Smart Boys Play Chess Handout

Writtenby

HarlanB.Hodge,MSWLeadership,CharacterandChessCoach

SecondEdition

CHARACTERCHESS:10CharacterLessonsThroughTheGameofChess

CHARACTER CHESS™ 2

CHARACTERCHESS™10CharacterLessonsThroughTheGameofChess

Teacher’sManualandWorkbookCopyright2010byHarlanB.HodgeCharacterChessSt.Louis,Missouri63042SecondEdition



Dedication

Toalltheteacherswhograciouslygavetheirpersonaltimetothedevelopmentofmycharacterforthesakeofourcountry;Idedicatethisworktoyou.

TomyjuniorhighschoolSocialStudiesteacherandfirstchesscoach,Mr.Allen

Magarian,IdedicatethisbooktoyouinappreciationforthewonderfulserviceyouprovidedtothepeopleofEastSt.Louis,Illinois.Myhopeistoprovethatyour

investmentwasgood.

TomyhighschoolEnglishteacher,friendandmentor,Mr.WilliamJenkins,Idedicatethisbooktoyou,inparticular,forrelentlesslychallengingmetorisetoa

higherstandardofcharacter.ItisbecauseofyouthatIdowhatIdo.

Andtomyson,BrylanMasonHodge,itismyhopethatyoubenefitfirstfromtheselessons.



AcknowledgementsThisworkisacollectionofmanyoftheexperiences,lessonsandvictoriesofmylife.These treasures are a result of the rich relationships God has blessed me toexperience.Myfamily,friends,teachersandstudentsarethefuelformyefforts. Iamgratefulforyourbeliefinme.Thankyou.Inparticular, Iamgrateful to theteachersof theEastSt.LouisSchoolDistrict, theParkway School District and Walnut Park School in St. Louis, Missouri. Theseteachersandadministratorsdemonstrate the tremendouspotentialofadedicatedgroupofpeople.Thankyouforalwayssupportingmyeffortstoimprovethelivesofourchildren.I thank Pamela Westbrooks‐Hodge for being my partner and advisor in thisendeavor.Withouther,thiseffortwouldstillbeinmyhead.Aspecialthankstomygoodfriendsandeditors,KarenDrullatandChrisLahar. Ifthereareanymistakesinthismanual,itisbecauseIchangeditafteryourreview.Lastly, Iwould like toespecially thankScottGinsberg, “TheNametagGuy,” forhiscontinual reminders to me and countless others to “get everything in your headdownonpaper”.Thisbookisaresultofyourcontinualencouragement.



TableofContentsBackground Page6

TheDesign Page7

IntroductiontoCharacterChess Page8

SessionI:KNOWTHERULES Page11

SessionII:THINKTHENMOVE Page23

SessionIII:HAVEAPLAN Page33

SessionIV:STAYINCONTROL Page45

SessionV:KEEPLEARNING Page57

SessionVI:FLOCKTOGETHER Page68

SessionVII:PROTECTYOURCOMMUNITY Page86

SessionVIII:BEGOOD Page98

SessionIX:BEPREPARED Page107

SessionX:EACHONETEACHONE Page115

AdditionalResources

QuickStartChessRules Page121

OnlineResourceList Page130

SampleProposalforImplementation Page131

SampleWorkPlan Page136

EvaluationTools‐PreandPostTest

HarlanB.Hodge‐Biography



Background

CharacterChessisacharactereducationprogram,designedtoenhancethewaychildrenlearnthegameofchess.Itisavalues‐basedprogramthatshowschildrenthevalueofcharacterandtheimportanceofbeinggood.Theprogrambeginswithdefiningcharacterasanadherencetoasetofbeliefsorvalues.ItgoesontodescribesomeofAmerica'smostcloselyheldvaluesthatwillleadtosuccessinchessandinlife.Thegameofchessitselfisaculturallanguagethatallowspeopletoconnectaroundideas.Ifoneplaysthegamelongenough,itisverylikelythattheywilldevelopphilosophiesforplayingandwinning.However,inCharacterChess,wedefineseveralphilosophiesinthebeginningforthelearner.ThesephilosophiesaresharedbyCoachHodge,buttheycomefromordinarypeopleliketeachers,parents,businessownersandotherstudents.Theideaistointriguestudentsbyexposingthemtothedeepermysteriesofchesswhilesimultaneouslyreinforcingthevaluesofchess.Thesevaluesincludediligentandhonestwork, obeyingtherules,respectforothers,respectforauthority,humility, worthyaccomplishments,personalresponsibilityandcontributingtosociety. Asstudentslearntheselessons,theyconsciouslyusethemwhenplayingchess. Thus,everytimetheyplay,thelessonsofcharacterarebeingreinforcedthroughpracticeandrepetition.Goodcharacterisvitallyimportanttosuccess. Asa socialworkerandleadershipdevelopmentcoach,Ihaveseenstudentswithgoodcharacterexcelthroughhighschoolandcollege. Inmanycases,theygoontolivehealthyandproductivelives.Ontheotherhand,Ihaveseenstudentswithpoorcharacterstruggletofindtheirnicheinlife. Theystrugglewithdevelopingawinningstrategyforsuccessinlifebecausetheyhavenotdevelopedvaluesthatareconsistentwiththeworldinwhichtheylive.Theyareoftenisolatedanddisconnectedfromthelargersociety.Simplystated,theyarelosinginthegameoflifebecausetheyarenotpreparedtowin.CharacterChessisanexperientialprogramforpeoplewhoworkwithyouthandwanttoteachchildrentoplaychess,aswellashelpthembecomegoodcitizensnow,andinthefuture.TheprogramincludesmaterialstohelpschoolsandyouthserviceorganizationsestablishandteachCharacterChess.Theprogramincludesthismanual,“quick‐start”instructionsonhowtoplay,chessclubstartupmaterials,chesssets,books,videos,onlineresourcesandposters.



