Individual and Dual Sports: Apayao State College

Apayao State College_________________________________________________________________
Module
in
INDIVIDUAL AND DUAL SPORTS
(P.E. 13)
P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 1|Page

Unit Week
4 4
UNIT 4
SPECIAL MOVES AND BASIC RULES
IN CHESS
TOPICS:
4.1 SPECIAL MOVES IN CHESS: CASTLING, PROMOTION,
AND EN PASSANT
4.2 BASIC RULES IN CHESS: FIDE LAWS OF CHESS
4.3 EXERCISES
LESSON OBJECTIVES
1. Describe the nature and characteristics of Castling, Promotion, and En passant;
2. Explain how special moves are applied in a game of chess;
3. Identify basic rules in a game of chess.

Unit Week
4.1 4
SPECIAL MOVES IN CHESS

Learning the chessboard and movements of the chess pieces are the first steps in learning to play
chess but there are few special moves and basic rules that you should know. In chess, there are three
special moves that are often misunderstood by beginning players.
The most common of the three special moves in chess is called castling. This move is normally
used to improve the king’s safety. Castling involves your king and one of your rooks. It is the only
move in chess that moves two of your piece at once. It is also the only time your king can move
more than one square in a single turn. You can only castle once during a game. Castling can be
done either kingside or queenside.
Castling may look simple, but you have to obey a few rules to play this special move.
1. You can't castle if the king or rook has already moved during the game.
2. You can't castle if there is a piece in the way or between the involved king and rook.
3. You can't castle if the king is in check, or would pass through check.
4. You can't castle if the king would be in check at the end of the move.
If all of these conditions are met, you can castle:
1. Move the king two squares toward the rook.
2. Hop the rook over the king so it lands on the square next to the king.
How to Castle Kingside
(Before the execution of kingside castling) (After the execution of kingside castling)
Kingside castling (also called "castling short") is written as: 0-0

How to Castle Queenside
(Before the execution of queenside castling) (After the execution of queenside castling)
Queenside castling (also called "castling long") is written as: 0-0-0
Pawns only move forward, never backwards. What happens when your pawn reaches the very end
of the board? Another special move in chess is called pawn promotion. A pawn which successfully
reaches the first rank or eighth rank must be promoted to any chess piece except for a king.
Logically, you would promote a pawn to a queen. When a pawn is promoted to a queen, the move
is often termed as queening. A player is allowed to have more than one queen on the board at the
same time. Promoting a pawn to a rook, knight, or bishop is also possible but this is unusual in a
chess game, in which case underpromotion is used.
The diagrams below show how c7 and b2 pawns can be promoted into a queen.
The pawns have been

taken off the board,
and a white and black
queen has been
substituted. Promotion
happens in one move.
A pawn that reaches
the eighth rank must
promote immediately -
it cannot remain a
White move can be written as: c8=Q pawn.
Black move can be written as: b1=Q This all happens in the one
move. A pawn that
reaches the eighth rank
must promote
Another special move in chess is called en passant. It is a French term thatimmediately
means “in -passing”.
it cannot If
you take en passant, you are taking a pawn that is passing by. En passant captures in aa chess
remain pawn. game
occurs occasionally because only pawns can capture an in passing pawn, and only then in very
specific situation. This capture is valid for one move only – this means once an opponent advanced
his pawns two squares, you must decide that same turn whether to capture the pawn or not.

Example of an en passant capture
The diagrams above illustrate how an en passant works. The following conditions must all be present
to make an en passant capture to be legal:
1. The capturing pawn must be on fifth rank (white pawn) or fourth rank (black pawn).
2. The opponent must move a pawn two squares, landing the pawn directly alongside
the capturing pawn.
3. You must make the capture immediately; you only get one chance to capture en
passant.
If all those conditions are met, an en passant capture is possible.
In the diagram, the g2 pawn moves two squares to g4, landing directly next to Black’s pawn on h4.
If Black wishes, he may capture White’s pawn by moving his pawn to g3. Black can capture it as if
it moved only one square. However, if he chooses not to capture immediately, Black loses his option
to make an en passant.
Another diagram also shows a second example from White's perspective. Black has just moved a
pawn from e7 to e5. White's pawn on d5 may capture Black's pawn by moving to e6 on the next turn.
If White chooses not to make this capture, he loses the chance to capture en passant.
Take note that you can only en passant a pawn that moved two squares. In other words, if the white
pawn was on g3, and moved one square to g4, the black pawn on h4 is not allowed to use en passant.
Unit Week
4.2 4
BASIC RULES IN CHESS: FIDE LAWS OF CHESS

The rules of chess are governed by the Federation Internationale des Echecs (International Chess
Federation), the international governing body for chess. All tournaments that are affiliated in FIDE
must abide the rules implemented by the organization.
Competitive rules govern the point system, the act of moving the pieces, touch-move rule,
completion of the moves, recording of moves using chess notation, time controls, conduct and
ethics of players, and procedures for resolving irregularities.

