Name: _____________________________
Nonfiction Reading Test
Chess

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the text to check your answers when appropriate.

Chess is called the game of kings. It has been around for a long time. People have been playing it for over 500 years. Chess is based on an even older game from India. The chess we play today is from Europe.

Chess is a two-player game. One player uses the white pieces. The other uses the 	
White Chess Pieces	
black pieces. Each piece moves in a special way. One piece is called the king. Each player has one. The players take turns moving their pieces. If a player lands on a piece, he or she takes it. The game ends when a player loses his or her king. There are a few more rules, but those are the basics.

Some people think that chess is more than a game. They think that it makes the mind stronger. Good chess players use their brains. They take their time. They think about what will happen next. These skills are useful in life and in chess. Chess is kind of like a work out for the mind.

You don't always have lots of time to think when playing chess. There is a type of chess with short time limits. It's called blitz chess. In blitz chess, each player gets ten minutes to use for the whole game. Your clock runs during your turn. You hit the time clock after your move. This stops your clock. It also starts the other player's clock. If you run out of time, you lose. Games of blitz chess are fast-paced.  

Chess is not just for people. Computers have been playing chess since the 1970s. At first they did not play well. They made mistakes. As time went on they grew stronger. In 1997, a computer beat the best player in the world for the first time. It was a computer called Deep Blue. Deep Blue was big. It took up a whole room. By 2006 a cell phone could beat the best players in the world. Chess sure has come a long way. Don't you think so?

1. What is the author's purpose in writing the second paragraph?
a. To explain the rules of chess			b. To compare different types of games
c. To talk about game pieces			d. To persuade people to play chess

2. Which is not a reason that chess is a good workout for the mind according to the text?
a. Good chess players think about what will happen next.
b. Good chess players take a lot of risks.
c. Good chess players take their time.
d. Good chess players use their brains. 

3. How long have people been playing chess?
a. Over 100 years					b. Over 500 years
c. Over 1000 years					d. Over 5000 years

4. Where did the game that chess is based on come from?
a. Europe						b. America
c. India						d. All of these

5. Which best describes the main idea in the fourth paragraph?
a. This paragraph argues that players should think less.
b. This paragraph explains how blitz chess is played.
c. This paragraph explains time clocks work.
d. This paragraph describes many different ways to play chess.

6. How does a game of chess end according to the text?
a. One player takes all of the other player's pieces.
b. One player makes it to the end of the board.
c. One player becomes king.
d. One player loses his or her king.

7. Which happened first?
a. Computers did not play chess well.		b. Deep Blue won an important game.
c. Cell phones got good at playing chess.		d. Deep Blue took up a whole room.

8. How is blitz chess different from regular chess?
a. Each player has two kings.			b. Players are blindfolded.
c. Players only have ten minutes to play.		d. Players start from a random position.

9. If it's your turn in blitz chess, what happens when you hit the clock?
a. Both your clock and the other person's clock keep running.
b. The other person's clock stops running and yours starts.
c. Both clocks stop running.
d. Your clock stops running and the other person's clock begins.

10. When did a computer first beat a strong human player in chess?
a. 2006						b. 1997
c. 1970						d. 1976

Extended Response

How might playing chess be good for people? Refer to the text in your answer.

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Why might blitz chess be more challenging to play than regular chess? Use text to support your answer.

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How have computer chess programs changed over time? Use the text in your answer.

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