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Lessons
Short lessons. Each visit deals a new legal position.
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Learn the board · Meet the pieces · How pieces fight · Special moves · Checkmate exercises · First tactics
Learn the board
Colour the standing lines, sleeping lines, and slanting lines - before any pieces move.
Meet the pieces
Learn each piece on a tiny board - one clear job at a time. No kings on the board yet!
How pieces fight
Capture, attack, defence, and check - four big ideas, sleek and clear.
Special moves
Castle, promote, and the tricky en passant take.
Checkmate exercises
Trap the king! Start on a tiny board, then grow bigger.
- Queen mate - tiny boardTrap the king with queen + king.2 steps
- Queen mate - mediumPush the king to the edge.2 steps
- Queen mate - full boardFull-board queen checkmate.2 steps
- Rook mate - tiny boardTrap the king with rook + king.2 steps
- Rook mate - mediumCut the king off, then close in.2 steps
- Rook mate - full boardFull-board rook checkmate.2 steps
- Two-rook ladder - tinyLadder the king with two rooks.2 steps
- Two-rook ladder - mediumLadder mate practice.2 steps
- Two-rook ladder - fullFull-board ladder mate.2 steps
- Two bishops - tinyCorner the king with two bishops.2 steps
- Two bishops - mediumBoth colours, then corner.2 steps
- Two bishops - fullFull-board two-bishop mate.2 steps
First tactics
Forks and pins - simple tricks that win pieces.