Step 8: Club Player · about 25 min
First Rook Endings
Goal: Kids know three rook-ending rules: rooks behind passed pawns, active rooks, and cutting off the king.
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.“Rook endings are the most common endings in chess. Three rules will take you a long way.”
2.“Rule one: rooks belong BEHIND passed pawns. Behind your own pawn, the rook pushes it forward and gets stronger as the pawn moves. Behind the enemy pawn, it chases it.”
3.“Rule two: keep your rook active. A rook that attacks is worth more than a rook that sits and guards. Don't let it become a babysitter.”
4.“Rule three: cut off the enemy king. Here White's rook on e1 is a wall. The black king can't cross the e-file to help stop the d-pawn.”
5.“One more thing: rook endings are often drawn, even a pawn down. If you're behind, keep fighting!”
- Putting the rook in front of your own passed pawn, where it blocks it.
- Grabbing a pawn with the rook and letting the enemy rook become active.
- Giving up a drawn rook ending.
2 · Play it: Rook and Pawn (10 min)
Set up: In pairs. Each side: king and rook. White also has a pawn on the a-file. Set it up so the pawn is passed.
- White tries to make a queen; Black tries to stop it.
- Before each rook move, ask: is my rook behind the passed pawn? Is it active?
- Swap colors after each game.
3 · Practice and pass check
On iPads, kids open Student → Step 8 → Rook Endings. 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-L7-5H.
🧩 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.Rooks belong behind passed pawns. Tap a square on the a-file where White's rook should go.
Answer: a1 or a2 or a3 or a4
2.What is White's rook on e1 doing?
- ✓Cutting off the black king from the d-pawn
- Attacking Black's rook
- Giving check
3.Which rook is usually better?
- ✓One that attacks
- One that only guards a pawn
Pass check (3) with answers
1.Black's passed pawn is on b4. Tap a square behind it where White's rook could chase it.
Answer: b5 or b6 or b7 or b8
2.Where should a rook go when there's a passed pawn?
- ✓Behind the pawn
- In front of the pawn
- In the corner
3.You're one pawn down in a rook ending. What's true?
- ✓It's often still a draw, so keep fighting
- You should resign
- Trade rooks right away
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.