X Tables
Times Tables Real Life

Chessboard Rows 8 times table adventure

A story-led page turning chessboard rows into a junior adventure for practising the 8 times table.

Quick answer

By playing a chessboard adventure, you can learn the 8 times table in a fun and memorable way!

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to multiply any number by 8 and solve real-life problems using the 8 times table, like counting chess pieces or planning a chess tournament. Success signs:
  • You can count in 8s up to 100
  • You know that 8 x 7 = 56
  • You can solve problems like: "If there are 8 rows of chess pieces, and each row has 6 pieces, how many pieces are there?"
  • You can use the 8 times table to help you in games or everyday life

Why this matters

Multiplying by 8 is useful in many situations. In chess, each player starts with 16 pieces, and if you have 2 players, that’s 32 pieces. If you're planning a chess tournament, knowing the 8 times table helps you figure out how many pieces you need. You can also use it when counting things in groups, like 8 legs on a spider, or 8 wheels on a bus. Understanding multiplication helps you solve problems faster and makes maths more fun!

How it works

Multiplying by 8 means adding the same number 8 times. For example, 5 x 8 means 5 groups of 8. You can think of it as:
  • 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 40
  • Or as 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 40
You can also think of it as doubling the number 3 times:
  • 5 x 2 = 10
  • 10 x 2 = 20
  • 20 x 2 = 40
So, 5 x 8 = 40.

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you’re playing chess and you have a chessboard. A chessboard has 8 rows and 8 columns. That means there are 8 rows of squares. Each row has 8 squares. Let’s count how many squares are on a chessboard:
  • 1 row = 8 squares
  • 2 rows = 16 squares
  • 3 rows = 24 squares
  • 4 rows = 32 squares
  • 5 rows = 40 squares
  • 6 rows = 48 squares
  • 7 rows = 56 squares
  • 8 rows = 64 squares
This is the same as:
  • 1 x 8 = 8
  • 2 x 8 = 16
  • 3 x 8 = 24
  • 4 x 8 = 32
  • 5 x 8 = 40
  • 6 x 8 = 48
  • 7 x 8 = 56
  • 8 x 8 = 64

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: The Chessboard Challenge You are a chess master who has to set up a tournament. You need to place chess pieces on a chessboard. Each row has 8 squares. You have 6 rows to fill.
  1. 1st row: 8 pieces
  2. 2nd row: 8 pieces
  3. 3rd row: 8 pieces
  4. 4th row: 8 pieces
  5. 5th row: 8 pieces
  6. 6th row: 8 pieces
How many pieces do you have in total? You can solve this by adding: 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 48 Or by multiplying: 6 x 8 = 48 Challenge: How many pieces would you have if you had 10 rows? Challenge: What if you had 12 rows?

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Thinking 8 x 8 = 65
  • Why it happens: Confusing the answer with 8 x 7 = 56
  • Fix: Remember that 8 x 8 = 64. You can check this by counting in 8s: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64.
  • Mistake: Forgetting to count 8 rows when counting squares
  • Why it happens: Getting confused between rows and columns
  • Fix: Draw a chessboard and count the rows and columns carefully. Each row has 8 squares.
  • Mistake: Thinking 8 x 9 = 72, but forgetting that 8 x 10 = 80
  • Why it happens: Not knowing the pattern of multiplying by 8
  • Fix: Use skip counting or a multiplication chart to help you remember.

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child learn the 8 times table by:
  • Playing the chessboard game together and counting rows
  • Using real chess pieces or drawing a chessboard to practice
  • Practising skip counting in 8s: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, 88, 96, 104
  • Using everyday examples like 8 legs on a spider or 8 wheels on a bus
  • Encouraging your child to say the multiplication facts out loud or write them down
You can also play a quick game:
  • Ask your child to count how many legs 5 spiders have (5 x 8 = 40)
  • Ask them to count how many wheels 3 buses have (3 x 8 = 24)
Don’t worry if they make mistakes. Mistakes are part of learning. Encourage them to keep trying!

Practice questions

  1. How many squares are in 3 rows of a chessboard?
  2. What is 8 x 9?
  3. How many legs do 7 spiders have?
  4. What is 8 x 11?
  5. If there are 4 rows of chess pieces, and each row has 8 pieces, how many pieces are there?
Answers:
  1. 3 x 8 = 24
  2. 8 x 9 = 72
  3. 7 x 8 = 56
  4. 8 x 11 = 88
  5. 4 x 8 = 32

FAQ

What is the 8 times table?

The 8 times table is a list of numbers you get when you multiply 8 by any number. For example, 8 x 1 = 8, 8 x 2 = 16, 8 x 3 = 24, and so on.

How can I remember the 8 times table?

You can remember it by skip counting in 8s or by using patterns. For example, 8 x 2 = 16, 8 x 3 = 24, 8 x 4 = 32. Notice how the last digits go 6, 4, 2, 0.

Why is the 8 times table useful?

The 8 times table helps you solve problems quickly, like counting chess pieces, planning a tournament, or figuring out how many legs 5 spiders have.

What if I forget the 8 times table?

You can use skip counting or add 8 repeatedly. For example, 8 x 5 is the same as 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 40.

Can I use the 8 times table in games?

Yes! In chess, you can count how many pieces are on a board. In other games, you can count how many items are in groups of 8.

Full 8 times table facts

8 x 0 8 x 1 8 x 2 8 x 3 8 x 4 8 x 5 8 x 6 8 x 7 8 x 8 8 x 9 8 x 10 8 x 11 8 x 12
0 8 16 24 32 40 48 56 64 72 80 88 96