- anticipation of opponents move in advance (next move)

- uses limited strategy to win

- problem solving

- demonstrates playing ability

- communication of required knowledge

Exemplary (model or theory enriched)

– understands the concept of opening/middle/endgame

- focussed on play with high attention level

- anticipation of play at least 3 moves in advance

- uses a variety of chess strategies to win

- challenging play at any level (beginner - advanced) in both human and computer opponents

- demonstrates confidence in own ability to win

- reflects on own mistakes made during play

- keeps a record of each game played and reviews regularly

- reads and analyses games of chess

- chess strategy / theory enriched through own research

 

Note

Lessons may be repeated until mastery learning is acquired before progressing to following lesson(s).

 

Lesson Sequences

Lesson 1

- reason for playing chess

- names of the pieces / manipulating pieces on board

- moves of the pieces on the chessboard / spatial sense

Lesson 2

- starting order of the pieces and correct orientation of the chessboard (king and queen)

- how to win (check / checkmate / castling / stalemate)

- chessboard notation / geometry / spatial sense concepts

- directed play with an opponent

Lesson 3

- opening moves / rules

- review of the chessboard and pieces / spatial sense concepts

-examples of chess situations and possible solutions during observation and through directed play with an opponent / encourage students to record their games in logbooks

Lesson 4

- endgame strategies

- computer applications

- note moves in logbook

Lesson 5

- chess tournament (in class)

- observation of each student’s play with reference to the Growth Scheme

- a logbook to be kept and reviewed

- introduction to chess literature in both library and online

Evaluation

Competence in modelled and self-directed play will be measured on the Growth Scheme.

See Achievement Chart in provincial policy documents for achievement levels:

 

http://ocup.org/resources/documents/gr4_exp.pdf

See Early Math Strategies:

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/math/teaching.html)

Lesson 1

Rationale

Millions of people around the world play chess. Nobody knows who invented chess, but it first appeared in the Indus Valley between India and Persia (show location in an atlas/or on a map).

The game of chess has spread around the world. It is played everywhere. If you travel to other countries and can’t speak the language you can still play chess.

No game builds brain power better than chess. It develops logical thinking skills. It sharpens the memory. It teaches how to see and to plan ahead. It is a continuously changing puzzle to be solved in order to play and win. Chess is fun.

Activity

Bring out chessboard and pieces and allow players to feel and examine their shapes.

Explain that the board has 64 squares, both black and white, while each player has 16 pieces, both black and white. Show each piece individually and identify the name of each piece.

The elements of a chess game are the chessboard and the chess pieces. Each player moves alternatively. White moves first, followed by black. Players choose sides before play commences.

Explain the names of each piece and model how they move on the chessboard (i.e. use pieces cut out and placed on the chalkboard or on and overhead projector, players follow modelling moves).

Demonstrate each piece carefully, reminding the names, model how each piece travels on the chessboard and how pieces are captured, students follow by modelling teacher’s example.

Provide students time (in pairs) to experiment with moves and observing others at play having fun.

Evaluation

Observe students play - assessment related to the “Growth Scheme” for evaluation.

 

Lesson 2

Model for students the correct opening position. Remember to orient the board correctly.

(i.e. rule: white on the right, queen on its own colour.)

Model a winning position, check and checkmate and what is considered a stalemate providing examples of win, loose or draw situations.

Demonstrate and model correct chess notation on a chessboard in geometrical space ( a-h, 1-8).

Provide and example of the correct castling procedures, both king side and queen side. Castling provides a means of shielding one’s king during play and also brings the rook into action.

The mechanism used for castling:

king side (chess notation 0-0):

- move the king two square next to the rook, move the king rook from the king’s right to the king’s left.

queen side (chess notation 0-0-0):

- move the king to queen’s bishop 1 (c1 if white, c8 if black)

- move the rook to queen 1 (d1 if white, d8 if black)

Activity

Model the castling procedure on the blackboard or on an overhead. Have the students practice the correct castling procedure on their own.

Explain the special rules about castling and when you cannot castle (i.e. through check).

Allow students time to play with an opponent.

Evaluation

Observe students play - assessment related to the “Growth Scheme” for evaluation.

 

Lesson 3

There are a great variation in chess openings, however the purpose of the variations are all the same: to assure one side, or the other, or both that the best moves are being made at the beginning of the game. Moves made at the beginning of each game largely determine the style of the game to be played, therefore it is important these moves are made in expectance of the rest of the game.

Model pawn openings and review game rules. Commence building an opening repertoire by using different examples. Review spatial sense concepts.

*Demonstrate special rules of chess as they apply (i.e. “en passant”, not castling through check square that is being attacked, etc.).

Review castling procedure (0-0, 0-0-0).

Review elementary checkmate, stalemate and perpetual check (threefold repetition), therefore leading to a draw.

Show how proceeding a pawn to the eighth rank promotes it to a queen (or any chosen piece).

Note: “en passant” or “in passing”  is a rule seldom used but can be explained as a special rule for capturing an opponents pawn.

Activity

Students may play against an opponent and encouraged to record the game in book using notation.

Evaluation

See “Growth Scheme” for evaluation.

Teacher to record observations in anecdotal records.

Begin assessment using Achievement Chart in Ontario curriculum policy documents:

 

http://ocup.org/resources/documents/gr4_exp.pdf  

 

Lesson 4

After students have been given the opportunity to play and comprehension of the game is observed, it is time to learn different strategies leading to a successful outcome.

Chess has come through the centuries and there has been a great deal of study into the game.

Of all the criteria, the ability to analyse, or to see far ahead is the most important skill employed. There are many chess books available from the library which show the variations and different chess styles.