TheDesignCharacterChessisdesignedtoteachpeoplehowtoplaychessin10shortlessons.There aremany reasonswhypeople choose to learnhow to play chess. Someofthem justwant togain insight into themysteries, characterand life lessonsof thegame,while otherswant tounderstand themetaphors commonly associatedwithchess.Andthenthereareteacherswhocommonlywanttousechessasaquietgamefortheirstudents.CharacterChessiswrittenforalloftheseaudiences.Inthese10lessons,readerswillgetfivethings:

1. CharacterStories:Shortstoriesaboutmypowerfulexperienceswithchess.

2. Character Lessons: Value‐based lessons from Coach Hodge that aredesignedtoestablishprinciplesforbeingsuccessfulinlifeandchess.

3. ChessLessons: Instructional lessonsonhowtoplaychess. These lessons

will teach the reader the basic rules and instructions on how to play thegame.

4. Chess Challenges: Practice exercises designed to demonstrate

understanding. Many of these fun lessons can be completed in the book,independent of boards and pieces. All solutions can be found atwww.CharacterChess.org

5. Character Evaluation: Questions and activities designed to evaluate

character.Theycreateconversationandpersonalreflectionforthereader.After completing this book, readers will understand the value of good character.Theywill also understand how to play chess. Together, the readerwill have thefoundationofhowtoplaywinningchessandliveawinninglife.Playingchessinschooltransformedmylife.TherewasoneparticularteacherwithaplanforusingchessasatransformativetoolthatIcreditwithmuchofmypersonalandprofessionalsuccess.Thisismyattempttogivebackaportionofwhathehasgiventome.Ipraythatyoucanimpactthepeopleyouservewiththeseresources.


Introduction to Character Chess CHARACTER CHESS™ 8

CharacterChess™10CharacterLessonsThroughTheGameofChess

ByCoachHarlanB.Hodge

Introduction

Hello,my name isHarlanHodge, and I am a chess and character coach. I teachlessonsofcharacterthroughthegameofchess. Muchofmysuccessinlifecanbetracedbacktothelessonsthegameofchesshastaughtme.Fromplanningbeforeyou move, to never underestimating your opposition, these lessons havecontributed to my successful navigation through poverty, graduate school andbusiness.Ironically, the game of chess is not just a game. It is an opportunity for us toexamineourselves,formrelationshipswithothersandtodevelopsoundprincipalsfor life. Theprincipals you liveby are your values. Whenyour values andyouractionsareinalignment,wecallthis"goodcharacter".Yourcharacteristhemeasureofhowwellyoualignyourvalueswithyouractions.Inotherwords,yourcharacterismeasuredbyhowwellyourlifealignswithyourvalues.Forexample,yousay,“Ivaluemyfamily”,yetyoudothingsthatembarrassyourfamilyandmakethemashamed.Thiswouldbeconsidered“poorcharacter”.Apersonofgoodcharacter,whovaluesfamily,willalwaysconsiderhowtheiractionswillimpacttheirfamily.Weallhavevalues.Somevaluesaremoredeeplyheldthanothers.Ourchallengeistoalignourvalueswithouractionssothatwehaveconsistencybetweenwhatwebelieve and what we do. Once more, character is defined by how well wedemonstrateexternallywhatwebelieveinternally.Thepeoplewho aremost successful at developing good characterwin favorwithteachers,co‐workersandfriends.Theyarelikedandrespectedbytheircommunitymembers.Theygarner admirationand support at every turn. On theotherhand,thosewhodonotpracticegoodcharacteroftenfindthemselvesisolated,frustratedandconfinedtothelonesomecornersoflife.Myassumptionisthatyouwanttowinbothatchessandinlife.Winningmeansyouarepreparedforthechallengesthatcomeyourway.Itmeansyouunderstandhowto use what you know to produce favorable results that you can be proud of.Ultimately,winning is giving all you have to a cause and knowing you gave yourbest. Soifyoutrulywanttobeawinner,thenyouhavetodevelopstrategiesthatwork.Overthenext10sessions,Iamgoingtosharewithyouthemostvaluablecharacterlessonschesshastaughtme. Alongtheway,youwill learnhowtoplaychess.But



more importantly, youwill learn how to take control of your life by utilizing thesameprinciplesagreat chessplayeruses to control everymoveof thegame. Myhopeisthatyouwillbethe"GrandMaster"ofyourfate.

Beforewebegin,Iwantyoutoconsiderthefollowingvaluesthatyouwillbeaskedtoevaluatethroughoutthisbook.Thisisalistofsomeofournation’smostcloselyheldvalues.

CherishedAmericanValues(Asdiscussedin“TheGoodBook‐CharacteristheThing”byWilliamJenkins)

CountryandCitizenship Astrongsenseofbelonging,ownershipandresponsibilityfortheplacewhereonelives

RespectfortheRightsofOthers Acommitmenttotreatingothershowyouwanttobetreated

RespectforOthers’Property Acommitmenttoupholdingeveryone’srighttoownproperty

Motherhood Acommitmenttoupholdingthedignityandrespectforwomenandtheirrolesasmothers

Family Acommitmenttosupportingthefamily

RespectfortheElderly AdesiretohonorandrespecttheeldersofoursocietyTakingPersonalResponsibility Awillingnesstoaccepttheresultsofyouractionsorinaction

DiligentandHonestWork Adesiretoworkhardandhonestly

Knowledge AdrivetodiligentlypursueunderstandingContributingtoSociety

(GivingBack) Adesiretosupportthecommunitythathassupportedyou

ObeyingtheRules Awillingnesstofunctionwithintheestablishedguidelinestoachieveagoal

RespectforAuthority Awillingnesstosubmittoandhonoraperson’spositionandauthorityTakingCareofOurEnvironment Adesiretotakecareoftheplaceinwhichyoulive

Humility Abeliefintheequalityofhumanvalue

Compassion(kindness) Adesiretobekind

WorthyAccomplishments AcommitmenttousingtimeandresourcestoachieveameaningfulgoalHonestyandIntegrityin

SpeechandDeed Acommitmenttobeingtruthfulandtrustworthy

Courage Acommitmenttoanoutcomethatisstrongerthanfear

Virtue Acommitmenttobeing“good”



If

RudyardKipling

IfyoucankeepyourheadwhenallaboutyouArelosingtheirsandblamingitonyou;

