Free Chess Lessons

Every lesson in the Grandmaster Academy is here, free to read and free to play, from piece drills and the rules to checkmate patterns, tactics, endgames and strategy. Each one sets up a real position on the board and asks you to find the move. Start at the beginning or jump to whatever you want to fix.

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Piece Drills 24 lessons

• The Pawn Marches Pawns move straight ahead one square; or two on their very first move. March th…
• Pawns Capture Diagonally A pawn captures one square diagonally forward; never straight ahead. Capture an…
• Promotion When a pawn reaches the last rank it becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight. Pu…
• The Pawn Gauntlet Combine it all: capture your way through, then march to the end of the board. Hi…
• The Knight's "L" Knights move in an L: two squares one way, one square sideways. Leap to the ★.…
• Knight Star Tour Visit all three ★ squares. Notice how the knight always lands on the opposite co…
• Knights Jump! The knight is the only piece that leaps over others. Jump past the pawn wall to …
• Knight Raid Capture all three enemy pawns; each one is a knight's-move from the last. Plan …
• The Bishop's Diagonal Bishops slide any distance along diagonals. Glide to the ★.…
• Changing Diagonals Reach both ★ squares; you'll need to switch from one diagonal to another.…
• One Color Forever This bishop starts on a dark square and can NEVER touch a light one. Travel to t…
• Bishop Sniper Capture both pawns along the long diagonal. Distance means nothing to a bishop.…
• The Rook's Lines Rooks slide along ranks and files. Visit both corners marked ★.…
• Rook Breakthrough Capture the pawn in your path, then continue to the end of the file.…
• Rook Sweep Capture both pawns. Rooks love open ranks and files.…
• The Rook Lift Rooks often swing up and across; a "rook lift." Follow the path: up to h3, then…
• Her Majesty Moves The queen combines rook and bishop. Trace her power: visit all three ★ squares.…
• Queen Harvest Capture both pawns: file first, then rank.…
• Even Queens Can't Jump Your own pawn blocks the file. Find a route around it to the ★.…
• The Grand Tour Circle the whole board: e8, a8, a1, h1. Feel the queen's reach.…
• The King's Step The king moves one square in any direction. Step to f2, then f3.…
• Check! Now What? You're in check from the pawn; but it's undefended. Capture it with your king!…
• Never Into Danger The enemy pawn guards e4 and c4; your king may not step onto attacked squares. …
• March of the King In the endgame the king is a fighting piece! Walk him to the center: e2 → d3 → d…

Rules & Special Moves 10 lessons

• Setting the Board Every game starts the same way. Where does the WHITE queen begin?…
• Who Moves First? Which side always moves first in chess?…
• Castle Kingside Castling is the only move where two pieces move at once: the king slides TWO squ…
• Castle Queenside Now try the long side: the king still moves two squares, this time toward the a-…
• When Castling Is Illegal Which of these does NOT prevent you from castling?…
• En Passant Black just pushed the d-pawn two squares, landing beside your pawn. For ONE move…
• A New Queen Push your pawn to the final rank and promote. You may choose ANY piece; 99% of …
• Escaping Check You're in check! There are only three ways out: move the king, block the attack,…
• Checkmate vs Stalemate Your opponent has NO legal moves but is NOT in check. What happens?…
• The Draw Rules Which of these is NOT an official draw?…

Which checkmate patterns should you know? 16 lessons

• The Back-Rank Mate The black king is trapped behind his own pawns; his fatal weakness. Deliver mat…
• Scholar's Mate The famous 4-move attack on f7, the weakest square on the board. Finish it.…
• The Smothered Mate The king is smothered by his own pieces; and only a knight can exploit it. Mate…
• The Ladder Mate Two rooks work like a ladder: one cuts off a rank, the other checks. Climb the f…
• The Queen's Kiss March your queen right next to the enemy king; protected by your own. Mate in o…
• The Arabian Mate One of the oldest recorded mates; rook and knight in perfect harmony. Mate in o…
• Queen & King Teamwork Your king boxes in his rival; your queen finishes. Two mating moves exist; find…
• Rook & King Teamwork The same idea with a rook. This is how you finish a K+R endgame. Mate in one.…
• The Two Bishops Two bishops rake adjacent diagonals; a deadly crossfire in the corner. Mate in …
• Mate by Promotion Your humble pawn is one step from glory, and the promotion itself is checkmate!…
• The Epaulette Mate The king's own rooks sit beside him like epaulettes on a uniform; blocking his …
• The Anastasia Mate Knight and rook conspire against a king on the h-file. Mate in one.…
• Blind Swine Two rooks rampaging on the 7th rank were nicknamed "blind swine." Here they see …
• Queen & Bishop Battery The bishop on b2 secretly controls g7 and h8. Use that to mate on the back rank.…
• The Pawn Delivers Even the humblest soldier can deliver the final blow. Mate in one, with a pawn!…
• Kiss of Death, Guarded by a Pawn Your f6 pawn is the unsung hero; it guards g7. Deliver the queen's final blow.…

