|
|
Welcome back. Perhaps you'd like to tell me what you'd like me to call you this lesson.
|
|
|
Have you learnt all about CHECK, CHECKMATE and STALEMATE, kiddo?  Yes, I understand about CHECK, CHECKMATE and STALEMATE. I'm still confused about CHECK and CHECKMATE I'm still confused about STALEMATE |
|
When you played CAPTURE THE FLAG games you won by getting a pawn to the end of the board and making it a queen. When you play a real game of chess what happens is this: If you get a pawn to the end of the board you can turn it into another piece. You can choose a QUEEN, a ROOK, a BISHOP or a KNIGHT. We call this PROMOTING A PAWN, or, if you choose a QUEEN, QUEENING A PAWN. 
|
|
Usually you'll choose a queen because it's your most valuable piece. Look at this position. Here, if you PROMOTE your pawn and turn it into a queen it will be CHECKMATE. You will win the game.
|
|
In this position, though, it doesn't matter what White does. Black will be able to capture the promoted piece, leaving him with king and queen against queen. By the way, you can have more than one queen on the board. If you PROMOTE all eight pawns and keep the queen you started with you could have NINE QUEENS. If you can't find another queen, you could use an upside-down rook instead.
|
|
It's nearly always right to choose a QUEEN, but you have to think first. Sometimes it's best to choose a different piece. In this position if you choose a QUEEN it will be STALEMATE but if you choose a ROOK instead Black will have to move to a6, when you'll be able to CHECKMATE him by moving your rook to a8.
|
|
Here, if you promote to a QUEEN Black will take your rook and you'll be left with KING and QUEEN each, which you could agree a DRAW. But look at what happens if you promote to a KNIGHT instead. Your KNIGHT on f8 will FORK the black KING and QUEEN. Next move you'll be able to capture the queen leaving you with KING, ROOK and KNIGHT against KING.
|
|
That's the end of the lesson, kiddo.
Guess what? It's time for a REALLY HARD EXAM about PAWN PROMOTION. This should be simple. PAWN PROMOTION is easy to understand. Can I repeat the lesson first? I'll do it later - I have to go now I really can't be bothered. |