1. Chess
1
Merit Badge Presentation by Robert Casto

2. Robert Casto
Troop 952
Dan Beard Council
Cincinnati, OH
Instructor / Presenter

3. Participation and Content
• Everyone is expected to participate
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions
• Attitude determines altitude
• Be prepared to think hard
• Don’t fear failure!
It’s a great teacher!

4. Class Timeline
History, Benefits, Test (9-9:30) [1,2]
Training (9:30-12) [4,5]
Lunch (12-1) [3]
Tactics & Problem Solving (1-1:45) [5]
Tournament (1:45-3) [6]
Game Review (3-4) [6]

5. Requirement 1
Discuss with your merit badge counselor the
history of the game of chess. Explain why it
is considered a game of planning and
strategy.
9 am

6.  Originated in India
 6th century – called chaturanga
 In Persia called chatrang, evolved
to shatranj
 Started calling “Shah Mat!”
meaning “the king is helpless”
 Spread to Europe by 1000
 History Of Chess
by Susan Polgar 5:50
Requirement
1
History of
Chess
Krishna and Radha
playing chaturanga

7. Fischer vs Hope 6:37
Requirement
1
Great
Players

8. Two equally strong armies have gathered on
opposite sides of a river. One commander
evaluates the pluses and minuses of his and
the enemy’s armies’ dispositions and comes
up with a plan taking into account possible
counter-attacks. The other relies on the
strength of his troops and charges forward.
The outcome of the battle is rather
predictable, isn’t it?
In chess the same thing happens all the time. A
player who simply makes the moves he likes
and hopes to win by random tactics usually
succumbs to an opponent who has a plan
behind his moves.
Requirement
1
Planning

9. • Concerned with the
evaluation of chess positions
and setting goals for long-
term plans and future play.
–Position of pieces
–Pawn structure
–King safety
–Control of key squares
–Piece Development
Requirement
1
Strategy

10. Requirement 2
Discuss with your merit badge counselor the
following:
a) The benefits of playing chess, including
developing critical thinking skills,
concentration skills, and decision-making
skills, and how these skills can help you in
other areas of your life
b) Sportsmanship and chess etiquette
9:30 am

11. Chess is good for something?
• Abstract reasoning - reaching
conclusions from previous
knowledge
• Analysis - breaking something
down into smaller things to solve
• Concentration - the ability to direct
your attention to one thing.
• Creativity - ability to think of
something and bring it to reality.
• Critical thinking - applying logic
and careful reasoning.
Requirement
2
Benefits
Playing
Chess

12. Requirement
2
Benefits
Playing
Chess

13. • Evaluation - determining the value of
something
• Pattern recognition - recognizing
something that you have previously
seen and knowing what to do in that
situation.
• Problem Solving - recognizing a
problem and coming up with a
workable solution.
• Strategic planning - deciding what is to
be done with the resources available.
• Synthesis - combining previous
knowledge to help out in a current
situation.
Requirement
2
Benefits
Playing
Chess

14. Requirement
2
Sports-
manship
• YOU CAN WIN: None of these
have any effect on the game
– Age, position, profession, rank,
gender, wealth, luck, etc.
– Your skill determines the outcome

15. Requirement
2
Sports-
manship
• Start and end with a handshake
• Never gloat over a victory
• Do not distract your opponent

16. Requirement
2
Etiquette
• Cell phones off
• Observe but do not comment on
games in progress
• Follow Touch-Move rule
• Avoid frequent adjusting of
pieces
• Behave with respect

17. Requirement 3
Demonstrate to your counselor that you know each of
the following. Then, using Scouting's Teaching
EDGE*, teach someone (preferably another Scout)
who does not know how to play chess:
a) The name of each chess piece
b) How to set up a chessboard
c) How each chess piece moves, including castling
and en passant captures
Do during lunch break!
noon

18. Requirement 4
Do the following:
a) Demonstrate scorekeeping using the algebraic
system of chess notation.
b) Discuss the differences between the opening, the
middle game, and the endgame.
c) Explain four opening principles.
d) Explain the four rules for castling.
e) On a chessboard, demonstrate a "scholar's mate"
and a "fool's mate."
f) Demonstrate on a chessboard six ways a chess game
can end in a draw.
10 am

