Step 3: Check & Checkmate · about 35 min
Checkmate!
Goal: Kids can recognize checkmate and find a checkmate in one move.
You need: One board and set per pair
1 · Teach it (20 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.“Checkmate means the king is in check and there's no way out: he can't move, nobody can capture the attacker, and nobody can block. Checkmate wins the game!”
2.“Look: the black king is stuck behind his own pawns. The rook checks along the back row. He can't move, and nothing can capture or block. Checkmate!”
3.“A queen right next to the king can be checkmate, if a friend protects her so the king can't capture her.”
4.“To check if it's mate, ask the three questions: can the king move? Can anyone capture? Can anyone block? Three no's means checkmate.”
- Calling any check 'checkmate'.
- Giving check with an unprotected queen right next to the king (the king just takes her).
2 · Play it: Mate-in-One Hunt (15 min)
Set up: Print the practice page and put one copy on each table, or use the iPads.
- Pairs set up each position on their board.
- Both kids look for the checkmate. The first to find it points without touching.
- Check it together with the three questions: move? capture? block?
- Then play a normal game and try to finish it with checkmate.
3 · Practice and pass check
On iPads, kids open Student → Step 3 → Checkmate!. On paper, print the worksheet. A kid passes by getting 2 of 3 on the pass check. The pass code for this lesson is S3-L3-C3.
🧩 Extra puzzles: 60 real puzzles from lichess.org for kids who finish early: the Extra puzzles button in student mode, or tick Extra puzzles on the worksheet page (8 per set).
Practice (4) with answers
1.Checkmate in one move. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Ra8#
2.Checkmate in one move. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Qa8# or Qb8# or Qf7#
3.Checkmate in one move. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Rb8#
4.White's queen gives check. Is it checkmate?
- 👍Yes
- ✓👎No, the king can capture the queen
Pass check (3) with answers
1.Checkmate in one move. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Qc8# or Qh8#
2.Checkmate in one move. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Qd8#
3.Checkmate in one move. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Qxf7#
Topic order based on: Chess for Children, Part 2 (check and checkmate); How to Win at Chess, ch. 1 (how games are won). All wording is original.