Coordinates
Reading and finding squares (e4, b7) and writing pieces with their letter: the basis for writing moves down.
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Teaching guide: chess in the classroom
Chess in schools builds attention, spatial sense and reasoning: before moving, pupils have to look at what every piece attacks. This free chess worksheet generator for kids builds A4 worksheets from Grade 1 to Grade 8: board coordinates, how the pieces move, check or not, mate in one and mate in two, with an answer key. Positions are never written by hand: a legal-move generator makes them and checks that every puzzle has exactly one solution.
- For
- Elementary 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th · Middle & High 7th, 8th (ages 6-13)
- Subject
- Mathematics › Logic & Patterns
- Includes
- Student sheet and answer key
- Format
- A4, to print or save as PDF; new exercises every time
- Price
- Free, no sign-up
- Available in
- Catalan, Spanish, English
Student worksheet 
Answer key How the pieces move
Every square a piece can go to, alone or among pieces that block it or that it can capture.
Check or not?
Who attacks the king, lines blocked by a piece in between, and the difference between check, mate and stalemate.
Mate in one
Mate in one puzzles with exactly one solution, from queen and rooks to positions full of pieces.
Mate in two
A forced check, several replies or a quiet move: the answer key shows every reply with its mate.
English notation
K king, Q queen, R rook, B bishop and N knight, with x for a capture, + for check and # for mate.
Frequently asked questions about the chess worksheets
Which grades are these chess worksheets for?
Grade 1 to Grade 8. Coordinates and piece moves suit Grades 1 to 3; check or not, Grades 3 to 5; mate in one, Grades 4 to 6; and mate in two, Grade 6 to Grade 8. They work at any age for children who are starting to play.
Does every puzzle have exactly one solution?
Yes. A legal-move generator makes and checks every position: a mate in one is used only when exactly one move mates, and a mate in two only when one first move alone mates against every reply (and there is no mate in one). At level 1 of mate in two, Black's reply is forced and the mate is unique too.
Are the positions legal?
Yes: each side has its king, the kings never touch, the side not to move is not in check and no pawn stands on the first or last rank. There is no doubt about castling or en passant either: kings are never on e1 or e8, and no pawn on the diagram can be taken en passant.
Which notation do they use?
Algebraic notation in English: K king, Q queen, R rook, B bishop and N knight; a pawn has no letter. A square is its file (a-h) and rank (1-8), x means a capture, + check and # mate; for example, Qh7#. Every worksheet prints the legend of the letters.
What is in the answer key?
The squares written or drawn, each piece's moves marked with dots and its captures circled, the answer to check or not with the piece giving check, and the mating move with an arrow on the board. For mate in two, every reply by Black with its mate.
Can I print them in black and white?
Yes. The board and pieces are our own drawings made for printing: dark squares in light grey, white pieces in outline and black pieces filled in.
Why play chess in class?
Because it makes pupils look before they act, picture moves and check them. Coordinates practise finding your way on a grid, like coordinate axes, and mate puzzles are logical reasoning pupils can explain out loud.
What other worksheets go well with these?
Sudoku and KenKen are pure logic too, the Cartesian plane takes coordinates further, unplugged coding moves a robot around a grid and mazes train attention. Find every resource under maths worksheets.
Is any pupil data sent anywhere?
No. Worksheets are generated in your browser and templates are saved in your browser's memory.
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