Well, we got to the queen. Perhaps this is the easiest figure after the rook and bishop in explaining the moves, but not the easiest to understand. Strength, power, space - these are the words that can be applied to this figure. But learning how to use a queen is the same as learning how to ride a Ferrari - it seems easy, but you still have to master the power of the engine.
And now let's proceed to the queen. Forward!
You can read the previous parts of the course here:
0. A dozen tips - how to teach a child to chess. And not only1. We study the rook (Part 1)2. We study the elephant (Part 2)I personally like to explain precisely the queen to the children. Because it is a figure about which it is “necessary and sufficient” to say the following words: “The queen walks like a rook and an elephant - along verticals, horizontals and diagonals”. And after that an interesting whirlwind begins with the queen's tasks. The fact is that it is difficult for children to switch the moves of one piece to the moves of another. And this is what we learn to do when solving all those tasks that are given by the queen. Often the queen's path is quick across, but he can cut him diagonally. And this reduction child must learn.
Another feature of the game is the queen (perhaps the most important one), and children can not always cope with this feature - it is an opportunity to use the entire board for the game. In the perception of children, the entire board is accessible to them. But, surprisingly, they do not know how to use it. Often, in order to go somewhere it is necessary to make a move in the other direction through the entire board, and then get to the required field. On an elephant and a boat, this feature is not so noticeable, but when studying a queen - it blooms in its full beauty. On the example of the queen, it is necessary to explain to the child that the board is large, and it must be fully used. You will see that it is not so easy on the second task. According to my personal observations, problems with the use of the board arise primarily for those children who do the tasks with their eyes in the diagrams. It is they who have no vision of moves across the board. The only way to fight is to force them to perform tasks (or play) on large boards (it was written in the introduction).
The range of tasks is completely identical to the tasks for an elephant, so I will dwell only on the features of the tasks, or on those points that need to be developed in children.
This article (like previous ones) is based on the course of I.G. Sukhin and is educational. All the following positions in the diagrams are developed by I.G. Sukhin and given them in the textbook: Sukhin I.G. Chess, first year, or There cells are black and white wonders and secrets are full: A textbook for primary school, the first year of study. In 2 parts. - Obninsk: Spiritual Revival, 2017.
I set out my vision of how they can be used in the classroom, what typical difficulties children can have, and how they can be overcome. And, of course, I cite only a part of the provisions of this textbook - there are many more of them in the textbook. To the textbook developed and methodological manual: Sukhin I.G. Chess, first year, or Learning and learning. - Obninsk: Spiritual Revival, 2015. It spelled out in detail how each chess lesson of the course should be conducted. Also in the educational-methodical set of the course includes programs of 3-4 years of study, workbooks, notebooks for verification work and problem books.
And now let's do the exercises.
Exercise number 1. "No man is an island".
I always give the first task, even to those who can walk the queen. It would seem - why? The fact is that I look at it as a child walks a figure. To whom it is necessary - I show, who does not need (they already see well) - I just check it. Well, the other two tasks - the most it. Children sometimes start to break their heads how to beat all the checkers. And yet, if you notice - the first move in the first task is done through the whole board.
Exercise number 2. "Shortest way"
After performing the exercise “One in a warrior field”, we proceed to the task “The shortest path”, and here it begins ... Already with the first task, the children can sit for 5 minutes, the second one is faster. But the third for them is often a barrier, and it happens that is insurmountable. I help naturally, but watching them is interesting. The main thing is not to give "go to the psyche."
If that - tasks are solved in 2, 2 and 3 moves, respectively. How - decide for yourself. The third is not so easy.
Exercise number 3. "Labyrinth"
As always - the labyrinth is difficult to set up. But bearing in mind that soon there will be a horse, and in it labyrinths are more serious - we put these almost always. I use the queen maze as a training ground before the horse. The fact is that straining a child with two difficult subtasks is not the case. Approaching the labyrinths trained with the horse - he will not think about placing checkers, and uses all his thoughts and worries to solve problems with the horse, but there it is not so simple. If the child is going through (or putting one checker at all incorrectly and the task becomes unsolvable) with the horse, then he will hate the horse. This is the last thing you need in chess.
