Step 1: Meet the Pieces · about 25 min
The Bishop
Goal: Kids can move a bishop along diagonals and know it always stays on one color.
You need: One board per pair · Bishops and pawns
1 · Teach it (15 min)
Read these out loud, or put them in your own words. Show each board on screen or set it up on a demo board.
1.“This is the bishop. It has a pointy hat. The bishop moves on diagonals, the slanted lines, as far as it wants.”
👉 Hold up a bishop.
2.“Look at the color of the bishop's square. It never changes! A bishop that starts on a light square stays on light squares all game.”
3.“Like the rook, the bishop can't jump. It captures by landing on an enemy piece.”
4.“Each player has two bishops: one for the light squares and one for the dark squares.”
- Sliding one square straight up (that's a rook move).
2 · Play it: Bishop vs. Pawns (10 min)
Set up: White: bishops on c1 and f1. Black: pawns on a7, b7, c7, d7, e7 and f7.
- White moves first. Take turns.
- The bishops win by capturing every pawn.
- The pawns win if one reaches the other side.
- Swap sides and play again.
🎮 Kids with an iPad can also play this against the computer in student mode.
3 · Practice and pass check
On iPads, kids open Student → Step 1 → The Bishop Goes Slanty. On paper, print the worksheet. A kid passes by getting 2 of 3 on the pass check. The pass code for this lesson is S1-L3-2B.
Practice (4) with answers
1.Draw a dot on every square the highlighted piece can move to.
Answer: 13 squares
2.Draw the fastest path to the ★ (moving only this piece). How many moves?
Moves: 1 move
3.This bishop is on a light square. Can it ever reach a dark square?
- 👍Yes
- ✓👎No
4.Capture a pawn with the bishop. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Bxb6
Pass check (3) with answers
1.Draw a dot on every square the highlighted piece can move to.
Answer: 8 squares
2.Draw the fastest path to the ★ (moving only this piece). How many moves?
Moves: 2 moves
3.Capture a pawn with the bishop. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Bxa5
Topic order based on: Chess for Children, Part 1 (topic order). All wording is original.