POINT SYSTEM
A player who wins a game, or wins by forfeit, scores one point (1), a player who loses a game
scores no points (0), and a player who draws his game scores a half point (½ or .5)
THE ACT OF MOVING THE PIECES

Once the game has started, only the player with the move may touch the pieces on the board. The
movement of pieces or each move must be done with one hand only. If a player wishes to touch a
piece with the intention to adjust its position on a square, the player must first alert or inform the
opponent by saying “J’ adoube” (French term) or “I adjust”.
TOUCH-MOVE RULE
A player having the move touches a piece as if having the intention of moving it, then the player
must move it if it can be legally moved. According to the FIDE laws of chess (Article 4.3) if the
player having the move intentionally touches on the chessboard:
a. one of more of his own pieces, that player must move the first piece touched which
can be moved legally
b. one or more of his opponent’s pieces, that player must capture the first piece touch
which can be captured
If none of the pieces touched can be moved or captured, the player may make any legal move.
COMPLETION OF MOVE
When a piece has been released on a square, it cannot be moved to another square on this move as
long as it is legal.
When castling, the player should first move the king with one hand and then move the rook with
the same hand. If the player intended to castle, but castling is not legal, that player must make
another legal move with his king (which may include castling on the other side). If the king has no
legal move, the player is free to make any legal move.
In the case of a pawn promotion, the player must use the same hand he/she used in promoting the
pawn. The choice of the piece is finalized, when the piece has touched the square of promotion.
RECORDING OF MOVES USING CHESS NOTATION

In formal competition, each player is obliged to record each move in order to settle disputes about
illegal positions, making claims of draws by the fifty-move rule or three-move repetition rule. A
player who can’t record moves using chess notation can be considered disqualified. If a player has
less than five minutes left to complete all their moves, they are not required to record the moves.
The scoresheet must be made available to the arbiter at all times. A player must make a move before
writing it down.

TIME CONTROLS
Most of the tournament games are played under time controls using a chess clock. Players must
complete the game within the time control. Time controls can be classified as classical, rapid, blitz,
and bullet. Classical time control is used in the world chess championship and major international
events. Classical chess is played with a time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves and
followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an addition of 30 seconds per move starting
from move one” but every tournament organizer can choose their own version of this. Rapid chess
is usually defined as chess matches lasting between 10 and 60 minutes. Blitz chess is usually played
with time controls of 3-5 minutes. This is very popular time control in online games. Bullet chess
is played with an extremely low time limit, most often 1 minute for the whole game.
When a player runs out of time or when the allotted time for a player expires, this event is called
flag fall. A flag fall can be claimed by a player or can be intervene by the arbiter. If a player with a
remaining time in his clock claims a flag fall against his opponent, then that player wins the game
if checkmate is possible or the player has sufficient material to deliver checkmate; otherwise the
game is a draw.
CONDUCT AND ETHICS OF PLAYERS

Players are not allowed to use any notes, outside sources of information, or advice from other people
while playing in a competitive chess events. Players are not allowed to analyze on another board.
When playing in a tournament, players are obliged to inform the arbiter when leaving the
competition area. Players are expected to shake hands before and after the game. Generally, a player
should not speak during the game except to offer a draw, adjusting the pieces, or to call the attention
of the arbiter.
PROCEDURES FOR RESOLVING IRREGULARITIES

If a player commits an illegal move, the other player should call the attention of the arbiter and
claim or explain that his opponent made an illegal move.
The following is the penalties when an illegal move is committed:
First Offense – Time penalty of giving two minutes extra time to your opponent in a classical and
rapid chess; one minute extra time in blitz games.
Second Offense – Forfeiture of the game, unless the position is impossible for the opponent to win
the game due to insufficient chess pieces to deliver checkmate, in which case the game is drawn.
If it is discovered during the game that the starting position is incorrect, the game is restarted. If it
is discovered during the game that the board is oriented incorrectly, the game is continued with the
pieces transferred to a correctly oriented board. If the game starts with colors reversed, the game is
restarted if less than 10 moves have been made by both players, otherwise the game is continued.
If a player knocks over pieces, it is the responsibility of that player to restore them in their correct
position using their own time.

Unit Week
4.3 4
EXERCISES
ACTIVITY 1
Instruction: Identify if the following statements are true or false. Write TRUE, if the statement is
correct and FALSE, if otherwise. (1point per item)
1. If a player touched a piece that cannot be legally moved or captured, the player may make any
legal move.
2. Castling is done with a king and two of your rooks.
3. Castling can be done either kingside or queenside.
4. A player losses a game by forfeiture if he/she commits an illegal move for the second time.
5. When the king has already moved, castling is impossible.
6. Castling is illegal if the king is currently in check.
7. There are only two special moves in a game of chess.
8 A pawn which successfully reaches the first rank can be promoted to any chess piece.
9. Having nine queens on the board at the same time is allowed.
10. To improve King’s safety, players use castling.
11. Promoting a pawn to a bishop is called underpromotion.
12. In recording a move, kingside castling is written as: castle-kingside
13. En passant is done by capturing your opponent’s pawn with your own pawn.
14. Players are expected to shake hands before and after the game.
15. The official rules in chess are governed by the International Federation of Chess.
16. Pawn promotion is the only move in chess that moves two of your piece at once.
17. Each move must be done with one hand only.
18. A player can use castling more than once.
19. Players are not required to record their moves if they have less than five minutes on their clock.
20. Most often to take place in a game of chess among the special moves is called en passant.
21. There are four different types of time control in chess.
22. In a formal competition, players are obliged to inform the arbiter when leaving the competition
area.
23. If the game starts with colors reversed, the game is continued if both players made more than
10 moves.
24. A player should call the attention of the arbiter if his opponent made an illegal move.
25. A player may capture en passant after two moves.

