Chess

Chess provides a great lesson in using strategic thinking, patience, focus and social skills. Students need to pay close attention to the board, their pieces, and every move made in order to trap their opponents and keep themselves from falling into a checkmate.

Chess in the Classroom

Chess is a critical game for teaching a wide range of skills, and can be applied to students both young and old. Younger students will benefit from learning the basic movements of each piece and how they can be used in conjunction with others on the board. They’ll also learn patience as they think about each move they’re about to make and what the outcome could be. Older students will build on these skills with strategy and foresight, analyzing both their opponent’s moves and their own. This single game exalts a wide range of logic, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.

How to Play

Chess is a game played between 2 opponents on opposite sides of a board containing 64 squares of alternating colors. Each player has 16 pieces: 1 king, 1 queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 2 knights, and 8 pawns. The goal of the game is to checkmate the other king, putting him in a position to be captured (in check) and preventing his escape from capture. As other pieces are captured they’re removed from the board.

The 6 different types of pieces featured in chess each have their own moving requirements and patterns, which play into strategy. For example, the queen can move in any direction, any number of spaces, whereas knights can only move a total of 3 spaces, in a “2-up, 1-over” fashion.

This complete chess set has 32 plastic pieces in black and white. The 15"x15" board folds open for quick setting up.

CHOKING HAZARD (1). Not for under 3 yrs.