Chess Club
Next meeting
kids: Oct 15
adults: Oct 22
Two sessions of eight Wednesdays in the fall and winter time | for 2nd to 6th grade | Program Room
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     Merit Badge     
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Merit Badge #4
     Merit Badge #5     

Chess Merit Badge, requirement #4

4a. Scorekeeping

Scorekeeping is write down your moves on a scoresheet. English symbols are:
  • K = king
  • Q = queen
  • R = rook
  • B = bishop
  • N = knight (K is already used for King)
  • piece symbol missing = pawn
  • 0-0 = short castle (king side castle)
  • 0-0-0 = long castle (queen side castle)
  • + = check
  • 1-0 = white wins game
  • 0-1 = black wins game
  • ½-½ = draw
You or your coach might add some symbols later:
  • ! = good move
  • !! = very good move
  • ? = bad move
  • ?? = very bad move
  • !? = interesting move
  • ?! = dubious move
Example:
  • 1.e4,e5 = first move white pawn to e4, black pawn to e5
  • 2.Qh5?!,Nc6 = second move white queen to h5, black knight to c6
  • 3.Bc4,Nf6?? = third move white bishop to c4, black knight to f6
  • 4.Qf7: 1-0 = queen takes f7 mate, white wins

4b. Phases of the game

Rules:
  • Opening: occupy center, develop pieces, castle
  • Middle game: manouvering
  • End game: few pieces left, usually queens are gone.

4c. Opening principles

Objectives in the opening are
  1. Occupy center
  2. Develop pieces, usually knights first
  3. Castle, usually short (king side)
  4. Choose a pawn structure and connect rooks

abcdefgh
 8   8 
 7   7 
 6   6 
 5   5 
 4   4 
 3   3 
 2   2 
 1   1 
abcdefgh
Good opening, in the first nine moves no piece played twice.

4d. Castling

Rules:
  1. King and Rook have not moved in the game so far (and, therefore, are in starting position)
  2. King is not in check
  3. King would be in check after castling
  4. King moves through a square attacked by an opposing piece

abcdefgh
 8   8 
 7   7 
 6   6 
 5   5 
 4   4 
 3   3 
 2   2 
 1   1 
abcdefgh

  • Short castling (king moves to f1 and rook from h1 to f1): allowed
  • Long castling (king moves to c1 and rook from a1 to d1): not allowed (#4 from above list)

4e. Scholar's Mate and Fools Mate

Scholar's Mate
abcdefgh
 8   8 
 7   7 
 6   6 
 5   5 
 4   4 
 3   3 
 2   2 
 1   1 
abcdefgh
1.e4,e5 2.Qh5,Nc6 3.Bc4,Nf6 4.Qf7: mate 1-0.

Fool's Mate
abcdefgh
 8   8 
 7   7 
 6   6 
 5   5 
 4   4 
 3   3 
 2   2 
 1   1 
abcdefgh
1.f4,e6 2.g4,Qh4 mate 0-1.

4f. Draw

  1. Your opponent accepts your draw offer.

  2. You accept a draw offer from your opponent.

  3. Stalemate
    abcdefgh
     8   8 
     7   7 
     6   6 
     5   5 
     4   4 
     3   3 
     2   2 
     1   1 
    abcdefgh
    With white to move, white cannot make a legal more => stalemate!

  4. Perpetual check
    abcdefgh
     8   8 
     7   7 
     6   6 
     5   5 
     4   4 
     3   3 
     2   2 
     1   1 
    abcdefgh
    White's move: white is far behind and in trouble.
    However, white can give checks on h5 and g5 forever. Draw!

  5. Threefold repetition
    When the same position occurs three time the game ends in a draw.

  6. Insufficient mating material
    abcdefgh
     8   8 
     7   7 
     6   6 
     5   5 
     4   4 
     3   3 
     2   2 
     1   1 
    abcdefgh
    Draws are: K vs K, K+N vs K, K+N vs K+N, K+B vs K, K+N+N vs K.

  7. Both players have ran out of time

  8. Fifty moves without any capture or pawn moves
    abcdefgh
     8   8 
     7   7 
     6   6 
     5   5 
     4   4 
     3   3 
     2   2 
     1   1 
    abcdefgh
    The win is difficult. Black has 50 moves to try.
    At the 2012 Fairfield Chess Championship the number 6 ranked player in CT could not win this against your coach.