19. How to Use Chess Notation 4:35
Requirement
4.1
Algebraic
Notation

20. • Opening
– The first 4 to 10 moves
– Many sequences well known
– Well studied and memorized
• Middle Game
– More complicated with more options
– Must rely on strategies and planning
• End Game
– Final stage with few pieces left
– Work to promote pawns
– Understand how to checkmate with
certain piece combinations
Requirement
4.2
Opening
Middle Game
Endgame

21. • 3 Basic Opening Strategy
Principles 3:00
• Basics of The Italian Game 3:12
• Basics of The Ruy Lopez 4:31
• Basics of the Sicilian Defense 2:48
Requirement
4.3
Opening
Principles

22. • How
– Move King 2 squares left or right
– Bring Rook to other side of King
• Restrictions
– King may not be placed into check
– King may not pass through controlled
square
– Neither piece may have already
moved
– The squares in between must be
empty
– King may not castle out of check
Rules of Castling in Chess 2:38
Requirement
4.4
Four Rules
for Castling

23. • Also known as the 2 move
checkmate
• 2 Move Checkmate 2:31
Requirement
4.5
Fool’s
Mate

24. • Also known as the 4 move
checkmate
• 4 Move Checkmate 3:09
Requirement
4.5
Scholar’s
Mate

25. 1. Threefold Repetition
2. By Agreement
3. 50 Move Rule
4. Insufficient Materials
5. Perpetual Check
6. Stalemate
6 Ways to Draw 5:25
Requirement
4.6
Six ways to
end in a draw

26. Requirement 5
Do the following:
a) Explain four of the following elements of chess strategy: exploiting
weaknesses, force, king safety, pawn structure, space, tempo, time.
b) Explain any five of these chess tactics: clearance sacrifice, decoy,
discovered attack, double attack, fork, interposing, overloading,
overprotecting, pin, remove the defender, skewer, zwischenzug.
c) Set up a chessboard with the white king on e1, the white rooks on a1
and h1, and the black king on e5. With White to move first,
demonstrate how to force checkmate on the black king.
d) Set up and solve five direct-mate problems provided by your merit
badge counselor.
11 am

27. • Find ways to take advantage of
weaknesses in your opponent’s
game
– Poor pawn structure
– Weak King
– Undeveloped pieces
– Lack of center control
Requirement
5.1
Exploiting
Weaknesses

28. • Refers to moves where the
opponent has no choice
– A check, capture, or threat
• With few options, it is easier to
plan ahead what will happen
• Can move a king out into the
open, or back into a corner
• A double-check, where 2 pieces
are checking the king, forces it to
move since both pieces cannot
be taken
Requirement
5.1
Force

29. • King is the most important piece
• Must keep it safe at all costs
• Doesn’t mean it cannot help
– End game is where it can be strong
• Careful moving pawn in front
• Look for the stalemate
• Keep opponent’s King position in
mind
• Look for tactics with a weak King
• Attacks are coming. Deal with it!
• King Position and Safety 11:31
Requirement
5.1
King
Safety

30. • How to Understand Pawn
Structure 3:56
Requirement
5.1
Pawn
Structure

31. • What is Space in Chess 1:57
Requirement
5.1
Space

32. • What is Tempo in Chess 1:26
Requirement
5.1
Tempo

33. • Time limit on game – Each player
gets a limited amount of time to
complete all of their moves
• If one player runs out of time, the
game is over and they loose
– Blitz : 5 minutes each
– Rapidplay : 30 minutes each
– Local league : 35 moves, 75 mins
– International : 40 moves, 2 hours
• Don’t forget to check if your
opponent has run out of time
• Know time limit before you play
Requirement
5.1
Time

34. • Chess clocks have 2 clocks,
1 for each player
• Black starts the clock
• Pressing clock stops your timer
and starts the opponents
• Digital is much easier to use
• Use same hand as moved piece
• Do not pick up or you forfeit
• Analog clocks have a flag that
will fall when time is up
Requirement
5.1
Clocks

35. • A move where you give your
opponent a piece in order to
free up space for a move of
another piece
• Usually made when a checkmate
is close at hand
• Beware should your opponent
offer something for free
• Brilliant Clearance Sacrifice 3:24
• Top 5 Greatest Sacrifices 12:44
Requirement
5.2
Clearance
Sacrifice

