Step 9: Advanced Track · about 30 min
Weak Squares and Holes
Goal: Kids can find a hole (a square no enemy pawn can attack) and plan to put a piece there.
You need: Demo board · 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.“A hole is a square that the enemy can never attack with a pawn again. Pawns only move forward, so once the pawns that could guard a square have moved past it, or are gone, that square is weak forever.”
2.“Here d5 is a hole for Black. There's no black c-pawn, and the e-pawn is already on e5, past d5. A white piece on d5 can only be chased by pieces.”
3.“The plan writes itself: bring a piece to the hole, usually a knight. A knight on a hole in the enemy camp is like a spy that can't be caught.”
4.“And for your own pawns: every push leaves squares behind that the pawn can never guard again. Before you push, ask: 'What square am I giving away?'”
- Pushing pawns in front of your king and creating holes.
- Finding a hole but not bringing a piece to it.
2 · Play it: Secret Base (10 min)
Set up: Normal game in pairs.
- When you spot a hole in your opponent's position, say 'Secret base!' and point to it.
- Getting a piece onto it scores two bonus points.
3 · Practice and pass check
On iPads, kids open Student → Step 9 → Holes. On paper, print the worksheet. A kid passes by getting 2 of 3 on the pass check. The pass code for this lesson is S9-L5-A6.
Practice (3) with answers
1.Circle the hole in Black's position, in the center.
Answer: d5
2.What is a hole?
- ✓A square no enemy pawn can ever attack
- An empty square
- A square next to the king
3.Which piece loves a hole in the enemy camp most?
- ✓A knight
- The king
- A pawn
Pass check (3) with answers
1.Circle the hole in White's position, in the center.
Answer: d4
2.Why should you think before pushing a pawn?
- ✓It can never come back to guard the squares it leaves
- Pawns can only move once
- Pushing pawns is slow
3.White's best plan here is to…
- ✓Bring a knight to d5
- Push the h-pawn
- Trade all the pieces
Topic order based on: How to Reassess Your Chess, Part 6 (weak squares). All wording is original.