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Chess Academy

Learn chess by playing, one small challenge at a time. Finish a lesson to open the next.

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Chapter 1 · 0/9

The Board Kingdom

Meet the board, the pieces, and how they move and capture.

  1. 1.1 The chessboard and its coordinatesReady
  2. 1.2 The rook moves in straight linesLocked
  3. 1.3 The bishop moves diagonallyLocked
  4. 1.4 The queen combines rook and bishopLocked
  5. 1.5 The king moves one squareLocked
  6. 1.6 The knight jumps in an LLocked
  7. 1.7 The pawn moves forwardLocked
  8. 1.8 Capturing piecesLocked
  9. 1.9 Set up the boardLocked
  10. 🏆Chapter exam — Pawn War vs Novi
Take the placement test

Chapter 2

Defending the King

Check, escape, checkmate, stalemate — and the special rules.

  1. 2.1 What is check?Locked
  2. 2.2 Escaping check: run the kingLocked
  3. 2.3 Escaping check: block and captureLocked
  4. 2.4 Checkmate wins the gameLocked
  5. 2.5 Stalemate — the winning-side trapLocked
  6. 2.6 CastlingLocked
  7. 2.7 Pawn promotionLocked
  8. 2.8 En passant — the secret pawn captureLocked
  9. 2.9 Other ways to drawLocked
  10. 🏆Chapter exam — Checkmate Novi

Chapter 3

Playing Carefully

Piece values, hanging pieces, and the safety check before every move.

  1. 3.1 What pieces are worthLocked
  2. 3.2 Pieces under attackLocked
  3. 3.3 Undefended piecesLocked
  4. 3.4 Take the free piecesLocked
  5. 3.5 Saving an attacked pieceLocked
  6. 3.6 Counting exchangesLocked
  7. 3.7 Check before you moveLocked
  8. 3.8 Checkmate with queen and kingLocked
  9. 3.9 Checkmate with rook and kingLocked
  10. 🏆Chapter exam — Careful play vs Rooka

Chapter 4

Tactical Forest

Forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks — the moves that win games.

  1. 4.1 Knight forksLocked
  2. 4.2 Double attacksLocked
  3. 4.3 The pinLocked
  4. 4.4 The skewerLocked
  5. 4.5 Discovered attacksLocked
  6. 4.6 Removing the defenderLocked
  7. 4.7 Back-rank mateLocked
  8. 4.8 Mate in twoLocked
  9. 🏆Chapter exam — Out-tactic Bishop

Chapter 5

Opening Camp

Center, development, castling — and one model opening for each side.

  1. 5.1 Controlling the centerLocked
  2. 5.2 Developing minor piecesLocked
  3. 5.3 Castle earlyLocked
  4. 5.4 Opening mistakes to avoidLocked
  5. 5.5 Stopping the scholar's mateLocked
  6. 5.6 The Italian Game for WhiteLocked
  7. 5.7 Answering 1.e4 with 1…e5Locked
  8. 🏆Chapter exam — Opening duel vs Novi

Chapter 6

Strategy City

When there's no tactic: improve pieces, open files, weak pawns, plans.

  1. 6.1 Improving your worst pieceLocked
  2. 6.2 Rooks on open filesLocked
  3. 6.3 Rook on the seventh rankLocked
  4. 6.4 Outposts for knightsLocked
  5. 6.5 King safetyLocked
  6. 6.6 Weak pawnsLocked
  7. 6.7 Making a simple planLocked
  8. 🏆Chapter exam — Positional duel vs Bishop

Chapter 7

Endgame Fortress

Active kings, opposition, passed pawns, Lucena and Philidor.

  1. 7.1 The king is a fighting pieceLocked
  2. 7.2 The rule of the squareLocked
  3. 7.3 The oppositionLocked
  4. 7.4 King + pawn vs kingLocked
  5. 7.5 Passed and outside passed pawnsLocked
  6. 7.6 Rook behind the passed pawnLocked
  7. 7.7 The Lucena position — building a bridgeLocked
  8. 7.8 The Philidor position — defendingLocked
  9. 7.9 Stalemate trapsLocked
  10. 🏆Chapter exam — Endgame gauntlet vs Rooka

Chapter 8

The Arena

A thinking routine, the clock, game review — then graduation.

  1. 8.1 Candidate movesLocked
  2. 8.2 A thinking routineLocked
  3. 8.3 Playing with a clockLocked
  4. 8.4 Reviewing your gamesLocked
  5. 8.5 Learning from lossesLocked
  6. 🏆Chapter exam — Graduation game vs Novi