Queen and rook mates
Ready when: First checkmates (b5) done.
What you are learning
Checkmating a lone king with a king and queen, then a king and rook. The queen cannot mate alone: she shrinks the king's box, the own king comes up, and the box is never made smaller than three squares, or it is stalemate.
Words on this card Board, King, Queen, Rook, Knight, Check, Stalemate
- Board
- The board has 64 squares, light and dark in turn.
- King
- Moves one square in any direction. Losing it to checkmate loses the game.
- Queen
- Moves any number of squares in a straight line or diagonal.
- Rook
- Moves any number of squares along a file or rank.
- Knight
- Moves in an L shape (two squares one way, then one square to the side) and jumps over other pieces.
- Check
- Check is an attack on the king; checkmate is check with no way out.
- Stalemate
- The player to move has no legal move and is not in check; the game is a draw.
Set up
A king and queen against a lone king; then a king and rook.
Weather: any weather
Show it first for the one teaching
- Place the queen a knight's move from the lone king: it is now in a box.
- Each move, shrink the box a little, staying a knight's move away.
- When the king is on the edge, bring your own king up beside it.
- Give checkmate with the queen guarded by your king.
Your part while they practise
Be the lone king; step toward the edge.
Step by step
- Close the box with the queen.
- Bring the king up.
- Never shrink the box below three squares (stalemate).
- For the rook, use a waiting move.
How much: 3 mates each 15 min a session 2 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Beat the count
Mate the lone king in as few moves as possible.
Who plays: the child against their own best; you play the lone king.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Start with the lone king in the middle and your king and queen on their usual squares
- Count every move you make until checkmate
- Write it down; try to beat it
- Fair play
- A grown-up must mate with the rook.
- Points
- 1 point for each move to checkmate; the lowest total is best.
- Fouls
- Add 10 points
- A stalemate
- Leaving the queen where the king can take it
- Winning
- Beat your best count.
- 20 points or fewer for 1 star
- 15 points or fewer for 2 stars
- 10 points or fewer for 3 stars
Easier or harder
A start with the king already near.
The lone king starts in the middle.
What you will see, and what to say
- the child gives stalemate
Give the king a square
Leave it one move. - they move the queen next to the king
Keep a knight's move away
Unless your king guards her.
Self-check
A mate with king and queen in 3 of 3 tries.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains technique, planning.
awiseathlete.com/sports/mind-sports/mind-sports-i4