Unit Week
5 5
UNIT 5
CHECK, CHECKMATE, AND STALEMATE:
EXPLAINED
TOPICS:
5.1 CHECK
5.2 CHECKMATE
5.3 STALEMATE
5.4 EXERCISES
LESSON OBJECTIVES
1. Evaluate the differences between check, checkmate, and stalemate;
2. Identify if a given position is considered a check, checkmate, or stalemate
3. Solve and apply the concepts of check and checkmate in a game of chess.

Unit Week
5.1 5
CHECK: EXPLAINED
The rules of check have been part of chess rules since its beginning. Until the early 20th century it
was expected to announce “check” verbally when you put your opponent’s king in check.
Nowadays, it is not necessary to say “check”.
WHAT IS CHECK?
Check is an extremely important concept in chess. Check is a term in chess when a player's king is
attacked. Since a king can never be captured, the term "check" is used when a king is threatened.
The word "check" is merely saying, "the King is in danger" and it demands immediate attention.
In the position below, White has just moved his bishop to b5-square which attacks the black king
on e8. This means that Black is in check.
HOW TO GET OUT OF CHECK?

If a player is in check, they must get out of check! When the king is in check, the player must find
a way to stop the threat; the player cannot just ignore it. The player must do one of these things:
• Capture the checking piece (with the king or another piece).
• Interpose: put a piece between the checking piece and the king. This only works if the
checking piece is a long-distance piece (bishop, rook or queen).
• Move the king to a square which is not threatened.
If none of these works, then it is not a check but checkmate has occurred and the game is over.
In the diagram below, the black King has been put in check by the white Bishop on b5. Black can
use all three of these options (noted by green arrows) to remove the King from danger. The a6 pawn
may capture the checking piece Bb5, the King may move to d8 or e7 square, and the knight on f6,
or the bishop on c8 and the queen on c7 may block the check.
P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 10 | P a g e

CAN THE KING CHECK OTHER KING?

No, they can never get close enough to check each other. It is illegal to place your king beside your
opponent’s king.
CAN A KING CAPTURE A PROTECTED PIECE TO GET OUT OF CHECK?

No, a king cannot capture a protected piece but if a chess piece is unprotected, the king may
capture it.
In this position, the black king is checked by the

white queen. But this check can be escaped by
taking the queen because it is not protected by other
piece.
In this example, the black king cannot capture the

queen because it is defended by a rook, leaving
black's king unable to capture it. In fact, black is
checkmated because there no legal moves, and
white has won.

IF A PLAYER MOVES A PIECE AND PLACES THE KING IN CHECK AND FAILS
TO ANNOUNCE CHECK, DOES THE OTHER PLAYER WIN BY DEFAULT?
No, saying check is not obligatory. It is the obligation of his opponent to know if his king is in
danger. If the other player fails to see the king is in check, and moves without lifting the check, that
player also does not lose, but has to make a different move.
IF I CALL CHECKMATE FALSELY DO I FORFEIT THE GAME?

No, when done accidentally, there is no consequence; the game just continues. But when done on
purpose, then an arbiter can impose deduction in your time, as this would be a case of distracting
the opponent.
Unit Week
5.2 5
CHECKMATE: EXPLAINED
The main objective of the game is to put your opponent’s king in checkmate. The term checkmate
is commonly shortened to simply “mate”. This happens when a king is attacked (in check) and there
is no way to escape that attack or cannot make any legal move on its next move. If your king is
checkmated, you lose the game. Checkmate can be directly by any piece on the board except for
opposing king.
In the diagram above, the White king is checkmated. He cannot perform any legal move.

CAN I EXPOSE MY KING TO CHECK IF MY MOVE CHECKMATES MY

OPPONENT?
No, your top priority is the safety of your king. Checkmate is only counted when your own king is
not exposed to a check.
It is white's turn to move, but his rook is This move is illegal. Although it looks
pinned by the queen. like black is checkmated, the black
queen is now checking the white king.
Unit Week
5.3 5
STALEMATE: EXPLAINED
In the diagram below, it is Black to move. He is not in check at the moment. However, there no
legal moves at all. Has he lost the game?
The answer is - no, if it is your move but you don’t have legal moves – it’s stalemate.
If your opponent puts you in a situation where you can’t make any legal move, the game is declared
drawn due to stalemate. This means neither player wins, but the game is over.

