Chess Merit Badge
Seven requirements, nearly all shown at a board. Three need people: a learner to teach for requirement 3, five mate problems from your counselor for 5(e), and requirement 7, which is three games, a scholastic tournament, or a tournament you organize. Learn notation first: the games in 7 are replayed from your score sheets.
The plan behind this
Most of this badge is shown at a board
Requirements 1, 2 and 6 are discussions. Requirements 3, 4 and 5 are demonstrations to your counselor with a chessboard in front of you. Three things need someone besides you and your counselor:
| requirement | what it needs | why it takes arranging |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | a person who does not know how to play | you teach them, using the Scouting EDGE method |
| 5(e) | five direct-mate problems | your counselor provides them |
| 7 (one of three) | other players, or a tournament | see below |
Keep score before you play for 7
Requirement 4(a) is scorekeeping in algebraic notation. Requirement 7(a) and 7(b) both ask you to replay your games from your score sheets and discuss with your counselor how you might have played each game differently. A game that was not written down cannot be replayed, so learn notation first and keep a score sheet for every game you mean to count.
Requirement 7: do ONE of three
| route | what it needs |
|---|---|
| 7(a) three games | at least three games with other Scouts and/or your counselor, then replay them |
| 7(b) a scholastic tournament | a youth chess tournament you enter, then replay your games from it |
| 7(c) run a tournament | at least four players plus you, each playing at least two games |
7(b) runs on the tournament's calendar, not yours. 7(c) uses what requirement 6 asks you to explain about pairings, formats and scoring, so do 6 first.
The positions in 5(c) and 5(d)
Requirement 5(c) and 5(d) give exact starting positions to set up and play out. They are on the official page and in the pamphlet; set them up from there rather than from memory.
What this page is
The Chess merit badge, drawn so the three parts that need other people stand out, and the notation that the games in requirement 7 depend on comes first. It is not a copy of the requirements: each step is a short label with a link to the official requirements, which are what actually governs and which change from year to year. The free official pamphlet is the fuller guide.
Sources for this page
- Chess Merit Badge Requirements, Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-12-31 · The requirements themselves, and the free official pamphlet linked from them.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.0.3 · The process every merit badge is earned through, which this page does not repeat.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.4.3 · Which version of a changed requirement applies to a Scout who has already started.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 4.0.0.1 · Why the requirements are not in the Guide to Advancement and are expected to change annually.
Last checked against its sources on .