Tactics 18 lessons

• The Royal Fork A fork attacks two things at once. Find the knight move that attacks BOTH the ki…
• The Pawn Fork Even a pawn can fork. Advance it one square to attack knight AND rook simultaneo…
• The Skewer A skewer attacks a valuable piece, forcing it to move and exposing one behind it…
• The Pin A pinned piece cannot move without exposing something worse behind it. Pin the k…
• Discovered Attack Move one piece to uncover another hiding behind it. Capture the queen WITH CHECK…
• The Double Attack Queens excel at attacking two targets at once. Find the square that checks the k…
• Skewer on the Rank Skewer along the 8th rank this time: check the king, win the rook behind it.…
• Take What's Free Before anything fancy: is anything simply hanging? The rook is undefended. Take …
• Pin vs Skewer What's the difference between a pin and a skewer?…
• Remove the Defender An enemy knight is defended only by a bishop. What's the classic plan?…
• The Overloaded Piece One enemy rook is defending BOTH the back rank and a knight. It is……
• Luft; Air for the King Why do strong players play a quiet move like h3 in the middlegame?…
• The Trapped Piece An enemy bishop has wandered where it has no safe squares. You should……
• Zwischenzug You capture a piece; instead of recapturing, your opponent plays a CHECK first, …
• The Battery Lining up queen and bishop on the same diagonal aimed at the enemy king is calle…
• Counting Attackers An enemy pawn is attacked by 2 of your pieces and defended by 2. If you capture,…
• Check Every Check A famous tactical habit: on every move, examine all……
• Desperado Your knight is doomed no matter what. Before it dies, it should……

Endgames 12 lessons

• King + Rook Mate This is THE must-know endgame. Your king stands guard; the rook strikes. Mate in…
• King + Queen Mate Same idea, faster with a queen. Kings in opposition, queen strikes the back rank…
• Promotion Wins Endgames Most endgames are won by ONE extra pawn becoming a queen. Promote!…
• Doubled Rooks Finish Your rooks own the 7th and can seize the 8th. End it.…
• The Opposition Kings face each other with one square between. Whoever must move is at a disadva…
• Rule of the Square A passed pawn races to promote; the defending king chases. How do you know if th…
• King & Pawn: Who Leads? Escorting your last pawn home, where should your king be?…
• Stalemate Alarm You have K+Q vs lone king. The single biggest danger is……
• Rooks Behind Passed Pawns Where does a rook belong relative to a passed pawn (yours OR theirs)?…
• Activate the King! The queens are off the board. Your king should now……
• Which Is a DRAW? Which of these positions cannot be won by force?…
• Trading When Ahead You're up a whole rook. Good endgame policy is to……

Strategy 12 lessons

• The Center Rules Why do all classical openings fight for e4, d4, e5, d5?…
• Opening Priorities The three golden rules of every opening are……
• Don't Repeat Yourself Moving the same piece twice in the opening is usually bad because……
• The Bishop Pair Owning both bishops when your opponent doesn't is usually……
• Knights vs Bishops In a CLOSED position with locked pawn chains, which minor piece usually shines?…
• Rooks Crave Open Files A file with no pawns on it is called open. Rooks belong there because……
• The Outpost A knight lands on a central square where no enemy PAWN can ever attack it, defen…
• Pawn Weaknesses Doubled, isolated pawns are considered weak mainly because……
• King Safety Timing When should you usually castle?…
• Making a Plan You see no tactics anywhere. What now?…
• The Exchange Trading a rook (5) for a bishop or knight (3) is called……
• Before EVERY Move The single best habit in chess: before releasing your move, ask……

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The questions people ask before they spend money on lessons, answered one guide at a time.

• Chess Lessons Alternatives and When Each One Wins
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• Chess Lessons Examples: What a Good Lesson Gets Right
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• Chess Lessons vs Just Playing: Which Improves You Faster?
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• How to Choose Chess Lessons That Fit the Student
• Questions to Ask Before You Pay for Chess Lessons