Ifyoucantrustyourselfwhenallmendoubtyou,Butmakeallowancefortheirdoubtingtoo;Ifyoucanwaitandnotbetiredbywaiting,Or,beingliedabout,don'tdealinlies,

Or,beinghated,don'tgivewaytohating,Andyetdon'tlooktoogood,nortalktoowise;

Ifyoucandream‐andnotmakedreamsyourmaster;Ifyoucanthink‐andnotmakethoughtsyouraim;

IfyoucanmeetwithtriumphanddisasterAndtreatthosetwoimpostersjustthesame;Ifyoucanbeartohearthetruthyou'vespokenTwistedbyknavestomakeatrapforfools,

Orwatchthethingsyougaveyourlifetobroken,Andstoopandbuild'emupwithworn‐outtools;

IfyoucanmakeoneheapofallyourwinningsAndriskitononeturnofpitch‐and‐toss,

Andlose,andstartagainatyourbeginningsAndneverbreatheawordaboutyourloss;

IfyoucanforceyourheartandnerveandsinewToserveyourturnlongaftertheyaregone,AndsoholdonwhenthereisnothinginyouExceptthewill,whichsaystothem:"Holdon";

Ifyoucantalkwithcrowdsandkeepyourvirtue,Orwalkwithkings‐norlosethecommontouch;Ifneitherfoesnorlovingfriendscanhurtyou;Ifallmencountwithyou,butnonetoomuch;

Ifyoucanfilltheunforgivingminute

Withsixtyseconds'worthofdistancerun‐YoursistheEarthandeverythingthat'sinit,And‐whichismore‐you'llbeaManmyson!


Session I: Know the Rules CHARACTER CHESS™ 11

SESSIONI:KNOWTHERULES

“UnderstandingCharacter”

TimeLength:50‐60MinutesCurriculumOutline

Goals Materials

ProcessSteps

Tounderstandthedefinitionofcharacter

Tounderstandtheimportanceofknowingandfollowingtherules

Tounderstand

“Rank”and“File”

Tolearnhowtoidentifythe64squaresoftheboardbyname

Toidentifythebasic

rulesthatgovernourlives

Toencouragefollowingtherules

CharacterChess

manualforeachstudent

Character

evaluation/pre‐test(One

foreachstudent)

Pensand/orpencils

Characterposterforall

tosee

Chessboardsandpieces

1. Openingactivity:Characterpre‐test

a. Collectallevaluations2. ReadtheIntroductionanddiscuss

theword“character”a. Whatischaracter?b. Whyischaracter

important?c. Howdoweshowit?

3. ReadtheCharacterChessStory:"KnowtheRulesandPlaybyThem"

4. CompletetheReadingResponseSheet

5. ReadtheCharacterLesson:"KNOWTHERULES"

6. ReadtheChessLesson:“THEPIECES”

7. CompletetheChessChallenge:"NAMEANDFINDGAME"

8. Read,completeanddiscusstheCharacterReflection:“TheBasicRulesofYourLife”



CharacterChessStory

KnowtheRulesandPlaybyThemThere are several rules to learn before you can start playing chess. I have notcounted them,but it’soverwhelming toeven thinkabout. Iwould imagine this isoneofthemajorreasonspeoplechoosenottolearnthegame.Gettingtoknowtherulesisacommitment.Ittakestimetomemorizeallthemovesofthepiecesandtherulesofthegame.Itisquiteaninvestment.Mostpeoplelikesimplegamesthatareeasytojumpintoandwin.Chessisnotoneofthosegames.I first met the game when I was growing up in East St. Louis. I lived in aneighborhoodfilledwithkids.Onanysummer’sday,youwouldseekidsoneverycorner riding bikes, playing basketball or just playing games. We didn’t havesidewalks,soyoueitherplayedinthestreet,onthegrassoronsomeone’sporch.Itwasononeofthosesummerdays,afterspottingacrowdgatheredonaneighbor'sporch, that I encountered this strange game. It seemed like ahundredkidsweregathered around thisweird checker board, coveredwith pieces I had never seen.“Whataretheydoing?”Ithoughttomyself.SoIranontotheporch.“Whatisthat?”Iasked.“It’schess!Shhhhh!”,theysaidinunison.Atthispoint,Ifeltreallydumb.Everybodyknewthegamebutme.So,Istaredoninamazementasthetwoplayersmovedthepiecesaroundontheboard.Inoticedallthekidscommentingoneverymove.“Iseewhathe’sdoing.He’sgonna…”iswhatthey were whispering, but I couldn't understand them. “What are they talkingabout?”Ithoughttomyself.Mycuriositywaspeaked,butthefrustrationwaskillingme.I watched those kids play chess for hours. One kid in particular seemed to beateveryone. The twoofuswere left sittingon theporchwhen theotherkidswentbacktoracingtheirbikesandplayingjumpropeinthestreet.Iaskedhimtoteachmehowtoplayandhedid.I’mnotsurehowlongittook,butIrememberlearningandforgettingalot.WhenIwouldforgethowtomoveapiece,hewouldremindme.WhenIwouldmakeanillegalmove,hewouldcorrectmeandgivemeoptions.Itwasn’tlongbeforeIwasreadytoplaytheotherkids.However,IwantedtoplaywithalargecrowdwatchingmesothatIcouldsurpriseeverybodywithmygenius.Icouldheartheminmyhead.“Man!!Thatkidisgood.Hemustbeagenius.Whoisthat?”“That’sDrummond’slittlebrother.”Nooneintheneighborhoodknewmyname,beingthatIwastheyoungestof fourchildren and had just completed sixth grade; they simply referred to me as"Drummond’s little brother". Drummond was in Middle School and was fairly



