Learn chess history, strategy, and tactics. Master piece movements, algebraic notation, openings, and teach others using EDGE method to earn this merit badge.

Requirements

  1. 1. The Royal Game

    Do the following:

    Do all
    1. a.

      History of Chess

      Discuss with your counselor the history of the game of chess.
    2. b.

      Famous Chess Players

      Research a famous chess player and what accomplishments made him or her famous. Discuss with your counselor.

  2. 2. The Thinking Game

    Strategy, Benefits & Etiquette

    Do all
    Discuss with your counselor the following:
    1. a.

      Why chess is considered a game of planning and strategy.

    2. b.

      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.

    3. c.

      Sportsmanship and chess etiquette

  3. 3. Know Your Pieces

    Do all
    Demonstrate to your counselor that you know each of the following. Then, using Scouting EDGE to teach someone who does not know how to play chess:
    1. a.

      Chess Piece Names

      The name of each chess piece
    2. b.

      Setting Up the Board

      How to set up a chessboard
    3. c.

      How Pieces Move & Capture

      How each chess piece moves and captures, including: four rules of castling, en passant captures, pawn promotion, check, ways to get out of check, and checkmate.
    4. d.

      Five Ways to Draw

      The five ways a game can end in a draw

  4. 4. Mastering the Game

    Do the following:

    Do all
    1. a.

      Algebraic Notation

      Demonstrate scorekeeping using the algebraic system of chess notation.
    2. b.

      Opening, Middle & Endgame

      Discuss the differences between the opening, the middle game, and the endgame.
    3. c.

      Opening Principles & Openings

      Explain four opening principles. Demonstrate for your counselor the first five moves of the following openings: Ruy Lopez, French Defense, Queen’s Gambit Declined, Sicilian Defense.
    4. d.

      Famous Checkmates & Traps

      On a chessboard, demonstrate Scholar’s Mate, Fool’s Mate, Légal Mate, Fried Liver Attack, and Noah’s Ark Trap.

  5. 5. Tactics & Endgames

    Do the following:

    Do all
    1. a.

      Chess Strategy

      Explain four of the following elements of chess strategy: exploiting weaknesses, force, king safety, pawn structure, space, tempo, and clock management.
    2. b.

      Chess Tactics

      Explain any five of these chess tactics: clearance sacrifice, decoy, discovered attack, double check, double attack, fork, interposing, overloading, overprotecting, pin, skewer, remove the defender, zwischenzug, and zugzwang.
    3. c.

      Checkmate with Major Pieces

      Do all
      Set up a chessboard as follows and with White to move first, demonstrate how to force checkmate on the Black king:
      1. 1.
        White on e1 , the White rooks on a1 and h1 , and the Black king on e5 .
      2. 2.
        White King on e1 , White queen on d1 , Black king on e5 .
      3. 3.
        White king on e1 , White rook on a1 , Black king on e5 .
    4. d.

      King & Pawn Endgames

      Do all
      With White king on d4 , White pawn on e3 , and Black king on e6 :
      1. 1.

        With White to move, demonstrate how White can force Black to allow his pawn to reach the last rank and be promoted to a queen.

      2. 2.

        With Black to move, demonstrate how Black can force a draw.

    5. e.

      Solving Mate Problems

      Set up and solve five direct-mate problems provided by your counselor.

  6. 6. Competition

    Chess Tournaments

    Explain to your counselor how chess tournaments are run, including the Swiss system tournament format, the round robin tournament format, pairings for each round, time controls, touch move, scoring, and chess ratings.

  7. 6. Competition

    Play & Review Games

    Choose 1
    Do ONE of the following:
    1. Play at least three games of chess with other Scouts and/or your 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 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.