What does unbeaten mean?

Picture this: you play five games in one night, and nobody beats you once. Unbeaten means every game you played ended in a win or a draw. A row of games like that is called an unbeaten run.

Which night counts?

Any chess game night counts: at a club, at school, at a library or at home. The Game Night sticker tells you what a game night is. With fewer than 5 games, the night does not count, even with zero losses. You may play more than 5, but each one must end in a win or a draw.

Three ways a run ends

Checkmate is only one way to lose a game, and each of these three things ends your run:

• The other player checkmates your king.
• You resign, which means you give up.
• Your time runs out, if you are playing with a clock.

Coach tips for the night

Think about one game at a time, forget the run, and just look for good moves. When you are ahead, go for the win. When you are behind, keep your pieces safe and play on, because a draw keeps the run. Pick opponents who can beat you, because those games teach you the most. If you lose a game, the run ends there, but keep playing. The next game night starts a new run.

How you get the sticker

During the night, write down each game: who you played and what the result was. You need 5 games or more, with zero losses. The grown-up who runs the night can sign your list. Your grown-up or coach checks it and hands you the sticker. If there is no club, your grown-up at home checks your list. Did you have an unbeaten night before you had the passport? It still counts. Someone just has to remember it, or have the list.