In the diagram below, Black had a bishop on c2, stalemate is not possible in this situation as he
would be able to move his bishop.
Some people think that ‘stalemate’ just means that your king cannot move. Not true at all. If it were
true, the starting position would be a stalemate.

Unit Week
5.3 5
EXERCISES
ACTIVITY 1
Instruction: Identify if the following diagrams shows a check, checkmate, or stalemate. Write A, if
it is only a check; B, if it is a checkmate; and C, if it is stalemate. (1point per item)
1. ________ 2. ________
3. ________ 4. ________
5. ________ 6. ________

7. ________ 8. ________
9. ________ 10. ________
ACTIVITY 2
Instruction: Write in algebraic notation the move that checks the opponent’s King. All of the
diagrams below are White to move. (1point per item)
1. ________ 2. ________

3. ________ 4. ________
5. ________
ACTIVITY 3
Instruction: Write in algebraic notation the move that checkmates the opponent’s King in one move.
All of the diagrams below are White to move. (1point per item)
1. ________ 2. ________

3. ________ 4. ________
5. ________

Unit Week
6 6
UNIT 6
PHASES OF A CHESS GAME:
OPENING, MIDDLEGAME, AND ENDGAME
TOPICS:
6.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHASES OF A CHESS GAME
6.2 GOLDEN RULES AND PRINCIPLES IN CHESS:
OPENING, MIDDLEGAME, AND ENDGAME
6.3 EXERCISES
LESSON OBJECTIVES
1. Distinguish the different phases in a game of chess according to its nature and
characteristics;
2. Cite examples of chess opening;
3. Formulate a summary of the best practices for each phase of the game.

Unit Week
6.1 6
INTRODUCTION TO THE PHASES OF A CHESS GAME

A game of chess is divided into three distinct phases, known as the Opening, where piece
development and control of the center predominates; the Middlegame, where maneuvering of the
pieces to make an attack and defense occurs; and the Endgame, where generally after several piece
exchanges and pawn promotion becomes the dominant theme. Not every game will feature all three
stages, sometimes a game ends in the opening stage or in the middlegame without even reaching
an endgame stage.
Phase 1 – The Opening game Phase 2 – The Middlegame Phase 3 – The Endgame
In each phase there are objectives to consider when making a move – if you do not know what to
do during each stage, think about the objectives and principles of a specific phase. The game starts
with the opening game and intensifies during the middlegame and normally ends in the endgame
stage.
OPENING
An Opening is a group of initial moves of a chess game, normally the first 10-12 moves, in which
both players are moving their pieces from their starting position to post actively in the center and
be ready to do battle in the middlegame.
According to Igor Smirnov, there are four (4) main tasks which a player need to realize during the
Opening stage:
1. Develop the pieces
- Developing the pieces means bringing them off of their original squares – to more
useful positions. Usually the best pieces to develop first are the pawns, knights, and
bishops.
2. Control the center
- In order to do this, you need to position your pieces towards the center (e4, e5, d4, d5).
This is important because chess pieces are more active when they are placed in the
center. There is a saying, “He who controls the center, controls the game”.
3. Castle
- For each stages of the game, king’s safety is necessary. Castling in the opening is
essential in order to put your safeguard the king.
4. Connect the rooks
- Get your rooks connected. Logically to make this, you need to do the three practices
above.

Below is an example of the opening phase:
According to Wikipedia, The Oxford Companion to Chess lists, 1,327 named chess openings. A
given opening may be named after a player who first played it, or named after the player who
popularized it; sometimes it is named after the place where it is first appeared or popularized; name
of animals; or a thing.
The following are some of the list of chess openings:
- Sicilian Defense - Italian Game
- Ruy Lopez - Two Knights Defense
- Caro Kann - Philidor Defense
- French Defense - Nimzowitsch Defense
- Alekhine Defense - Stonewall Attack
- Queen’s Gambit Opening - Budapest Gambit
- King’s Gambit Opening - Hippopotamus Defense
- Pirc Defense - Bird Opening
- London System - Vienna Opening
- Torre Attack - Scandinavian Defense
- Colle Opening - King’s Indian Defense
- Frankenstein – Dracula Variation - Orangutan Opening
- Sicilian Dragon Variation - Bullfrog Gambit
- Elephant Gambit - Hedgehog Opening
MIDDLEGAME
The middlegame is the transition between the opening game and the endgame. Generally, it is
difficult to distinguish the exact transition from opening to middlegame, but as a general rule it
occurs once the pieces have been deployed from their starting position and the king have castled. It
is often considered the most exciting phase of the chess game. It requires deep understanding of
strategies in a given position. The pieces should work actively together as a team to launch effective
attacks on the opponent’s pieces and king. In this stage, it is where the action takes place – threats
and exchanges of pieces are taking place.

