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SQUIRE
A Chess Squire knows the basics of the game: how to set up the board, how the pieces move, castling, checkmate. A Squire understands the board coordinates and knows how to capture pieces.
Requirements / Coaching Guide
- King Moves
- teach (show and practice) king moves.
- Rook Moves
- teach rook moves.
- Bishop Moves
- teach bishop moves, note that each bishop controls its own color.
- Queen Moves
- teach queen moves, a combination of rook and bishop.
- Knight Moves
- teach knight moves, note that it can jump over pieces and alternates landing color.
- Pawn Moves
- teach pawn moves, explain one and two square advances, captures, and pawn promotion.
- Capture Test
- present a variety of positions where the squire-in-training must identify legal captures for different pieces; check off when satisfied that captures are understood.
- Checkmate
- show how king cannot move into danger and explain checkmate. Practice back-rank mate.
- Setting up the Board
- show how to set up the board, white on right, queen on color; check off when demonstrated.
- Board Coordinates
- show the basic coordinates (a-h, 1-8) for identifying squares. Which square is the white king on? Answer: e1. What piece is under a8? Answer: a black rook. That sort of thing.
- Castling
- demonstrate castling, restricted if king or rook has moved, if in check, or if crossing an attacked square.
- Legal Moves Game
- check off when the squire-in-training can play a game making legal moves.
Requirements continue to evolve and may therefore change at any time. Substitutions may be granted in some cases to award particularly strong play.
