Think back to the last time you played chess with a first-grader. (Never? Shame!) You’ll recall the almost overwhelming temptation the kid feels to play with the pieces off the board. First-graders can learn the rules and make appropriate moves on the board, but they aren’t so ready as grownups to give up on the pieces that land on the sidelines. In fact, off the board, those pieces can be more interesting. Kings can strut about. Knights can whinny and gallop.