Lesson Plan 6: Check & Getting Out of Check

The Three Ways Out

Duration

45 Minutes

Week

Week 6 of 16

Prerequisites

Lessons 1-5

Learning Objectives

Students will recognise when a king is in check
Students will name the three legal ways out of check
Students will choose a legal escape in a given position
Students will explain why a king may never move into check

Materials Needed

Chess sets (1 per 2 students)
Demonstration board
Three cards labelled MOVE, BLOCK, CAPTURE
Checkmate Puzzles Worksheet

The Rules of Check

Check: the king is attacked and must deal with it immediately
Move: the king steps to a square that is not attacked
Block: a piece is placed between the king and the attacker — impossible against a knight
Capture: the attacking piece is taken
Never into check: a move that leaves your own king attacked is simply not a legal move
The king is never captured: the game ends before that, at checkmate

Lesson Timeline

5 min

Review & Hook

Put a white king on e1 and a black rook on e8. "Something is wrong for White. What?" Introduce the word check, and the three cards.

12 min

The Three Ways Out

Keep the rook check on the board and find all three answers with the class
Hold up each card as the class names it: MOVE, BLOCK, CAPTURE
Replace the rook with a knight on f3 and ask again — only two answers work
Draw the conclusion with them: you cannot block a knight

10 min

Illegal Moves

Show a king stepping from one attacked square to another attacked square
Say it plainly: that is not a bad move, it is not a move at all
Show a pinned piece that cannot block because moving it exposes the king
Practise: "Is this legal?" with six quick positions

10 min

Check Practice

Partners set up a king and two attacking pieces
One gives check, the other finds every legal escape
Swap roles after three tries each

6 min

Escape Drill

Partners play the drill below.

2 min

Wrap-Up

Ask the class to say the three ways out together, then one child to name the check you cannot block.

Escape Drill Rules

One player has a king alone; the other has a king, a rook and a bishop
The attacker gives check on every move if they can
The defender must say which of the three ways out they are using before moving
The defender scores a point for each legal escape, and the drill ends after five checks
Swap roles and play again

Teacher Tip: Make the three words a chant — move, block, capture — and have the class say it whenever a check appears. The habit of checking all three is what stops children resigning themselves to a lost king the moment they are checked.

Assessment

Observation: during the drill, listen for the named escape before each move
Worksheet: the first section of the Checkmate Puzzles sheet
Exit question: "Which kind of check can never be blocked?"

Common Mistakes to Address

Ignoring a check and making an unrelated move
Blocking a knight check
Moving the king along the line of a checking rook or bishop, still inside it
Capturing the attacker with a pinned piece

Differentiation

Support: Lay a strip of paper along the line of the check so the attacked squares are visible, and let the child see that one end of the strip is the king.
Challenge: Introduce double check: when two pieces give check at once, only one of the three answers ever works. Ask which.