According to Marko Makaj, there are three (3) middlegame tasks which a player need to implement
during the Middlegame stage:
1. Have a plan/ construct a plan
- The plan depends on the current position on the chessboard and it may change in a later
period. Remember the saying, “A bad plan is better than no plan”. Therefore it is
recommended to have a plan in the middlegame. One of the most common and direct
plan in the middlegame is to attack the opponent’s king. Take note of the saying,
“When you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”.
2. Coordinate your pieces
- Make sure that every piece is active and well-coordinated to each other. Always try to
synchronize your pieces. You may do this by attacking a square or an opponent’s piece
with all of your pieces.
3. Know your opponent’s plan(s) and stop them
- It’s important to focus not only on your plan. It is equally important to understand what
your opponent is thinking and planning. You need to stop the plan of your opponent.
Preventing your opponent to employ his plans is a sign that you are about to win the
game.
Below is an example of the middlegame phase:
ENDGAME
The players move into the endgame once most of their pieces have been captured during the
middlegame. If neither player achieves a knockout blow in the middlegame, the game will
eventually reach the endgame. As with the opening, it is difficult to distinguish the transition from
the middlegame to endgame but as a general rule it occurs when both players don’t have enough
pieces left to easily checkmate the opponent’s king.
The following are the characteristics of an endgame:
1. They generally have reduced forces on the board.
2. They usually don't have queens, though not necessarily.
3. They tend to emphasize material advantages.
4. They typically require the active participation of the king.

Here is a typical endgame position:
In the diagram above, there are no enough pieces to put the king in checkmate. There are three (3)
main tasks which a player need to realize during the Endgame stage:
1. The king participates actively in the endgame.
- In the endgame, the king is an attacking unit, so activate it. Generally, the king should be
developed toward the center or some other important area.
2. Activate your pieces.
- The player whose pieces are more active is likely has the positional advantage and
eventually can convert it into a win.
3. Promote a pawn to take material advantage.
- Pawns in the endgame phase must be promoted. It will give you a material advantage over
your opponent and eventually can convert it into a win.
Unit Week
6.2 6
GOLDEN RULES AND PRINCIPLES IN CHESS

1. Rapidly develop all the pieces
The player who finishes the development first, gains the initiative.
2. Don’t move the same piece twice during opening stage
Try to place your pieces at the best possible position. It is a waste of time to move the same
piece more than once during the opening play.
3. Don’t make unnecessary pawn moves during opening
Generally, moving pawns is suitable when the player aims to open diagonals for the Queen or
Bishops and to occupy the center.
4. Don’t check if not necessary
A check that can easily be defended is unnecessary.

5. Avoid trading a developed piece for an undeveloped piece

When you trade one of your developed piece for one of your opponent’s undeveloped piece,
you waste time.
6. Castle as early as possible
The king in the center (during opening and middlegame) will always be vulnerable to attacks.
7. Place your pawns in the center
The center of the chessboard consists of e4, e5, d4, d5, c3, c6, f3, and f6 squares. Pawns in the
center can restrict the development of his opponent’s pieces.
8. Avoid doubled pawns and isolated pawns
These types of pawn weaknesses are easy to target and vulnerable to attacks.
9. Rooks should rapidly occupy open files
During the opening stage, rooks are more powerful and effective in open files.
10. Don’t block your Bishops
A Bishop that is not blocked is more powerful and effective than a Bishop that is limited by its
own pawns.
11. Restrict the movement of your opponent’s pieces
Whenever possible, keep your opponent’s pieces as far as you can from your own territory.
12. Whenever you have material advantage, simplify
The difference of one unit in a battle of 3 against 2 is much more significant than in a battle of
10 against 9.
13. Every rule was made to be broken
The principles presented hereby may not applied in every situations, neither should they be
followed blindly.

Unit Week
6.3 6
EXERCISES
ACTIVITY 1
Instruction: Write the letter of the correct answer. (1point per item)
1. Which of the following is NOT true about the phases of a chess game?
A. The game is divided into three phases
B. All games are featured by the three phases
C. Endgame is the last phase of the game
D. There is no exact way to distinguish the transitions of a phase to another phase
2. Which phase of the game is described when both players moves their pieces on their first ten moves?
A. Opening B. Middlegame C. Endgame D. First Stage
3. The following are the main tasks which a player need to realize during the Opening, except for:
A. Safeguard the King C. Connect the Rooks
B. Move the pieces towards the center D. Activate the King
4. In this stage, threats and piece exchanges are usually done which makes deep understanding of
strategies is important.
A. Endgame B. Opening C. Middlegame D. Transitional Phase
5. Attacking the opponent’s king is the main plan in this stage.
A. Middlegame B. Endgame C. Opening D. All of the Above
6. Which of the following phases of the game best describes this position:
A. Opening
B. Middlegame
C. Endgame
D. None of the Above
7. Which of following practices in the endgame phase is the direct way to get a material advantage?
A. Promote your Pawns C. Develop the pieces
B. Activate your King D. Check the opponent’s King
8. The rook is most effective when it is __________
A. in an open file C. in an open rank
B. at the center of the board D. at the edge of the board
9. The following are practices to avoid during the game, except for:
A. Trade a developed piece to undeveloped one
B. Moving the same piece twice without a good reason during the opening stage
C. Moving the pawns towards the center
D. Block the way of your Bishops
10. Which of the following is an example of an opening?
A. Morphy Gambit B. Sicilian Attack C. Arabian Opening D. Pirc Defense

