Chess Maths Puzzle 1

1) Use the word bank to label the chess pieces.

rook king queen bishop knight pawn

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Chess Maths Puzzle 2

Can you set up a chess board ready to play a game?

Cut out the pieces for each player and arrange them onto the board ready to play a game of
chess.

TOP TIP: Remember the queen always starts on the square matching its colour.

Disclaimer: To ensure the safety of the children in your setting, it is your responsibility to assess whether adult supervision or other appropriate safety measures are required when using scissors.

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Chess Maths Puzzle 2 Pieces

Disclaimer: To ensure the safety of the children in your setting, it is your responsibility to assess whether adult supervision or other appropriate safety measures are required when using scissors.

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Chess Maths Puzzle 3

1) Use this image of a chess board ready to play a game and answer the questions.
Write each fraction in its simplest form.

a) What fraction of the pieces on the board are black?

b) What fraction of the squares on the board are covered by white pawns?

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Chess Maths Puzzle 3

c) What fraction of the playing pieces on the board are rooks or kings?

d) The white team have lost all their bishops, their queen and half of their pawns.

What fraction of white pieces do they have left?

2) Use the chess board image to answer these questions about percentage.
Write your answers as a decimal and a percentage.

a) What percentage of the chess board is covered in grey squares?

b) What percentage of squares on the chess board are white squares that are uncovered?

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Chess Maths Puzzle 4

1) Show the direction and number of squares each piece can move by drawing arrows and
then writing an explanation.
a) b)

c) d)

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Chess Maths Puzzle 4

e) f)

Challenge Explain and correct the mistake. On the black team’s next move, the
The knight started in this square. knight was moved here.

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 Chess Maths Puzzle 1 Answers
1)

a) king

b) queen

c) pawn

d) knight

e) bishop

f) rook

Chess Maths Puzzle 2 Answers

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 Chess Maths Puzzle 3 Answers
1)

a) 16 = 1
32 2

8 1
b) =
64 8

c) There are 4 rooks and 2 kings so 6 pieces out of a total 32 pieces.

6 3
=
32 16

d) They have lost 2 bishops, 1 queen and 4 pawns so altogether 7 pieces have been lost.

16 − 7 = 9 pieces left
9
16

2)

a) 32 = 3 = 50% = 0.5
64 16

16 1
b) 64 = = 25% = 0.25
4

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 Chess Maths Puzzle 4 Answers
1)
a)
The king can move in any direction
but only one square at a time. It
cannot jump over other pieces.
c)
The knight can move in in an L shape
in any direction. The L shape must be
across 3 squares. It can move either
two vertically and one horizontally
or two horizontally and one
vertically. It is the only chess piece
that can jump over other pieces.
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b)
The queen can move in a straight
line in any direction (horizontally,
vertically or diagonally) as many
squares as it likes. It cannot jump
over other pieces.
d)
The rook can move in a straight line
either horizontally or vertically (but
not diagonally) in any direction as
many squares as it likes. It cannot
jump over other pieces.
 Chess Math Puzzle 4 Answers
c) d)

The bishop can move in a straight
line diagonally (but not horizontally
or vertically) in any direction as
many squares as it likes. It cannot
jump over other pieces.
On its first move, a pawn can move
one or two spaces forward vertically.
After this, it can only move forward
vertically one space at a time (unless
capturing an opponent’s piece where
it can move one space diagonally). It
cannot move backwards.

Challenge Answers

The black team has moved the knight in an L shape across 4 squares, not 3. The black
knight should only move across 3 squares at a time (either two vertically and one
horizontally or two horizontally and one vertically).

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