Chess Merit Badge

Chess Basics:
Set Up the Board & Basic Rules

by Joseph L. Bell

© 2011
Chess Pieces

Pieces
on the
Board

White
Diagram
Pieces
Black
Diagram
Pieces

King Queen Bishop Knight Rook Pawn

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King & Queen – Shape in Diagrams
• The King’s crown has a
rounded shape
– King’s have a cross on top of
their crown
• The Queen’s crown has a
pointed shape

King Queen

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Bishop - Shape in Diagrams
The cleft between
the front and back
of the Mitre
became the
diagonal cut in the
Bishop chess piece. These are lappers,
not “feet”

A Bishops’ Mitre Chess Bishop

Clipart courtesy FCIT, http://etc.usf.edu/clipart
for print diagrams
– The shape of the Bishop used in printed chess diagrams
is based on the Bishop’s Mitre, a liturgical headpiece
worn by the bishop when exercising his office.
– Two bands called “lappers” hang from the back of the
mitre down onto the shoulders
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Knight – Shape in Diagrams

Statue, Doncaster Knights Rugby Club Chess Knight

© Copyright Dave Pickersgill and for print diagrams
licensed for reuse

• The shape of the Knight used in printed chess

diagrams is the head of a Knight’s horse

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Rook – Shape in Diagrams

Winsor Castle Chess Rook

© Derek A R., 2005 licensed for reuse for print diagrams

• The shape of the Rook used in printed chess

diagrams is a circular tower from a castle

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Pawn – Shape in Diagrams

Pikeman’s Armor, 1600-1630 A.D. Chess Pawn

© mharrsch, licensed for reuse for print diagrams
• Swiss infantry formed pike squares of 100 infantry men in a 10
x 10 array, each holding a long pointed staff. A well-drilled pike
square was impenetrable by cavalry and very mobile.
• Notice how the pikeman’s helmet and armor looks like a pawn

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A Pike Square

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Chess Basics
• How to Set Up the Chess Board
• Basic Rules
– How the Pieces Move
– Rules for Castling
– En Passant Pawn Captures
– Checkmate – How a game is won
– The Ways to Draw a Game

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Setting Up a Chess Board
“White to the Right”
• Put the White corner
to the right side

Switching this can make

A game invalid.

If the board has letters,

They should read A-H
for the White player.
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Setting Up the Pieces
Queen On Her Color
• White Queen is on a
white square
• Black Queen is on a
shaded square

A lady wants her shoes

to match her dress.

Check this before you

start the game.

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Pieces in Alphabetical Order
Add the pieces in
Alphabetical Order,
going out from the
King & Queen.
• Bishops next to K & Q
• Knights next to Bishops
• Rooks in the Corners

Switching a Bishop and

a Knight is a common
mistake in setting up the
board.
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Add the Pawns in Front
Now the board is
ready to play Chess !

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Rules for Setting Up Board
• White (corner) to the Right
• Queen on Her Color
• Add Pieces Alphabetically from the
Center
• Pawns in Front

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Moving Rooks
Rooks move to vacant
squares in a horizontal
or vertical straight line.

Rooks must stop before

their own pieces, or
they can capture an
opponent’s piece and
occupy that square.

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Moving Bishops
Bishops move to
vacant squares in a
diagonal straight line.

Bishops must stop

before their own
pieces, or they can
capture an opponent’s
piece and occupy that
square.

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Moving Knights
Knights move in an “L”,
two squares in one
direction and one
square at a right angle.

Knights jump over

pieces of any color.

Knights can capture

opponent’s pieces, but
not their own pieces.

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Moving the Queen
The Queen combines
the moves of the Rook
and the Bishop. The
Queen moves to vacant
squares in a straight
line.

The Queen must stop

before her own pieces,
or she can capture an
opponent’s piece and
occupy that square.

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 The King moves one
square in any direction,
Moving the King but cannot stay in or
move to a square under
attack by an opposing
piece, or occupy a
square that has one of
his own pieces.
The King may capture
an unprotected piece,
even if it is attacking
him.
Castling is done with
both the King and Rook
in the same move.
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Moving Pawns Pawns move forward,
either one or two empty
squares on their first
move, and only one
empty square after that.

Pawns may capture

opponent’s pieces that
are one diagonal square
in front of it

A Pawn cannot capture

a piece directly in front
of it.
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En Passant Capture
Pawns allowed able to take an
opponent’s pawn “en passant”
(French for “in passing”).
When the opponent’s pawn
moves two squares, the pawn
can captures as if the pawn only
moves one square.
This en passant capture MUST be
done immediately (on the very
next move), or the option to
capture this way is lost.
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Pawn Promotion
When a Pawn reaches
the final rank, it is
exchanged (in the
same turn) for a
Queen, Rook, Bishop
or Knight of the same
color.

1. a8=N is checkmate

1. a8=Q is stalemate

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Rules for Castling
1. The King & Rook have not yet moved
in the game
2. All squares between the King and Rook
are empty
3. The King is not in check
4. The King does not move to or move
over a square that is in check

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Checkmate & When to Resign
• Checkmate is when one player’s King is
threatened and there is no legal move
to meet the threat.
• The player giving checkmate wins the
game.
• A player can resign when their position
is hopeless. It is a loss, but it saves
time & shows they knew they lost.
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4 Ways to Draw a Game
1. By agreement with your opponent
2. Repeating the same position three (3)
times, with the same person to move
and the same possible moves
3. Stalemate: The player to move has no
legal moves and is not in check
4. The 50-Move Rule: 50 moves without
a check or a piece being captured
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About Draws
• To request a draw, 1) You must be the
player to move, 2) Make your move,
and 3) Offer a draw before touching the
clock. The offer is considered on your
time, not your opponent’s time.
• If your opponent offers a draw, he
often thinks he is losing. Check what
winning chances you have.
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50-Move Draw Example
The opposite-color
Bishops can avoid each
other, and avoid
capture by the King
forever.

This will be a draw

eventually, if one is not
offered and accepted.
Trying to win on time
can be challenged by
appeal to the director.

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Requirements
3. Demonstrate to your counselor that
you know each of the following.
Then, using Scouting’s Teaching EDGE,
teach the following to a Scout who
does not know how to play chess:
a. The name of each chess piece
b. How to set up the chessboard
c. How each chess piece moves, including
castling and en passant captures
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Requirements
4. Do the following:
d. Explain the four rules for castling.

f. Demonstrate on a chessboard four ways a

chess game can end in a draw.

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Questions ?

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