popular.ButIcouldeasilyseemyselfrisingoutofhisshadowtheminuteIlearnedhowtoplaychess.Iwouldbeateverybody,andtheywouldallknowmyname.Unfortunately,itdidn’thappenthatway.Afterlearningtherules,Iplayedmyfirstgame againstmybrother. Drummondbeatme terribly. Thenhe said, “You can’tplaychess.Yousuck!”Iwascrushed.Itwasn’tsupposedtohappenlikethat.IwentbacktomychesstutorandtoldhimthatIlost.Likeawiseoldsage,hetoldme the most powerful words I would hear that summer. He said, “ListenDrummond’slittlebrother,youaregood,butthemoreyouplay,thebetteryouwillget.”Itookthosewordsandplayedeveryday. I foundeveryonewhoknewhowtoplaythe game. I played everyone in the neighborhood and lost to everyone in theneighborhood.Everydayforawholeweek,Iplayedandlostnon‐stop.Imeasuredmy successbyhow long it tookpeople tobeatme. Iwent from lastingonly fourmoves,toextendingmygamestoanhourbeforeIlost.Iwasgettingbetter.ItwasthesecondweekafterlearningthatIwonmyfirstgame.Itwasaquietwinandnoonewaswatching. At least Idon’trecallanyonewatching,orwhomIwasplaying, for thatmatter. By this time itwas justmeand theboard, sowho Iwasplaying andwhowaswatchingwere the least ofmy concerns. Iwas focused ongettingbetter.Andthat’swhatIdid.Bytheendofthatweek,Icouldn’tfindanyonewhocouldbeatme.So,Iwentbacktomybrother,Drummond.Andafterrefusingtoplaymeforweeks,he finally agreed to beatmequickly, so he could get back to playingAtari on thetelevision.Webattledfor20or30minutes,andIwon!Asmilecrepttomylipsasmy head rose from the board. We made eye contact as I spoke the word,“Checkmate”.Helookedatme.Thenhelookeddownattheboardandthenbackatme.Allofasudden,heflippedtheboardoverandthepiecesflewacrosstheroom.“Youstillsuck!”hesaid.DrummondandIhaveonlyplayedchesstwotimesinourlives.Iguesswearestilltied.



Nowpleasetakeaminutetoanswerthefollowingquestions.Makesuretoconsiderthevaluesyousawreflectedinthisstory.Challengeyourselftobethoughtfulinyouranswers.

ReadingResponseSheetWhatHappened?Whatfactsoreventsdoyourememberfromthereadingpassage?(Makealistinthespacebelow)

SoWhat?Whatvalue(s)arebeingdisplayedinthispassage?

Placean“X”inthecolumnofyourchoicetotheright.

CherishedAmericanValues(discussedin“TheGoodBook‐Character

istheThing”byWilliamJenkins)

Howarethosevaluesshown?

Whatlessoncanwelearnfromthisstory?

CountryandCitizenship

RespectfortheRightsofOthers

RespectforOthers’Property

Motherhood

Family

RespectfortheElderly

TakingPersonalResponsibility

DiligentandHonestWork

Knowledge

ContributingtoSociety(GivingBack)

ObeyingtheRules

RespectforAuthority

TakingCareofOurEnvironment

Humility

Compassion(kindness)

WorthyAccomplishments

HonestyandIntegrityinSpeechandDeed

Courage

Virtue

NowWhat?Doyousharethelistedvalueabove?Whatactionswillyouperformtodemonstratethisvalue?



CharacterLesson

VALUE:KNOWTHERULES

“Rules”defined:asetofconditionsorstandardsthathavebeenagreedupon.Rulesarecreatedtogovernbehavior.

Inlifethereareruleswehavetoliveby.Ifwelivedalone,wecouldlivebyourownrules, but because we live with other people, we must have agreements. Theseagreements are designed to maintain civility. In other words, a civilized societylivesbyagreements.Thesearetherulesthateveryoneisexpectedtoliveby.Thosewhodon’tabidebytherulesoftendonotgettoparticipatewithothers.Yourlifeisavehicledesignedtotakeyouplaces.Youaredesignedtoexperienceallthat is or everwas. Every inch of the globe and everything there is to knowareyoursfortheexploring.Youcangojustaboutanywhereanddojustaboutanything,butyouhave toplayby the rules. Forexample,youarewelcome tocome tomyhouse,havedinner,meetmy family,playchessandhangout. However, therearethreerulesthatyouhavetoabideby:

a. CallFirst.Ifyoupopupatmyhousewithoutcalling,wemaynotbethereorIjustmightnotletyouin.

b. Greeteachpersonyouseewithasmileandhello.That’sasignofrespect.Ifyoudon’trespectmyhouse,youcan’tstay.

c. Bring something to share. Myhouse is like a Church. Youwill receivesomething if you comewith the right attitude and you are expected togive for your own good. We accept gifts, conversation and talents, butmostofall,apleasantattitude.Evenmysoncan’tcomehomewithoutagoodreportfromschool.

Doyousee?Everyplacehasitsrules.Onceyouunderstandtherules,thenyoucanenjoythegame.



ChessLesson

THEPIECES

Achessplayerisincontrolofhistroops. Heorsheisaleaderwhocommandshissoldiers.Heuseshismind,heartandsoultomakeonlythebestdecisionsfromhisfirstmoveuntilthelast.Forgetwhatyouhavebeentold;thisisnotagame.Thisislife.Andyouliveordieonthese64squares.Butfirst,youmustlearntherulesofsurvivalinthisplaceIcallthe"WorldofChess".Tostartout,wehavetolearnthevalueofthingsaroundhere.Thinkofeverythingin your life forwhich you are responsible ‐ your stuff, such as your toys, clothes,bike,yourroom,etc.Allthesethingshavevalue.Somebodypaidmoneysoyoucouldhavethosethings.Right?Good.There’sotherstuffyouareresponsiblefortoo.LikeYourself.Youmustwakeupinthemorning, get ready for school, feed your body and go to school to feed yourmind.And then there is somethingbigger thanyou thateveryperson is responsible for.That’sright!TheCommunity.Weallhavetodoourparttotakecareofandprotectour community. We take care of our community by protecting it fromharm anddoing our best to keep things in order. The way you take care of yourresponsibilitiesisoneofthewaystomeasureyourcharacter.Justlikeinyourworld,inthe"WorldofChess",ourpieceshavevalue.Let’smeetthesoldiersofmyworld.