ACTIVITY 2
Instruction: Complete the blanks with the correct word. Choose your answer from the box.
(1point per item)
no opening position
middlegame phases finish
center endgame bad
good initiative development
controls board excellent
Chess games are divided into three ________ (1). The game starts with the ________ (2) followed
by ________ (3) and normally ends with ________ (4). The player who controls the ________ (5),
controls the game. Try to place your pieces at the best possible ___________ (6). The player who
___________ (7) the development first, gains the __________ (8). ________ (9) plan is better than
_______ (10) plan.

Unit Week
7 7
UNIT 7
MOST COMMON TACTICS IN CHESS AND
PIECE EXCHANGES
TOPICS:
7.1 INTRODUCTION TO BASIC TACTICS IN CHESS
7.2 BASIC TACTICAL THEMES IN CHESS:
EN PRISE, PIN, AND FORK
7.3 INTRODUCTION TO PIECE EXCHANGES
7.4 TYPES OF PIECE EXCHANGES:
EVEN EXCHANGES AND UNEVEN EXCHANGES
7.5 EXERCISES
LESSON OBJECTIVES
1. Explain the fundamental concepts of chess tactics;
2. Identify some of the tactical themes in chess;
3. Enumerate ways to spot tactics in a game of chess;
4. Apply the concepts of each tactical themes by solving puzzles;
5. Distinguish even exchanges from uneven exchanges in a game of chess.

Unit Week
7.1 7
INTRODUCTION TO BASIC TACTICS IN CHESS

According to Richard Teichmann, “chess is 99% tactics”. Tactics in chess are the tricks and
techniques to get a quick advantage against your opponent. In chess, tactics comes in different
themes. The following are some of the basic tactical themes in chess: en prise, pin, and fork. The
more you know these themes, the more you win. The player who knows tactics beats one who
doesn’t. Tactical skills can be improved based on basic patterns that can be learned through
organized puzzles.
WAYS TO SPOT TACTICS IN CHESS

Savielly Tartakower once said, “Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do…”
Tactics can be found when:
1. There are unprotected piece(s);
2. Pieces are poorly guarded;
3. Pieces are lined up in ways that they are vulnerable from an attack;
4. The king is exposed or vulnerable.
When you see any of those situations on the board, look for tactics.
Unit Week
7.2 7
BASIC TACTICAL THEMES IN CHESS

The tactics that are going to be discussed in this module are the following: En prise, Pin, and Fork.
EN PRISE (pronounced as “ahn preez”)

If you can take a piece for free, we say the piece is en prise. A piece that is considered en prise is
under attack and unprotected. If you are attacking a piece that your opponent has left unguarded,
you can simply take it for free.
In the next diagram, Black has an easy capture. The unguarded knight on b2 is under attack from
the Black rook on b7. With Black to move, the rook can simply capture the knight for free. The
knight is en prise.

(Black to move)
Chess players need to look at the whole board. You need to know where every piece is and what
each piece can do before you make a decision about what to move. Find the piece that is attacking
an unguarded piece and take the unguarded piece.
Another example of en prise is shown in the diagram below. It is Black to move, the king cannot
capture the knight because it is protected by the rook but the Black king may capture the rook
because it is unprotected. We can say, the rook is en prise.
(Black to move)
PIN
There is a famous quote, saying, that a pin is mightier than a sword. Pin as a tactical theme is
considered a powerful attack. It prevents a piece to move; a piece that can’t move has lost its power.
There are two kinds of pin: the Absolute pin, if the pin is against a king, and the Relative pin, if the
pin is against any piece other than king. A pin occurs when a Queen, Bishop, or Rook attacks an
enemy piece, and if that piece were to move, there would be an attack on another piece behind it.
In the diagram #1, you can easily see that the rook on d1 attacks the enemy knight on d5, and that
if the knight were to move, the Black king on d8 would be under attack. The knight on d5 is
prevented to move because it is illegal to leave your king in check. This is an example of Absolute
pin. In the diagram #2, the knight on d5 is pinned by the bishop on f3, and if the knight were to
move, the Black rook on a8 would be under attack. This is an example of Relative pin.

(Diagram 1) (Diagram 2)
In the diagram below, moving the White bishop on d4 will pin the rook on e5.
(White to move)
FORK
If you attack two or more pieces at once, you have a good chance of getting one of them. Fork is
best described when one piece simultaneously attacks two enemy units. It is the simplest form of
double attack. Every piece can fork, including the king. You need to know the locations and
capabilities of all your pieces. Look for two or more enemy piece that can be attacked at the same
time.
In the diagram below, the White knight on e7 is forking the queen on c8 and king on g8.
All pieces can fork, but the queen and knight, attacking in eight different directions, are the best
pieces to fork opponent’s pieces.

