Unlock the world of chess for your first grader with our engaging "Chess Strategy Understanding" worksheets! These thoughtfully designed resources foster important critical thinking and problem-solving skills while introducing young learners to fundamental chess strategies. Each worksheet provides fun, interactive exercises that teach essential concepts like controlling the center, protecting pieces, and developing a game plan. Designed to captivate and challenge, our materials make learning chess enjoyable and accessible for children. Boost your child's strategic thinking and concentration as they explore this classic game in a playful, educational context. Dive into our first-grade chess worksheets and watch their skills flourish!


Check out this FREE Grade 1 Trial Lesson on Chess!

Special Moves: Promotion

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  • Grade 1
  • Chess strategy understanding
  • Chess
Promoting a Pawn Worksheet
Promoting a Pawn Worksheet

Promoting a Pawn Worksheet

Teach your kids all about pawns with this fun worksheet! Pawns may seem restricted, but experienced players can guide them across the board. If a pawn reaches the last rank, the player can upgrade it to a more powerful piece (e.g. queen, knight), or promote it if it captures an enemy piece. Give them the tools to master the game!
Promoting a Pawn Worksheet
Worksheet
Discovered Check: Puzzle 4 Worksheet
Discovered Check: Puzzle 4 Worksheet

Discovered Check: Puzzle 4 Worksheet

Let your child test their chess skills with this easy worksheet. Have them take control of the black pieces and try to put the white king in checkmate. Ask them to draw a line from their chess piece to the white king, showing the move they'll make, then check the correct answer.
Discovered Check: Puzzle 4 Worksheet
Worksheet
Getting out of Check: Run Away Worksheet
Getting out of Check: Run Away Worksheet

Getting out of Check: Run Away Worksheet

Playing chess boosts your children's brainpower and this worksheet helps them out of sticky situations. It teaches them how to flee with their king to avoid checkmate, as well as how to initiate their own strategic moves on the board. Get your kids on the road to success with this helpful PDF.
Getting out of Check: Run Away Worksheet
Worksheet
Castling Mash–up Worksheet
Castling Mash–up Worksheet

Castling Mash–up Worksheet

Before starting the worksheet, ensure your child understands castling in chess. If not, take time to explain it. Once they have a clear grasp of the rules, help them complete the exercise. Check the board to ensure that neither king can castle.
Castling Mash–up Worksheet
Worksheet
What is Checkmate? Worksheet
What is Checkmate? Worksheet

What is Checkmate? Worksheet

This downloadable PDF worksheet lets your child practice identifying when a king is checkmated and how it looks on a chessboard. Checkmate is the best move and with this colorful worksheet, they'll learn that it means their opponent's king is in check and cannot be saved, so they can win!
What is Checkmate? Worksheet
Worksheet
Check or Checkmate: Part 2 Worksheet
Check or Checkmate: Part 2 Worksheet

Check or Checkmate: Part 2 Worksheet

Chess is a fun and competitive way for your child to practice strategic thinking, problem-solving and critical reasoning. This free PDF will help them sharpen their skills, by analyzing boards and marking ones where the king can escape check. An invaluable skill when playing on real boards.
Check or Checkmate: Part 2 Worksheet
Worksheet
One Move Checkmates: Puzzle 3 Worksheet
One Move Checkmates: Puzzle 3 Worksheet

One Move Checkmates: Puzzle 3 Worksheet

Boost your child's critical thinking and strategy skills with this fun puzzle activity. They'll use their logical thinking to plot ways to checkmate the black king, and then check their answer with the given choices. A great way to improve their skills and have a blast doing it!
One Move Checkmates: Puzzle 3 Worksheet
Worksheet
King and Queen Mate Practice Worksheet
King and Queen Mate Practice Worksheet

King and Queen Mate Practice Worksheet

Learning chess can open up a world of strategy, problem-solving and reasoning for your child! Our free worksheet gives them the opportunity to practice checkmating with their king and queen pieces. It also helps them develop fine-motor skills, as they draw lines to show the right moves and check off the correct notation. All without screens!
King and Queen Mate Practice Worksheet
Worksheet
Discovered Check: Puzzle 2 Worksheet
Discovered Check: Puzzle 2 Worksheet