ThePawn: These toughwarriors have onemission; get thejob done! They keep moving forward and never turn back.Theymovestraightahead,slowandsteady.Butwatchout‐ ifyoustepintheirstrikingrange,it'soverforyou.Saygoodnightand goodbye. This band of brothers is your first line ofdefense. Theyarethestandardbywhicheveryotherpieceismeasured.TheBishop:AsthePalaceadvisors,thesetwofightersarelikelighteningonthebattlefield.Theystrikeacrosstheboardwithprecisionandgrace.Getintheirwayandit’slightsout.Oneonblack and one on white, they can get to any square on theboardinamomentstime.TheBishopisworththreetimesthevalueofaPawn:ThreePawns.



TheKnight:Twowarriorsinone,theKnightonhishorseisafearless foe. Hisunorthodoxmovement inanL‐shape ishardtomaster,buttheplayerwhodoesisnearlyimpossibletostop.TheKnightisworththreePawnsinvalue.TheRook: Astrong fortress is thekey tocontrollinggroundonthebattlefield. Thecastle‐shapedRookisyourresourceinthe field. Placed strategically, the Rook will help you gaingroundanddestroyyourenemy.That’swhytheRookisworth5Pawns.TheQueen:WiththepowersoftheRookandtheBishop,theQueenisthemostpowerfulpieceontheboard. Sheis fearedbytheenemyandadmiredbyhertroops.Underyourcontrol,shecanmakeorbreakyourempire.Greatplayershandleherwith careandcaution. As the secondmostvaluablepieceontheboard,sheisworth9Pawns.The King: If the Queen is the most powerful piece in ourworld, the King is themost important. He’s a tough old guywhomovesslowly,buthe’sgotsometricksofhisown. Thenameofthegameistotraptheenemy’sKing.EverysoldierinyourarmyworkstogethertoprotecthisownKingandtotraptheenemy’s.OncetheKingistrappedthegameisover.That’swhytheKing’svaluecan’tbemeasured.



SampleChessBoardSetup These are your troops. Your job is to protect and guide them with wisdom andcaution.Beforethebattlebegins,youneedpractice.Solet’sstartwithtraining.



TheBoardLet’s takea lookat thebattlefield. Everythinghappenson these64squares. Youcanthinkoftheboardastheearthonaflatmap. Likeonamap,everyinchoftheboard canbe identifiedwithhorizontal andvertical lines. You can identify everysquare on the board using a secret codewe call “AlgebraicNotation”. Here’s thesecretcode.FilesIn chess, vertical lines are called “Files”. These are the letters that run along thebottomof theboard from“A” to“H”. ThinkofFilesas lines thatstretch fromthebottomtothetopoftheboard.

Takeyour fingerand follow the“A‐File” line from thebottomof theboard to thetop.Good.Nowdothesamethingforthe“B‐File”.VeryGood!DothesamethingforFilesCthroughH.

AFILE

DFILE

GFILE



RanksInchess,horizontallinesarecalled“Ranks”.Theyareidentifiedbythenumbersonthesidesoftheboard,andrangefrom“1to8”.ThinkofRanksaslinesthatspreadallthewayacrosstheboardfromlefttoright.

TakeyourfingerandfollowthelinefromlefttorightacrosstheFirstRankorline#1. Good. Nowdothesameforthe8thRankorline#8.VeryGood! Dothesamethingforthe2nd,3rd,4th,5th,6th,and7thRanks.

1st Rank

5th Rank

8th Rank



SquaresOkay.Nowyouarereadytocrackthecode.Everysquareontheboardhasitsownname.That’sright.Sixty‐foursquares,sixty‐fournames.Eachnamestartswithaletterandendswithanumber.Theletter,thesquaresfirstname,isdeterminedbytheFilethatthesquarelieson.Andthenumber,thesquare’slastnamecomesfromtheRankitlieson.Here’showitworks.Putyourfingerinthemiddleofonesquare.What“File”runsthroughthatsquare? That is thesquare’s firstname. Now, identifywhich“Rank”runsthroughthatsquare.Thatisthesquare’slastname.

(Answer:e5)



CHESSCHALLENGE:NAMEANDFINDGAME

Objective:Nameorfindthesquaresshownintheexamplesbelow.

Instructions: Writethenameofthesquaresmarkedwithan“X”intheboxesbelow.

Instructions: Placean"X"inthesquaresontheboardthatcorrespondtothenameslistedin

theboxesbelow.

a4,c7,d1,f1 d4,e4,d5,e5



MOREINFORMATION:NOTATION

Everysquareonthechessboardisgivenacoordinate,whichconsistsofthepairingofalowercaseletter(athroughh),andanumber(1to8),asshowninourlesson.Thelowerleftcorneris"a1"andtheupperrightcorneris"h8".

Thechesspiecesaredesignatedbyuppercaselettersasfollows:KisKing,QisQueen,BisBishop,NisKnight,andRisRook.ThePawnhasnosymbol.APawnmoveisindicatedbyalowercaseletter,indicatingthepawn'sfile(d3wouldindicatethatapawnhasmovedtothed3square).

CastlingontheKing'ssideisdesignatedby0‐0,andontheQueen’ssideby0‐0‐0.(ThiswillbeexplainedinfurtherdetailinSession6)

Theletter"x"isusedtoindicateapiecehasbeentaken. Aplussign(+)indicatescheck. Apoundsign(#)indicatescheckmate. Threedots(...)followingamovenumberindicatesaBlackmove(1...

f4indicatesthatBlack'sfirstmoveistobringthepawntof4). Aslash(/)withacapitallettertotherightoftheslashindicatesa

pawnpromotion(b1/Qshowsthatthepawnonthe“bfile”movedtotheb1squareandwaspromotedtoQueen).

Anexclamationpoint(!)indicatesagoodmoveand(!!)indicatesabrilliantmove.

Aquestionmark(?)indicatesapoormove,and(??)indicatesaseriousblunder.



CharacterReflection

TheBasicRulesofYourLife

Congratulations!YouhavecompletedSessionI.Youareonyourwaytobecomingachessplayerandapersonofstrongcharacter.Nowthatwehavelearnedsomeofthebasicrulesofchess,let’sdiscussthebasicrulesofyourlife.

Answerthesequestions:Whatarethebasicrulesofyourlife?

