Learn chess, lesson by lesson
Fifty-four interactive lessons in five chapters. Play the moves yourself on the living board: a wrong move is taken back, a hint shows the right piece, and you earn up to three stars per lesson.
1. First Steps
How every warrior moves, and the special rules of the battlefield.
1.1 The Rook
The rook charges in straight lines - along ranks and files, as far as it likes. Capture every enemy soldier.
1.2 The Bishop
The bishop moves diagonally and always stays on its own colour. Capture all three soldiers.
1.3 The Queen
The queen moves like a rook and a bishop together - the strongest piece on the field. Clear the board.
1.4 The King
The king moves one square in any direction - and may never step onto a square the enemy attacks. Capture both soldiers.
1.5 The Knight
The knight jumps in an L: two squares one way, one square to the side - and it leaps over anything in its path.
1.6 The Pawn
Pawns march forward one square (two on their first move) but capture one square diagonally forward. Capture both enemy pawns.
1.7 Promotion
A pawn that reaches the last rank is promoted - usually to a queen. March this pawn to the end.
1.8 Castling
Once per game the king may castle: it moves two squares towards a rook, and the rook jumps over it. Neither may have moved before. Castle now - either side.
1.9 En Passant
When an enemy pawn rushes two squares past your pawn, you may capture it "in passing" - but only right away. Watch the enemy pawn, then strike.
1.10 Escape the Check
Your king is in check! You must escape: move the king, block the attack or capture the attacker. Here the best answer is to capture.
1.11 Checkmate
Checkmate: the king is attacked and has no escape. That ends the war. Deliver checkmate in one move.
1.12 Mate, Not Stalemate
If the enemy has no legal move and is NOT in check, it is stalemate - only a draw. Careful: find the checkmate.
2. Checkmate Patterns
The classic traps every warrior must know - and fear.
2.1 Back-Rank Mate
A king hiding behind its own pawns has no air. A rook on the back rank ends it.
2.2 The Queen's Kiss
A queen right next to the enemy king, protected by her own king, is unstoppable.
2.3 Scholar's Mate
The fastest trap against beginners: queen and bishop gang up on f7. Play it - and learn never to fall for it.
2.4 Fool's Mate
You command the Shadow. White opens the door to his own king - find the fastest mate in chess.
2.5 Smothered Mate
A king surrounded by its own warriors cannot breathe. The knight delivers the final blow.
2.6 Anastasia's Mate
The knight seals the escape squares, the rook strikes down the edge of the board.
2.7 Arabian Mate
One of the oldest patterns: the knight guards the rook as it corners the king.
2.8 Boden's Mate
Two bishops on crossing diagonals trap a castled king.
2.9 Légal's Mate
A 250-year-old trap: give up your queen - and mate with three minor pieces.
2.10 Queen and Bishop on h7
The most common attack on a castled king: bishop aims at h7, the queen lands there.
2.11 Epaulette Mate
The king's own rooks stand beside him like shoulder pads - and block his escape.
2.12 Damiano's Mate
A pawn deep in enemy land supports the queen's final strike.
3. Tactics
Forks, pins, skewers and sacrifices - win the war before it begins.
3.1 The Royal Fork
A fork attacks two targets at once. The knight is the master of forks - attack king and rook together.
3.2 The Pawn Fork
Even the humblest pawn can fork two pieces. The d4 pawn keeps it safe.
3.3 The Pin
A pinned piece cannot move without exposing the king behind it. Attack it while it is frozen.
3.4 The Skewer
A skewer is a reversed pin: attack the king, and when it steps aside, take what stands behind it.
3.5 Discovered Attack
Move one piece out of the way and the piece behind it strikes. Give check with the knight - and unmask the bishop.
3.6 Double Check
Two pieces give check at once: the king must move - nothing can block or capture both.
3.7 Remove the Defender
The knight on f6 is the only guard of h7. Remove it - and strike.
3.8 Queen Double Attack
A loose piece is a target. Check the king and attack the bishop with the same move.
3.9 Philidor's Legacy
Sacrifice the queen to bury the king under his own rook - then the knight finishes it.
3.10 Pin the Queen
Pin the queen to her king. A protected bishop wins her.
4. Endgames
When the armies are thin: technique wins wars. Against Stockfish at full strength.
4.1 Queen Mates the King
King and queen against a lone king. Push the king to the edge with the queen a knight's jump away, bring your king - and mate. Beware stalemate!
4.2 Rook Mates the King
King and rook against a king. Cut the board with the rook, use your king for opposition, and drive the enemy to the edge.
4.3 The Rook Ladder
Two rooks climb like a ladder: one guards a rank, the other checks on the next. No king needed.
4.4 The Opposition
King and pawn against king. Your king in front of the pawn on the sixth rank wins. Escort the pawn to promotion.
4.5 The Rule of the Square
Draw a square from the pawn to the promotion rank. If the enemy king cannot step inside, the pawn runs home alone.
4.6 Hold the Draw
You defend with the Shadow king. Stay in front of the pawn and keep the opposition - and the enemy can never promote.
4.7 The Lucena Position
The most important rook endgame: build a bridge with your rook to shield the king from checks, then promote.
4.8 The Philidor Defence
You defend with the Shadow rook. Keep it on your third rank to stop the king; when the pawn advances, check from behind.
4.9 Queen Stops the Pawn
A pawn one step from promotion. Check, check, force the king in front of its own pawn - then bring your king closer. Win the pawn.
4.10 The Breakthrough
Three pawns against three. A sacrifice tears the wall open - one of your pawns will crown.
5. Openings
The first moves of the great battle plans. Play the book moves.
5.1 Italian Game
One of the oldest openings: quick development, bishop aimed at f7, king castled early.
5.2 Ruy Lopez
The Spanish torture: put pressure on the knight that guards Black's centre. A world-championship favourite.
5.3 Queen's Gambit Declined
White offers a pawn for the centre. Black declines and builds a fortress.
5.4 London System
A system that works against almost anything: the same setup every game.
5.5 English Opening
Fight for the centre from the flank. A reversed Sicilian with an extra tempo.
5.6 Sicilian Najdorf
You command the Shadow. The sharpest answer to 1.e4 - beloved by Fischer and Kasparov.
5.7 French Defence
You command the Shadow. A solid wall of pawns, then a counter-attack on White's centre.
5.8 Caro-Kann Defence
You command the Shadow. Rock-solid: the light bishop gets out before the pawns close the door.
5.9 King's Indian Defence
You command the Shadow. Let White build a big centre - then attack it.
5.10 Scandinavian Defence
You command the Shadow. Hit e4 immediately - a direct, fearless opening.