Unit Week
7.3 7
INTRODUCTION TO PIECE EXCHANGES

Piece exchanges are common to in chess. It is safe to say that going a whole game without making
a single exchange is nearly impossible. This is why players should be familiar with this aspect of
chess. A piece exchange happens in chess when both players capture each other’s piece in a series
of related moves.
One of the most important aspects in chess strategy is to know when to exchange or trade pieces
and when not to. A great piece of advice to help you assess a good trade is to look at the pieces that
will be left on the board rather than looking at which piece will be removed.
Unit Week
7.4 7
TYPES OF PIECE EXCHANGES

You can exchange a pawn for a pawn, a minor piece for a minor piece, or a queen for a queen but
not all piece exchanges are created equal. You may give up a queen for a rook in return, and lose
the exchange. The material vales of the pieces are based on their comparative worth in pawns.
Bishops and knights are worth about three pawns, rooks are worth about five pawns, and queens
are worth about nine pawns.
This chart gives a useful guide to how much a chess piece is compared to pawns.
Relative Value
Chess Piece (compared to
pawns)
Knight 3 pawns
Bishop 3 pawns
Rook 5 pawns
Queen 9 pawns
EVEN EXCHANGES
Even exchanges occurs when the total piece value traded by both sides is equal. The pieces do not
have to be the same as long as the material count is relatively equal for both players. If a rook is
traded for a knight and two pawns, it is considered even exchange.
UNEVEN EXCHANGES
Uneven exchanges happens when the material count for each side is different or uneven. The player
who gained material then “wins the exchange”, while the other player who lost material, “loses the
exchange”. If a queen is traded for a rook and a bishop, it is considered uneven exchange.

Unit Week
7.5 7
5
EXERCISES
ACTIVITY 1
Instruction: Identify what tactical theme is best applied in the position and write the corresponding
move that executes the tactical theme. All of the diagrams below are White to move. (2 points per
item)
ITEM TACTICAL THEME CORRESPONDING MOVE

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
1. 2. ’

3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
9. 10.

ACTIVITY 2
Instruction: Identify if the following trades or exchanges are considered even or uneven. Write
EVEN, if the value of the pieces of both sides are traded equally; and UNEVEN if the value of the
pieces of both sides are traded unequal. (1 point per item)
TRADES BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK

EVEN or UNEVEN
WHITE BLACK
3 pawns and a rook a knight and a rook 1.

2 pawns, a knight, and
a pawn and a queen 2.
2 bishops
a pawn and a bishop a pawn and a knight 3.
2 knights a knight and a bishop 4.

3 pawns, 2 knights, a pawn, a rook, and a
5.
and a rook queen
a pawn and a queen 2 rooks 6.
2 pawns and a bishop a rook 7.
2 knights and 2 rooks 2 queens 8.

5 pawns, a bishop,
a rook and a queen 9.
and a queen
a pawn and rook 3 pawns and a knight 10.

Unit Week
8 8
UNIT 8
THE THINKING SCHEME IN CHESS
TOPICS:
8.1 LEARN THE BASICS OF PLANNING IN CHESS
8.2 HOW TO FIND THE BEST MOVE IN CHESS?
8.3 EXERCISES
LESSON OBJECTIVES
1. Evaluate a chess game based from the concepts of basic planning in chess;
2. Explain the concept of a candidate move;
3. Identify some of the thinking scheme used in playing chess;

Unit Week
8.1 8
LEARN THE BASICS OF PLANNING IN CHESS

Commanders of two equally strong armies have gathered on opposite sides of the hill. One
commander evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of his armies and his opponent’s armies. He
comes up with a plan considering many possibilities of counter-attacks and the right time to launch
an attack. The other commander rely on his own ability to lead his armies and do not care of other
possibilities that may happen during the battle. What do you think the outcome of this battle?
The same thing happens in chess. A player who simply executes the move without a plan
usually defeated by his opponent who has a plan behind moves. Planning in chess is an essential
route to winning. It’s almost impossible to win a game of chess without planning. A plan is a set of
interconnected actions performed on the board. It depends heavily on the evaluation of the position
that arises during the game. After a player evaluated the position, the player should create a plan.
The plan should be realistic and possible to implement.
It is recommended to use the following planning methods to identify the best move in a given
position:
1. Determine the needs of the position based on your evaluation
2. Recall the fundamental objectives to the stage or phase of the game you are in
3. Identify all possible moves that serve your objectives or prevents your opponent from
achieving their objectives.
Keep in mind that you will not perform this thinking schemes on every single move. Instead, they
will serve as a guideline to your thinking process as overall.
Unit Week
8.2 8
HOW TO FIND THE BEST MOVE IN CHESS?