Whathappensifyoudon’tplaybythoserules?

Howwelldoyoufollowtherules?


Session II: Think Then Move CHARACTER CHESS™ 25

SESSIONII:THINKTHENMOVE"MentalPractice"


Goals Materials ProcessSteps

Tounderstandthedefinitionofpractice

Tounderstandthevalueofpractice

Tomasterthe

movementsofthePawns

Toidentifystudents'

majorareasofinterest

Toencouragepracticeasavalue

CharacterChess


Chessboards&pawns

forstudentsonly–two

studentsperboard

Pensand/orpencils


toreview

1. ReadtheCharacterChess Story:

“ThePowerofPractice”

2. CompletetheReadingResponse

Sheet

3. ReadtheCharacterLesson:

"THINKTHENMOVE"

4. ReadtheChessLesson:

"THEPAWN"

5. CompletetheChessChallenge:

"THEPAWNTOUCHDOWN

CHALLENGE"

6. Read,completeanddiscussthe

CharacterReflection:"WhatAre

YouPracticing?”



CharacterChessStory

ThePowerofPractice

Itwas inEast St. Louis that Iwas lured into theworldof tournament chess. Thesummerbeforemiddleschool,aneighborsatonthestairsofhisfrontporchplayingthisstrangeboardgame.Hecalledit“chess”.Manyofthekidsonourstreetknewhowtoplay.Oneday,thisyoungmanofferedtoteachme.Ispenttherestofthatsummer, day and night, learning the basic rules of the game. At the end of onesession, I remember him saying, “themore you play, the better you’ll get.” Thislessonwouldprovetobetrueineveryaspectofmylife.Itwouldalsobecomeoneofmylife’smottosandthefirstlessonofthisbook.Ididplaymore.Infact,Iplayedoften and by the end of the summer, I was the best chess player in theneighborhood.

ThesummercametoanendandSeptemberrolledaround. IstartedanewschoolyearatLansdowneMiddleSchoolinthegiftedprogram.Thekidsinmyclassweremostlymyfriendsfromelementaryschool.Someofthemwerethesmartkids,onebeingMarkHolt, but the otherswere just ordinary kids likeme. I figured IwaseitherassmartasMark,orhewasasslowasme.Ichosetobelievetheformer.Our7thgradeclasswasconsideredtobethesmartkidsoftheschool,andIwasoneofthem.Ilikedthat.

During thesecondweekofmiddleschool theconspiracybegan. Mysocialstudiesteacher,Mr.AllenMagarian,heldachesstournament inhisclassroom. He invitedallofthekidstohisclassroomafterschooltoplaychess. Thewinnerofanygamewould receive a Snickers™ chocolate candy bar. For a sugar addicted kid, thepromiseofaSnickers™barwasliketherisingofthesunadayaftertheendoftheworld. Candywas reasonenough tocome to school, letaloneamotivator to stayafter.Nearlytheentiregiftedclass,boysandgirls,stayedafterschooltoplaychessforachancetowinaSnickers™bar.

ItwasintheseafterschoolcompetitionsthatIrealizedthepowerofpractice.Ofthe30ormore7thgraderscompeting forcandyprizes, I leftdailywithat least threecandybars.IwasbetterthantheotherkidsbecauseIpracticedmore.Andwhenitlookedliketheywerecatchingup,Iplayedandpracticedmore.

Youwillgetbetter inchessand inschoolwhenyoupractice. Success inanythingrequiresustopractice. Ifyouwanttobeagreatchessplayer,keeppracticingandplaying.Therearemedals,trophiesandawardslabeledwithyourname,waitingonyou.














Motherhood

Family




Knowledge


ObeyingtheRules

RespectforAuthority


Humility




Courage

Virtue




CharacterLesson

VALUE:THINKTHENMOVE

“Practice”defined:todorepeatedlyinordertolearn.

Tobe thebestatanything requiresa commitment topractice. MalcolmGladwell,author of Outliers, has popularized the “10,000 Hour Rule”. Simply stated, the“10,000HourRule”saysthatinordertobeatopperformerinanyarea,youmusthave 10,000 hours of practice doing that thing. Psychologist Anders Ericssonstudied violinists at the Berlin Academy ofMusic. He discovered that thosewhopracticedthemost,excelledbeyondthosewhodidnot.Getting10,000hoursofpractice sounds ratherdifficult;however, it isnot. Therearesomethingsyoumustkeepinmind.First,10,000hoursiscloseto4hourseverydayfortenyears.Todoanythingfor4hourseverydayfortenyearswillrequireacommitment. Secondly, if you are going to do something that often, you shouldreallyloveit. Chancesarethatyouhavediscoveredsomethingthatyoulovetodoallthetime.Let’scallthisyourpassion.Whenwearepracticingsomethingthatwearepassionateabout,timefliesbywithoutourawareness.Iamencouragingyoutoidentifysomethingworthyofyourpassion,ahobbyoraninterestthatisenrichingtoyourselfandothers.Thisshouldbesomethingthatyouaredeeplyexcitedaboutmastering.Carveoutanhouradaytostartoutandbuildup to fourhoursof practiceperday. Soon, youwill find that youhavebecomeamaster of that thing. For some, chess is their passion and as a result, they havebecome"ChessMasters".Masteryrequiresyourcommitmenttopractice.



ChessLesson

THEPAWNAsachessplayer,youareincommandofyourtroops.Theyfollowyourordersandyou are responsible for their every movement. They will obey your commandswithouthesitation.However,youmustunderstandtheirabilitiesandlimitations.ThePawnalwaysmovesforward.Itistheonlypiecethatcannotmovebackwards.It is also the only piece that captures differently than it moves. It takes piecesdiagonally.



ThePawnhas twospecialabilities. First, if thePawnhasnevermoved, ithas theoptionofmovingeitheronesquareortwosquaresforward.Secondly, if thepawnmakes it toyouropponentsbackRank, theRankwhere theopponentsKingandQueenbeginthegame,hecanbecomeaQueen(usuallythebestchoice),Rook,KnightorBishop.Thisiscalled"PawnPromotion".



