Step 1: Meet the Pieces · about 25 min
The Rook
Goal: Kids can move a rook, see when it is blocked, and capture with it.
You need: One board per pair · Rooks 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.“Meet the rook. It looks like a castle tower. The rook moves in straight lines: up, down, left or right, as far as it wants.”
👉 Hold up a rook.
2.“The rook can't jump. If one of its own pieces is in the way, it has to stop before it.”
3.“If an enemy piece is in the way, the rook can capture it. It lands on that square and the enemy piece leaves the board.”
4.“Each player starts with two rooks, one in each corner.”
- Moving the rook around a corner in one move.
- Jumping over a piece.
2 · Play it: Rook vs. Pawns (10 min)
Set up: White: one rook on a1. Black: pawns on a7, b7, c7 and d7.
- White moves first. Take turns, one move each.
- The rook wins by capturing every pawn.
- The pawns win if one reaches the other side of the board.
- 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 Rook Goes Straight. 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-L2-JT.
Practice (4) with answers
1.Draw a dot on every square the highlighted piece can move to.
Answer: 14 squares
2.Draw the fastest path to the ★ (moving only this piece). How many moves?
Moves: 2 moves
3.Draw a dot on every square the highlighted piece can move to.
Answer: 8 squares
4.Capture a pawn with the rook. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Rxb6
Pass check (3) with answers
1.Draw a dot on every square the highlighted piece can move to.
Answer: 10 squares
2.Draw the fastest path to the ★ (moving only this piece). How many moves?
Moves: 2 moves
3.Capture a pawn with the rook. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Rxe6
Topic order based on: Chess for Children, Part 1 (topic order). All wording is original.