerful pieces.
ROOK by Elena and Rusty
The Rook moves in straight lines. Either up and down or side to side. They cannot jump over any piece in
it’s path. There are 2 rooks that start in the first row on each player’s side on the ends.
Lords and Ladies lived in homes called castles. The rook represents these homes that is why they look like
castles.
KNIGHT by Sunny and Dayne
The knight moves in different types of L shapes. They move 2 blocks up, down, left or right. Then can
move 1 block to the left or right. It is the only piece that can jump over other pieces. There are two
knights per player and they start in the 2nd block from the end.
The knight is a professional soldier in medieval times. It is more important then a pawn but less important
then the bishop, queen, or king. In chess the knight protects the more important pieces.
BISHOP by Keanu and Kyven
There are 2 bishops per player. One starts on a dark square the other on a light square. They move
diagonally. When they move they must stay of the same color square. They start 3 squares from the ends in
the 1st row.
In medieval times Catholic Church was important. A bishop was a powerful priest. The chess piece look a
little like a bishop’s hat.
QUEEN by Leigvina and Dalles
The queen is the most powerful piece. She can move any direction for any amount of spaces. She cannot
jump over any pieces.
In the Medieval Ages the King sometimes needs help ruling his country so his queen might help. The king
still controlled the queen. If the queen made the king mad then he could take away the queens power. In
the game of chess the queen can move quickly and in any direction so she can do things the king can’t do.
KING by Kristina, Wilber and Isaac
The king is the most important piece. If the king is captured you lose the game. The king can move 1
space in any direction to avoid getting captured. All the other pieces protect him. The Dark King starts on
E8 and the Light King starts on E1.
The king is a ruler of a country. In medieval times if the king was lost, killed or captures. The war and
Kingdom was lost. The king is the tallest piece and wear’s a crown with a cross.
Set Up
The Rook, Knight and Bishop are placed in that order going inward in the row closest to you. We
remember it by saying Rusty (rook) kicks (knight) books (bishop). The White queen goes and the white
square and the dark queen on the dark square. The king is placed last. The pawns are placed in the row in
front of these pieces.
The white pieces are first to move. A pawn or a knight (which is the only piece that can jump over other
pieces) must be the first to move.
The Goal
The goal of the game is to capture the King. In a friendly game, if you are about to capture the king you
may give a warning by saying “check”. If your opponent cannot escape you may say, “checkmate.” A
player may not move into check.