CHESSCHALLENGE:THEPAWNTOUCHDOWNCHALLENGE Objective: Toperfect themovesof thePawn.Workwithapartner anduseyourPawnstoraceacrosstheboardtoreachyouropponentsbackrank. This iscalled"Pawn Promotion".Remember: In chess when we capture a piece, we take thatpiece’spositionontheboard.Instructions:

1. Setupallthepiecesontheboardaspicturedbelow.OnlyMOVEPAWNS!2. Shakeyouropponent'shand.Whitemovesfirst.Taketurnsmoving.3. MoveyourPawnsforwardacrosstheboard.Trytopromoteyourpawn

beforeyouropponent.4. Takepieceswhereyoucan.5. Stayalive!Watchout,theenemycanattackyoufromanangle,butina

frontalattacknoonecanwin.6. ReachyouropponentsbackRankwithoneofyourPawnsbeforetheyreach

yours.Thefirstpersontolandonthe1stor8thRankisthewinner.Yell“TouchDown”!



CharacterReflection

WhatAreYouPracticing?Congratulations! You have completed Session II. You are on yourway tobecomingachessplayerandapersonofstrongcharacter.Nowthatwehavelearned the importance of practice, let’s discuss the other things you arepracticing.

AnswerthesequestionsMakealistoffivethingsyouwanttoexcelin?(Forexample:Playinganinstrument,publicspeaking,writing,orasport)

Select one thing from your list that you would like to master. Identifysomeonewhohasmasteredthatactivity.Howmanyhoursdoyouthinkthatpersonpractices?

Howoftenwillyoupractice?When?Where?


Session III: Have a Plan CHARACTER CHESS™ 33

SESSIONIII:HAVEAPLAN

"PlanningForSuccess"


Goals Materials

ProcessSteps

Tounderstandthedefinitionofplanning

Tounderstandwhyitisimportanttoplan

TolearnandpracticethemovesoftheBishop

Toidentifyshortand

longtermgoals

Tocreateaplanforachievingtheidentifiedgoals

Toencouragehealthy

andproductiverelationships

CharacterChess


Pensand/orpencils


toreview

1. ReadtheCharacterChess Story:

“LarryJack”

2. CompletetheReadingResponse

Sheet

3. ReadtheCharacterLesson:

"HAVEAPLAN"

4. ReadtheChessLesson:"THE

BISHOP"

5. CompletetheChessChallenge:

“GOGet‘emBISHOP!”

6. Read,completeanddiscussthe

CharacterReflection:"Goal

SettingandPlanningfor

Success"



CharacterChessStory

LARRYJACKLarry Jack was better than me at everything. He was a half‐inch taller than me.EverydayinMs.Nave'smathclass,hewouldgettheanswersahalfsecondbeforeme. He even passed his note to Helen Rose, asking her to be his girlfriend rightbeforeIdid.Whenwewalkedhomefromschool,hewasalwaysonestepaheadofme.Icouldn’tstandLarryJack,buthebecamemybestfriend.We both competed in the gifted program at LansdowneMiddle School in East St.Louisandwere regulars inMr.Magarian'sSnickers™bar candy tournament. Oneday, afterbeatingall theotherkids in the tournament, Larry and I stoppedathishouse to goover a gameweplayed. Of course,wealsoplayeda game,or twoofChess.Thisbriefstopturnedintoadailyritualafterschool.Wewouldrushtohishouse, finish our homework and get down to business. We would try out ourtoughestopeningsandsharethemostchallengingsituationswehadseenfromouropponents.Afterwards,wewouldcritiqueeachother’smoves.Eventually,wecameup with this outrageous and disturbing tactic of playing heavy metal music veryloudly,totrytobreakeachother'sconcentration.Moreimportantly,wedevelopedthe"ChessPartnerChallenge",whichiscommonlyknown in the business world as an accountability partnership. Accountabilitypartnerships are functional relationship agreements that serve three primarypurposes: 1.Toinspire"BigThinking" 2.Toencouragefocusandplanning 3.TocelebrateachievementsandaccomplishmentsThese three benefits are very difficult for individuals to produce for themselves.Through accountability,we find improved performance and self‐confidence. As achess and character coach, I often create accountability partnerships betweenstudents.Thishelpsyoungpeopleunderstandtheimportanceofrelationshipsandaccountability. In chess, it is the most effective tool I have found to improveperformance.Chessrequiresyoutoplanyourmoves;tothinkthroughtheconsequencesofeverychoiceyoumake.“IfImovehere,myopponentislikelytomovehereorthere.Ifhechoosestomovethere,I’llmovehereandthenhe’llbeforcedtomovethere!Oncehemovesthere…AhHA!”Andsoitgoesforhours.Thisprocessofself‐talkmightbeconsidered paranoid or compulsive anywhere outside of chess. However, this isexactlywhatittakestobeatthecompetition.IthasbeensaidthatthegreatBobbyFischer could see the endof a game from thebeginning.This iswhyhehasbeenconsideredthebestofalltimes.



I’mnoBobbyFischer.Atmybest,Icouldseeupto10variationsforeverymoveinagame.But even then,Larrywasusuallyone stepaheadofme.Becauseof this, heusuallybeatmeinchess.IheardthatLarrywouldgohomeandplaychessagainsthimself for hours. Itwas said that hewould sit at a tablewith two chairs and aboardsetfortwoplayers.HewouldstartthegamebymakingWhite’sbestopeningmove. Thenhewouldstandup,walkaroundthetable,sitontheothersideoftheboard and make Black's best move. Supposedly, this intellectual battle againsthimselfwouldlastforhours,butofcoursethiswasallarumor.If it is true thatLarryplayedagainsthimselfdaily,playingagainstmegavehimanewperspective. And if nothing else, it saved him time inmoving back and forthfromchairtochair.