36. • A tactic of ensnaring a piece,
usually the King or Queen, by
forcing it to move to poor
position
• The Decoy 2:50
Requirement
5.2
Decoy

37. • A situation where moving a
piece reveals an attack by
another piece
• Discovered Attacks 5:39
Requirement
5.2
Discovered
Attack

38. • Two attacks made at the same
time
• Very unlikely to defend against
both attacks
• Double Attack 5:38
Requirement
5.2
Double
Attack

39. • Use of the Knight to attack 2 or
more pieces
• When used against the King, the
other attacked piece is
defenseless
• Knight Fork Signals 7:57
Requirement
5.2
Knight
Fork

40. • The King doesn’t always have to
move to get out of check
• Another piece can be used to
block the attack
• Pawns are a good option to
block the attack of a more
powerful piece
• Your opponent will look for
other pieces to attack the
interposing piece for a chance to
win it if defenses are weak
Requirement
5.2
Interposing

41. • A piece that is protecting too
many pieces
• If the piece moves away, it will
leave something unprotected
• How Overloading Works 5:53
Requirement
5.2
Overloading

42. • Having more than one piece
controlling or attacking a single
square
• The more pieces able to move to
the position, the more
protection there is
• It serves to discourage an
opponent from attacking the
position
Requirement
5.2
Over-
protecting

43. • A piece that cannot move
because it will expose a check on
the King or allow a powerful
piece to be taken such as the
Queen
• The Pin 6:56
Requirement
5.2
Pin

44. • Remove the piece that is
protecting another
• Once it is gone, then the other
piece or position becomes
vulnerable
• Removing the Defender 6:30
Requirement
5.2
Remove
the
Defender

45. • Attack against King with a piece
behind it
• Sometimes called a reverse pin
• King must move out of the way
• The revealed piece can be taken
• Other pieces can also be
skewered
• Skewers 4:47
Requirement
5.2
Skewer

46. • German word that means
intermediate move
• Making a move before the
obvious move for some kind of
benefit
• Zwishenzug 2:29
Requirement
5.2
Zwischenzug

47. Requirement
5.3
Show
Forced
Checkmate

48. Requirement
5.4
Solve For
Mate
Practice
#1
2 Moves

49. Requirement
5.4
Solve For
Mate
Practice
#2
2 Moves

50. Requirement
5.4
Solve For
Mate
Practice
#3
2 Moves

51. • Use handouts to find chess
problems to solve
• Pages show how many moves
are needed
• You get a point for each move
– So a 2 move puzzle is 2 points
• Get a total of 5 or more points
• Write down the moves using
algebraic notation
• Show counselor your answers
Requirement
5.4
Solve For
Mate
Problems

52. Blue Cards
• Fill out during tournament
• Fill all dates, even those for the counselor
• If getting partial, fill out numbers and dates on
back in table. I will initial each as I review.
• Do not present card unless it is filled out

53. Open Time
Tournament starts at 1:45 pm
Use this time to ask questions,
review puzzles, restroom, etc.

54. Requirement 6
Do ONE of the following:
1. Play at least three games of chess with other Scouts and/or
your merit badge counselor. Replay the games from your
score sheets and discuss with your counselor how you
might have played each game differently.
2. Play in a scholastic (youth) chess tournament and use your
score sheets from that tournament to replay your games
with your merit badge counselor. Discuss with your
counselor how you might have played each game
differently.
3. Organize and run a chess tournament with at least four
players, plus you. Have each competitor play at least two
games.
1:45 pm

55. Tournament
• Double Elimination
• Medals for top 3 finishers
• Must record games
• Limit of 10 minutes per game
Requirement
6a

56. • Games chosen at random
from tournament
• Due to limited time per
game, many opportunities
will have been missed
• This is not intended to be
critical. Please view as
instructive to improve play.
• Analyze decisions and
possible better moves
Requirement
6a
Replay
Games
3 pm

58. My
Contact
Info
• EMAIL: casto.robert@gmail.com
• POST:
7723 Tylers Place Blvd #180
West Chester, OH 45044
Help clean up please!
Geri’s Game 4:51
Intelligent Chess Move :41
Speed Chess – 2 minute game 2:47
Magnus Carlsen vs Hou Yifan 20:19