Discovered Check: Puzzle 2 Worksheet

This worksheet exercise will stimulate your child's thinking and let them show off their chess skills. Ask them to use the white pieces and draw a line, pointing to the move that will put the black king in checkmate. Then they should check the correct option. Challenge your child and help them learn more about chess with this fun and educative activity.
Discovered Check: Puzzle 2 Worksheet
Worksheet
How Knight Captures Worksheet
How Knight Captures Worksheet

How Knight Captures Worksheet

Test your child's knowledge of chess pieces by asking them to identify the knight. It is shaped like a horse and its goal is to capture the enemy king in order to win the game. The knight has the advantage of being able to jump over other pieces, taking them out and taking their place. See how many pieces the knight can capture in one move with this worksheet.
How Knight Captures Worksheet
Worksheet
Checkmate the King Worksheet
Checkmate the King Worksheet

Checkmate the King Worksheet

Chess is great for growing problem-solving and critical thinking skills in children, and it's even better if they have fun winning! This worksheet will help kids practice checkmating their opponent's king. They can use the sample board to draw the line of their winning move. Who doesn't love being a winner?!
Checkmate the King Worksheet
Worksheet
One Move Checkmates: Puzzle 4 Worksheet
One Move Checkmates: Puzzle 4 Worksheet

One Move Checkmates: Puzzle 4 Worksheet

Want to challenge your logistician? This engaging PDF worksheet tests their critical thinking, strategy and visual-spatial skills. They must plot to overtake and checkmate the king and use the answer choices to check if they've strategized correctly. It's a fun way to build problem-solving skills needed for higher-level math.
One Move Checkmates: Puzzle 4 Worksheet
Worksheet
Discovered Check: Puzzle 1 Worksheet
Discovered Check: Puzzle 1 Worksheet

Discovered Check: Puzzle 1 Worksheet

Chess is an excellent way to engage your kids' brains and strengthen thinking skills. This worksheet is ideal for inspiring and growing their interest in the game. Have your child take the white pieces and move them to checkmate the black king. Compare their move against the provided notations to check accuracy.
Discovered Check: Puzzle 1 Worksheet
Worksheet
Castling: Protecting the King Worksheet
Castling: Protecting the King Worksheet

Castling: Protecting the King Worksheet

Castle your king with the rook to get into a safer position! Write 0-0 for a two-square move, or 0-0-0 for a three-square move. Look at the worksheet with your child; on the first chessboard, the king has moved two squares and the rook is beside it. On the second, the rook has jumped over the king. Let your child use their castling knowledge to answer the questions in the easy pdf.
Castling: Protecting the King Worksheet
Worksheet
Getting out of Check: Capture
Getting out of Check: Capture

Getting out of Check: Capture

Kids love chess because it combines strategy and the thrill of outwitting their opponents! This free chess strategy worksheet teaches kids how to protect and capture the threatening piece when their king is in danger. The downloadable includes sample boards to practice with. Get it today and have your chess whiz mastering the game in no time!
Getting out of Check: Capture
Worksheet


Understanding chess strategy at the Grade 1 level offers numerous benefits for both parents and teachers. Firstly, chess enhances critical thinking and problem-solving skills in young learners. As children explore different moves and their consequences, they learn to analyze situations and make informed decisions—skills that are invaluable both academically and personally.

Furthermore, learning chess boosts patience and focus. Young players must concentrate on their strategies and anticipate their opponent's moves, which fosters a longer attention span. These qualities not only improve a child's game performance but also translate into better academic engagement, especially in subjects that require sustained attention, such as reading and math.

Additionally, chess promotes social skills. When children play in groups, they learn to respect opponents, take turns, and express themselves articulately in strategy discussions.

By introducing chess at an early age, parents and teachers can also foster a love for learning. The game encourages exploration and curiosity as children are challenged to think creatively and view problems from different perspectives. Ultimately, engaging in chess strategies helps young learners build a strong foundation in cognitive development that will serve them well throughout their education and beyond.