For the rest - labyrinths like mazes. Children make mistakes, correct and pass them completely calmly. There are no particular difficulties, but these labyrinths are interesting to them, since after the previous assignment, they give some relief and hope that everything can be easily solved. Oh ... How wrong they are. And understand it soon enough.
Exercise number 4. "Outsmart the sentries"
These tasks are extremely important. I will explain to those who played chess simply - sometimes the queen on the board has to spin like “snake in a skillet”. And this exercise is the first step to this “already”. It is necessary to strive for the goal on the board, but at the same time not to fall under the blow of other figures. Well, small comments.
Task 1 - here the passage is quite simple - through the diagonal h6-f8, then a4-c6. The difficulty arises precisely when trying to find the first diagonal, and the second. Often, children try to go through c3 field long enough, but there is no passage there.
Task 2 - it is solved faster. But it is necessary to cope with the queen's sweepingness in it, and it’s as if you are crawling barely, especially when passing the top of the board. If there are difficulties (it happens) in order to go upstairs, you can just remind about the previous task.
Task 3 - workaround. It is necessary to leave as much as in the lower right corner, and then return through the lower left. Often, children try to break through the top - but this is impossible, the checker on e8 interferes.
Exercise number 5. "Capture control field"
One of my favorite exercises. Almost all the children sit on it for a long time. If someone decides the first task, then the second - they spend a lot of time anyway on the third.
Task 1 - usually trying to go to h6 for the solution, thinking that this option will give them the required. But deeply mistaken. The queen move to h6 is followed by the answer “Queen of e7” and that's all — the next queen moves the black queen to the main black diagonal with any white answer. And from the diagonal to drive him impossible. It is necessary to draw the attention of the child to the fact that it would be nice to attack the control field, forcing the queen to walk as it is to our advantage. If you remember, most of the tasks are solved exactly this way - by compulsion to the move we need. The solution is simple - go to a1 and voila. The control field is ours. Well, either first the black queen and then the field.
Task 2 - here it is necessary to block all possible fields with one move to protect the control field, as in most similar tasks. The right move is b1.
Task number 3 - the most fun of those presented. There are no obstacles for queens, but nevertheless the field is captured. This task is difficult for children to solve. The problem is that the child is trying to find a solution based on his needs. And this problem is solved from the reverse (like the like) - all the fields from which the black queen will protect the control field must be found and taken under control in one move. These fields are c1, c3, e6 and e8. Add to this list control field e1 and get 5 fields that need to be taken under control. Three of them are on the same vertical - e, and this means that the queen must stand exactly on her - otherwise it is impossible to attack these fields. And the fields c1 and c3 give us a specific field e3. Believe me - the task out of those presented is not the easiest, children of primary school age are not yet very friendly with logic, but are trying to solve the problem by brute force.
Exercise number 6. "Restricted mobility."
Catch someone else's queen. Just or not? Task number 1 - solve almost everything. Task number 2 - 50 to 50. There are punctures, and there are right decisions right away. Task number 3 is also simple, although it is surprising that sometimes it may not be solved. The advice is very simple - sweeping moves by the queen and limiting the opponent's moves. And tasks will be solved very simply.
Meaning again - the child must understand the power of the queen on such simple tasks.
Exercise number 7. "Attack of the enemy figure."
With the queen attack, the situation is quite interesting - the fact is that the bishop can be attacked along horizontals and verticals, and the rook along the diagonals. Therefore, the number of rook attacks can reach three options, and the bishop - six. In the tasks above, the correct answer is 3 attacks on the bishop and one on the rook.
On this task, you can make the child once again a conclusion - the bishop is weaker than the rook. He is more prone to attacks such as the queen.
Exercise number 8. "Double punch".
It would seem - a double blow - what is so special about it? But with regard to the queen, in some tasks, it is just a work of art. Regarding of course.
