Step 8: Club Player · about 25 min
King and Pawn: the Opposition
Goal: Kids know that the king leads the pawn, and can use the opposition to win or hold king-and-pawn endings.
You need: Demo board · One board and set per pair
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.“King and pawn against king. The big secret: the king goes FIRST, the pawn follows. A pawn pushed alone just gets caught.”
2.“When two kings stand face to face with one square between them, that's called the opposition. The player who does NOT have to move 'has the opposition'. The other king must step aside and let you through.”
3.“Here's a magic position. White's king is on the sixth row in front of its pawn. That wins no matter whose move it is: the king walks the pawn home.”
4.“Defending? Stand in front of the pawn and take the opposition whenever you can. If you're pushed back, go straight back, not sideways. And with a pawn on the edge (a- or h-file), the defender draws just by getting the king into the corner in front of it.”
- Pushing the pawn first and letting the king get in front of it.
- Defender stepping to the side instead of straight back.
- Pushing to the 7th row with check and stalemating the king.
2 · Play it: Face-Off (10 min)
Set up: In pairs. White: king on e1, pawn on e2. Black: king on e8.
- White tries to make a queen. Black tries to draw (capture the pawn or reach stalemate).
- Play it out, then swap colors.
- Try again with White's king starting in front of the pawn (e3). Who wins now?
3 · Practice and pass check
On iPads, kids open Student → Step 8 → King Face-Off. On paper, print the worksheet. A kid passes by getting 2 of 3 on the pass check. The pass code for this lesson is S8-L6-MZ.
🧩 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 (3) with answers
1.King and pawn against king. Find a move that keeps the win. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Ke4 or Kd4 or Kf4
2.Black: take the opposition to hold the draw. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Kd7
3.In a king-and-pawn ending, which goes first?
- ✓The king, then the pawn follows
- The pawn, then the king follows
- It doesn't matter
Pass check (3) with answers
1.Your king is on the sixth row in front of the pawn. Find a move that keeps the win. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Ke6 or Kc6
2.Black: hold the draw. Draw an arrow or write the move.
Move: Ke7
3.Two kings face each other with one square between. Who has the opposition?
- ✓The player who does NOT have to move
- The player whose turn it is
- The player with the pawn
Topic order based on: How to Win at Chess, ch. 12–13 (king-and-pawn and rook endings); How to Reassess Your Chess, Part 1 (endgame basics). All wording is original.