One of the similarity of chess and life is the numerous decisions and plans that you consider in a
given situation. But how could you know that your decision is a route to your main goal? In chess,
a candidate move helps a player to find the best move in a given position.
CANDIDATE MOVES IN CHESS

A candidate move is a single move for each possible variations of the position you want to play.
Below is a game between Marfred Sanchez (White) and Marc Paraguya (Black). It is White to
move, which are the best candidate moves in this position?

MARC PARAGUYA (Black)
MARFRED SANCHEZ (White)
In this game, Sanchez made the move Qg5 and eventually won the game after 10 moves.
Generating a candidate move starts with this simple but important principle: “The quality of the
candidate moves you generate rely on the quality of information you have gathered on the position”.
The next question is: What is the best way to get the information that will help you find suitable
candidate moves? The answer is – you need to consider the following:
1. Find opponent’s threats and tactical themes in a given position
2. Calculate all the checks and captures
There is an important reason why the first step is to find your opponent’s threat, it would be a waste
of time to consider any other candidate moves. When you discover opponent’s threats, you will
need to consider only two (2) kinds of candidate moves:
1. Candidate moves that sufficiently deal with your opponent’s threats or;
2. Candidate moves that make an even stronger threat than that of your opponent.
In positions where there are no dangers or opponent’s threats, you need to consider the following
thinking method:
1. Compare Material or Pieces
2. Compare King-Safety
3. Compare Piece-Development
4. Compare Control of the Center
5. Compare Pawn-Structures
All of these comes together. The information you’ve gathered will point towards the candidate
moves you need to consider. As you will become a more skilled player, you will go over these steps
fairly quickly.
Note: Your intuition and experience plays an important role in your ability to find the best move in
a given position, but you must always verify your thoughts by calculating and considering the
Golden rules and principles in chess.

Unit Week
8.3 8
EXERCISES
ACTIVITY 1
Instruction: Identify if the following statements are true or false. Write TRUE, if the statement is
correct and FALSE, if otherwise. (1point per item)
1. The player who plans systematically has a greater chance to win the game than the one who
doesn’t plan.
2. Most of the games in chess are won by chances.
3. After a player created a plan, the player should evaluate the position.
4. Candidate moves are essential to identify the best move.
5. Candidate moves relies on the information you have gathered in a position.
6. Plans should be realistic and easy to implement.
7. Intuition is important to find the best move in a given position.
8. To identify the best move, you need to evaluate the position.
9. The last step in considering your candidate move as the best move is to verify the thinking process
you’ve made through calculation.
10. Thinking schemes serves as a guideline to your thinking process.
11. There are five possible candidate moves to act against a threat.
ACTIVITY 2
Instruction: Complete the following chart on how to generate a candidate move. (1point per item)
Generate a Candidate Move
First steps in generating &

a Candidate move
When you discover

opponent’s threats
If no dangers or
opponent’s threats

Individual and Dual Sports: Apayao State College

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P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 1|Page

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 2|Page

SPECIAL MOVES IN CHESS

How to Castle Kingside

Kingside castling (also called "castling short") is written as: 0-0

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 3|Page

Queenside castling (also called "castling long") is written as: 0-0-0

The pawns have been

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 4|Page

BASIC RULES IN CHESS: FIDE LAWS OF CHESS

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 5|Page

THE ACT OF MOVING THE PIECES

RECORDING OF MOVES USING CHESS NOTATION

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 6|Page

CONDUCT AND ETHICS OF PLAYERS

PROCEDURES FOR RESOLVING IRREGULARITIES

The following is the penalties when an illegal move is committed:

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 7|Page

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 8|Page

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 9|Page

HOW TO GET OUT OF CHECK?

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 10 | P a g e

CAN THE KING CHECK OTHER KING?

CAN A KING CAPTURE A PROTECTED PIECE TO GET OUT OF CHECK?

In this position, the black king is checked by the

In this example, the black king cannot capture the

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 11 | P a g e

IF I CALL CHECKMATE FALSELY DO I FORFEIT THE GAME?

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 12 | P a g e

CAN I EXPOSE MY KING TO CHECK IF MY MOVE CHECKMATES MY

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 13 | P a g e

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 14 | P a g e

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 15 | P a g e

9. ________ 10. ________

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 16 | P a g e

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 17 | P a g e

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 18 | P a g e

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 19 | P a g e

INTRODUCTION TO THE PHASES OF A CHESS GAME

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 20 | P a g e

Below is an example of the opening phase:

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 21 | P a g e

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 22 | P a g e

Here is a typical endgame position:

GOLDEN RULES AND PRINCIPLES IN CHESS

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 23 | P a g e

5. Avoid trading a developed piece for an undeveloped piece

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 24 | P a g e

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 25 | P a g e

middlegame phases finish

center endgame bad

good initiative development

controls board excellent

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 26 | P a g e

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 27 | P a g e

INTRODUCTION TO BASIC TACTICS IN CHESS

WAYS TO SPOT TACTICS IN CHESS

BASIC TACTICAL THEMES IN CHESS

EN PRISE (pronounced as “ahn preez”)

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 28 | P a g e

P.E. 13 (Individual and Dual Sports) 29 | P a g e

9. 10.