In the first task, children are afraid to go close to the figures - although it is safe. In the second, they see all attacks, except the true one. Always give up their queen putting him under attack. And in the third task, going to the corner is a whole problem for them. To facilitate the decision, it can be recalled that the queen can attack the bishop on horizons and verticals, and on the rook on diagonals.
Exercise number 9. "Take".
Exercise number 10. "Win a piece"
Let me remind you - in this task, black pieces walk. And we need to beat one of the black pieces with the second move.
Exercise number 11. "Outsmart the sentries."
And again, which time, to the time. Our main task is the ability of the child to see where the queen can walk. But this may not necessarily be our queen, the opponent’s queen will be quite suitable for this role. And we therefore we will play with different pieces.
It was difficult for me to choose from those positions that are in the course of I.G. Sukhina is the most-most interesting - there is a zest in all of them. In the end, I just decided to select these three.
In task 1, children usually quickly find the field from which they can get to the control field, but to go there is a whole problem. Let them walk around the field. The child will almost always find a solution - but be patient, it can be a long time. Sometimes you can push with advice - but you don’t have to decide for the child, let him decide for himself.
In the task number 2 - the rook often walks all over the field, but cannot get to the control one. Although the solution is simple - these are three moves - a6 - a3 - g3.
In task number 3, the elephant just climbs up and from there it hits h2.
Exercise number 12. "Take off the time."
In all the tasks of this exercise, I recommend bringing the following to the child - let him first determine how to beat the black pieces, from which field you have to go. And then strive for it. And if the first two tasks are not so difficult, then in task No. 3, in order to achieve the goal, you will have to pretty much “whirl around”, and even come close to the figures, and then leave.
Exercise number 13. "Capture the control field." Now with different figures.
In this exercise, which has already become habitual, it is necessary to take control of all the fields from which black pieces can protect the control field. Accordingly, these fields are g3, d5 and h1. All tasks are solved in two moves, i.e. the second move you are on the control field.
Exercise number 14. "Restricted mobility."
A queen can catch other pieces ... And other pieces can catch a queen - even an elephant (task number 3). This should not be forgotten.
Exercise number 15. "The game of destruction."
And finally, my favorite tasks.
Task number 1. Everything is simple enough - you have to beat the rook, then the piece that did not make a move, then the remaining one.
Task number 2. It would seem - simple. But no. Children are trying to make a move to the black queen to give it to themselves, justifying it like this - “but he can go like this.” It is difficult to deal with it. But we have to. You should pay attention to the correctness of the moves with the queens - that is white, that black. The black queen will walk only in the corners, the white one along the white square inscribed in the center. They will go counterclockwise and endlessly. Here is a draw.
Task number 3. The black queen is simply limited to an elephant instantly - and is won by the second move.
In task number 4, everything is not so obvious. Of the black pieces, you must first take the queen, but you cannot do it right away - the white queen is under attack. Therefore, we are leaving the white queen to the right-bottom field, the black queen goes to the right, in response we move the queen to the left by one cell. Now, at any course, you can kill the figure, because either the rook will be unprotected, or the queen will be hit by the double pieces of the rook and the queen. And to beat the queen with the queen later, it’s as simple as it’s enough to occupy the central cell.
Task 5 - here it is necessary to drive the rook to Zugzwang, gradually cutting it off and squeezing it down. The rook beats on the third move.
All, the queen study is over. At the end of the assignment, the child must clearly understand - the queen is the strongest chess piece. But nevertheless, there are fishing tricks against him. But you should pay attention to the child and the fact that you can fight with the queen. Although, in my experience, they usually forget it anyway in the future. And with the loss of the queen - “raise the legs”, i.e. immediately give up. And this is difficult to fight. But we will return to the question of the phrase “I give up”.
For now - we prepare for a horse. This is where the puzzle - so the puzzle. Announcing the horse I will say right away - the tasks there are still the same. But according to the number of lessons one has to expand a lot, since the horse goes much slower than any other figure. Difficult move, difficult understanding of the “dynamics of acceleration and trajectory”. In general, a complex figure. But there are ways to show the child where the horse will go. I will talk about everything in the next article.
See you soon.