Chess

Magnet

Chess

Staff Member(s)

Mr. Burns

Description

“The beauty of chess is it can be whatever you want it to be. It transcends language, age, race, religion, politics, gender, and socioeconomic background. Whatever your circumstances, anyone can enjoy a good fight to the death over the chess board.” – Simon Williams

Students will learn the board game of chess. Students will apply the skills they learn from chess to the strategy, sportsmanship, and critical thinking to their daily life.

Top 10 Benefits of Chess

1. Brings people together
2. Teaches you how to win and lose
3. Improves Spatial Reasoning Skills
4. Can help you focus
5. Improves Memory
6. Develops creativity
7. Builds confidence
8. Develops problem-solving skills
9. Exercises the brain
10. Helps keep you calm

Academic Goals

1. The Chess Board, The pieces, and their initial positions on the board
2. The value of each piece
3. The objective of a chess match
4. How to write Chess Notation
5. Opening strategies; What should be the first move? What should not be the first move?
6. Opening Principles: ex. Control of the center, Piece Development, etc.
7. Basic Strategies; Space, Initiative, Exchanging Pieces, Etc.
8. Types of Checkmate; ex. The Back-Rank Mates, Ladder Mate, Fool’s Mate, Scholar’s Mate, Checkmate in 1, 2 and 3 moves
9. The Middle Game Principles
10. The Endgame: King and Queen vs King; King and Rook vs King, etc.
11. Chess Tactics: Pins, Skewers, Forks
12. The Chess Champions
13. How to use timers & Tournament Play

Grade 6 Topics

Openings: The Italian Game, The Ruy Lopez, Fool’s Mate, Scholar’s Mate, The Queen’s Gambit, Philidor’s Defense, Caro-Kann, The Scandinavian Defense, The Sicilian Defense

Endgames: Two Rooks Mate, Queen & Rook Roll Endgame, Queen and King Checkmates, Rook and King Checkmates, Two Bishop Pair Endgames, King and Pawn vs King Endgames

Tactics: Forks, Pins, Skewers, Discovered Attacks and Discovered Checks

Variants: Racing Kings, Anti-Chess (Losing Chess), 4-Player Chess, Checkers Variant, Atomic Chess

Grade 7 Topics

Openings: The Berlin Defense, The Closed Sicilian Defense, Dutch Defense, Bogo-Indian Defense, King Fianchetto Opening

Endgames: King and Pawn vs King Endgames, Rook & Bishop vs Rook Endgames, Pawn & Knight vs King

Tactics: Zugzwang, Zwischenzug, Decoys, Removing the Defender, 

Variants: Forchess, The Peasant’s Revolt, Sittuyin Variant (Burmese Chess), Elimination Chess, Horde Chess, Dunsany Chess, Bughouse Chess, 4-Player Giveaway Chess

Grade 8 Topics

Openings: Nimzo-Indian Defense, Alapin Variation, Alekhine’s Defense, Queen’s Indian Defense, London System, Grunfeld Defense, Trompowsky Attack, Benko Gambit, The Marshall Attack

Endgames:

Tactics: Clearance Sacrifice, Trapped Pieces

Variants: Legan Chess, Pre-Chess, Extinction Chess, Chaturaji, Petrified Chess, Capture Anything Chess, Sideways Pawns

Partnerships or Shows

Chess.com, Lichess.org, Chess in the Schools Tournaments

Students participate in STEAM Night each year.