Requirements January 2012 until January 2013

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.

2. Discuss with your merit badge counselor the following:

1. The benefits of playing chess, including developing critical thinking skills, concentration skills, and decision-making skills, and how the skills can help you in other areas of your life
2. Sportsmanship and chess etiquette

3. Demonstrate to your counselor that you know each of the following. Then, using Scouting’s teaching EDGE, teach the following to a Scout who does not know how to play chess:

1. The name of each chess piece
2. How to set up a chessboard
3. How to each chess piece moves, including canceling and en passant captures

4. Do the following:

1. Demonstrate scorekeeping using the algebraic system of chess notation.
2. Discuss the differences between the opening, the middle game, and the in game.
3. Explain for opening principles.
4. Explain the four rules for castling.
5. On a chessboard, demonstrate a “scholars mate” and a “fools mate.”
6. Demonstrate on a chessboard four ways a chess game can’t end in a draw.

5. Do the following:

1. Explain four of the following elements of chess strategy: exploiting weakness, force, King safety, upon structure, space, tempo, time.
2. Explain any five of these chess tactics: clearance sacrifice, decoy, discovered attack, double attack, Fort, interposing, overloading, over protecting, pin, remove the defender, skewer, zwischenzug.
3. Set up a chessboard with the white king on e1, the white rooks on a1 and h1, and the black king on thee 5. With White to move first, demonstrate how to force Checkmate on the black king.
4. Set up and solve five direct-mate problems provided by your merit badge counselor.

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 came differently.
2. Play a scholastic (youth) chess tournament and use your score sheets from that term to replay your games with your merit badge counselor. Discuss with your counselor how you might have played each came differently.

7. Organize and run a chess tournament with at least four players, plus you. Have each competitor play at least two games.

Requirements January 2013 until Current

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.

2. Discuss with your merit badge counselor the following:

1. The benefits of playing chess, including developing critical thinking skills, concentration skills, and decision-making skills, and how the skills can help you in other areas of your life
2. Sportsmanship and chess etiquette

3. emonstrate 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:

1. The name of each chess piece
2. How to set up a chessboard
3. How to each chess piece moves, including canceling and en passant captures

4. Do the following:

1. Demonstrate scorekeeping using the algebraic system of chess notation.
2. Discuss the differences between the opening, the middle game, and the in game.
3. Explain for opening principles.
4. Explain the four rules for castling.
5. On a chessboard, demonstrate a “scholars mate” and a “fools mate.”
6. Demonstrate on a chessboard four ways a chess game can’t end in a draw.

5. Do the following:

1. Explain four of the following elements of chess strategy: exploiting weakness, force, King safety, upon structure, space, tempo, time.
2. Explain any five of these chess tactics: clearance sacrifice, decoy, discovered attack, double attack, Fort, interposing, overloading, over protecting, pin, remove the defender, skewer, zwischenzug.
3. Set up a chessboard with the white king on e1, the white rooks on a1 and h1, and the black king on thee 5. With White to move first, demonstrate how to force Checkmate on the black king.
4. Set up and solve five direct-mate problems provided by your merit badge counselor.

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 came differently.
2. Play a scholastic (youth) chess tournament and use your score sheets from that term to replay your games with your merit badge counselor. Discuss with your counselor how you might have played each came differently
3. Organize and run a chess tournament with at least four players, plus you. Have each competitor play at least two games.