Motherhood

Family




Knowledge


ObeyingtheRules

RespectforAuthority


Humility




Courage

Virtue




CharacterLessonVALUE:HAVEAPLAN

“Plan”defined:adesigncreatedtoaccomplishapurpose.Itiscommonlysaidthat,“ifyoudonotplanto

succeedthenyouplantofail”.The first step inwinning is having awinning plan. Every step of our life has animpactontherestofourlife.Inchess,thegamecanbedividedintothreeparts:theopening,middleandendgame.Inthesameway,yourlifecanbedividedintothreeparts: youth,middleageandretirement. Inyouryouth,youarenew.Youhaveaworldofoptions. Every choiceyoumakewill impactyourexperienceat thenextphaseinlife:middleage.Inthemiddleofyourlifeyouarerequiredtoliveoffthedecisionsofyourpast. Ifyoumadegoodchoices,thenyoucanbuildonthoseandsecuretheresourcesyouneedtodesignthelifeyouwant.Ifyoumadepoorchoices,thenmiddleagewillbeatoughexperienceforyou.Youarelikelytostrugglejusttosurvive. Andthenthere istheendgame,orretirement. Inthe latteryearsof life,youhavetolivewiththerealityofyourchoices. Ifyouhaveplayedwell,thenyouareincontrolofyourlife.Youcangowhereyouwantanddowhatyouwanttodo.Youaresetuptowin.Ifyouhavemadepoorchoicesanddisobeyedtheprinciplesofsuccess,thenyouarelikelytoendupdisappointedandrejectedatdeath’sdoor.Iwouldhatetosayyou’realoser,butotherpeoplewouldsayyou’realoser.So,thebestthingtodoistomakeyourbestmovesatthebeginningofyourlife.Youryouth determines your future fruit. Plant good seeds now and reap the benefitslater. Every step you take should be made with the end game in mind. Chessprodigy, Josh Waitzken, played every game from the end first. What does thatmean?Healwaysbeganwiththeendinmind.Itisagoodideatovisualizewhereyou are going before you start walking. Otherwise, you are likely to end upanywhere. Therewill be enoughdistractions along theway. If youdon’t plan towin,thenyouplantofail.EverydayofmylifeIhaveawinningplan,followedbyawinningstrategy.Ihaveavision for my life that I picture in my head every day. It involves traveling tocollegesaroundthecountryinanRVanddeliveringpackagestomystudents.Everyday, Imapout themost important victory thatwill getme to that vision. ImustsendmorestudentstocollegeandmakemoneytobuytheRVandthenI listtasksthatwill getme there. Imust get onemore kid a scholarship or help onemorestudentgraduatefromhighschool.Today,youmustbeapersonwithaplan.However,simplyhavingaplanisnotgoodenough.Youmustalsohaveaback‐uptotheplan.Quiteoften,ourfirstplandoesn’tworkandthat‘swhenwegototheback‐upplan.That’swhenyouarethinkinglikeachessplayer.“IfIdothis,andtheywilldothat,thenI’lldothis.”Wethinkthroughall thepossibilities.MysophomoreEnglishteacher,WilliamJenkinssaid, “Life isaseries of choices and consequences; one makes the choices and lives with theconsequences.”



ChessLesson

THEBISHOP

TheBishopsaretheKingandQueens’sadvisors,sotheystandclosetothematthebeginningofthegame.However,theBishopisquicktojumpintothefight.

Hemovesalongthediagonalsofthecoloritoriginallystartedon. Hecannotjumpoverhisownpieces. Hecantakeanyofyouropponent’spiecesinhispath.

Let’spracticemovingtheBishops.



CHESSCHALLENGE:GOGet‘emBISHOP!Objective:Inthischallenge,youareWhiteandyourjobistotakeallthepiecesontheboard.Remembertothinkbeforeyouact.Chessplayersplantheirmovesandthenact.Inthisexercise,theblackpiecesdonotmove.ThisisapracticeexercisetosharpenyourBishop’smovements.Instructions:

1. UseyourBishop(B)totaketheblackpieces.2. Seeifyoucancaptureapiecewitheverymove.3. Useyourfingertodrawthepathyouwouldtaketocaptureallthepieces.4. FillinthemovesAFTERyousolvetheproblem,usingtheAlgebraicNotation

youlearnedinSessionI.Sample

# WHITE BLACK

1 Bxd3 NO MOVE 2 Bxb5 NO MOVE 3 Bxd7 NO MOVE 4 Bxf5 NO MOVE 5 Bxh7 NO MOVE

Go Get ‘em Challenge Solution



GOGet‘emBISHOPChallenge!Solutionscanbefoundatwww.CharacterChess.org

# WHITE BLACK

1 NO MOVE

2 NO MOVE

3 NO MOVE

4 NO MOVE

5 NO MOVE

6 NO MOVE

7 NO MOVE

# WHITE BLACK

1 NO MOVE

2 NO MOVE

3 NO MOVE

4 NO MOVE

5 NO MOVE

6 NO MOVE

7 NO MOVE




# WHITE BLACK

1 NO MOVE

2 NO MOVE

3 NO MOVE

4 NO MOVE

5 NO MOVE

6 NO MOVE

7 NO MOVE

# WHITE BLACK

1 NO MOVE

2 NO MOVE

3 NO MOVE

4 NO MOVE

5 NO MOVE

6 NO MOVE

7 NO MOVE




# WHITE BLACK

1 NO MOVE

2 NO MOVE

3 NO MOVE

4 NO MOVE

5 NO MOVE

6 NO MOVE

7 NO MOVE

8 NO MOVE

# WHITE BLACK

1 NO MOVE

2 NO MOVE

3 NO MOVE

4 NO MOVE

5 NO MOVE

6 NO MOVE

7 NO MOVE

8 NO MOVE



CharacterReflection

GoalSettingandPlanningforSuccessCongratulations! You have completed Session III. You have practiced themovementsof theBishop. Haveyoumastered theirmovements? If so,youareonyourwaytobeinga"masterplanner".Nowconsiderthesequestions.

Answerthesequestions:Whatisonegoalthatyouwouldliketoachieveinthenextfouryears?Listthree(3)actionsyouneedtopracticeeverydaytogetyoutothatgoal.Listfive(5)peoplewhowillchallengeyoutoachievethatgoal,likeLarryJack.

Aristotlesaid,“Wearegoodatwhatwerepeatedlydo.Excellencethenisnotanact

butahabit.”

Smart Boys Play Chess Handout

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