Interactive lesson
Foundations
The rules of chess
Get to know the board, meet all six pieces, and make your very first move.
6 pieces to explore
A clear path to better chess.
Build confidence, one small lesson at a time.
01 / WatchSee the idea on the board.02 / TryMake a move, with hints.03 / RememberCheck what you learned.
Your learning journey
Your first moves
Beginner · 4 lessons
0 of 4 lessons0%
- 01 / Your next step
The rules of chess
Meet the board and discover how each piece moves.Start lesson - 02 / Interactive lesson
Check and checkmate
Recognize a threat to your king and learn how games are won.Explore - 03 / Interactive lesson
Castling
Bring your king to safety and your rook into the game.Explore - 04 / Interactive lesson
Stalemate
Spot the difference between checkmate and a draw.Explore
Up next on your journey
Don’t just read the move. See it.
A new
perspective.
Watch the king and rook move together. Pause, turn the board, and see the idea from every angle.
Step into the cinemaA little discovery
Take the
unexpected route.
The knight does things differently. Two squares in one direction, then one to the side. A little leap. A whole new possibility.
Pick a square the knight can reach from d4.0 of 8 squares discovered
Click a square · or use arrow keys and Enter
Follow a spark of curiosity
The lesson library.
A move to understand. An idea to try.
Find something that speaks to you.
48 lessons
Interactive lesson
Special moves
Castling
Castling moves the king two squares toward a rook and jumps that rook to the square the king crossed, in a single move. It is legal only if neither piece has moved, nothing stands between them, and the king is not in check, does not pass through an attacked square, and does not land in check.
3 interactive demos
3D film
Openings
The Italian Game
Centre, development and the pressure on f7, move by move.
11 guided steps
Interactive lesson
Special moves
En passant
En passant lets a pawn capture an enemy pawn that has just moved two squares forward and landed beside it. The capturing pawn moves diagonally to the square the enemy pawn skipped, and the right lasts for that one move only.
2 interactive demos
Practice
Endgames
King and queen against king
The first mate every player should know. Shrink the king's box with the queen, then bring your own king up to finish.
Play for the win
3D film
Special moves
Checkmate patterns
The back-rank mate and the smothered mate, seen from the king's side of the board.
5 guided steps
Find the words.
The language of chess, simply explained.
Chess glossary02 / Keep exploringTrust your eye.
Put your pattern recognition to work.
Solve a puzzle03 / Keep exploringMake your move.
Bring what you’ve learned to a real game.
Play a gameTake your time. Find your move.