Play now
The curriculum

A complete, step-by-step chess journey made for kids

From the first pawn move to rook endgames, built by chess teachers. Every idea is taught in the order children are ready for it, and every lesson position and answer is checked by a chess engine, so what your child learns is real chess, taught properly.

And it's made to be loved: big monster personalities, engaging voices, songs that grow with every win and a playful world full of surprises keep kids motivated to come back, day after day.

Built by chess teachers

The same ideas taught at chess clubs, from opening principles to endgame technique, arranged into a clear path for young players.

Fun that keeps them coming back

Big monster personalities, engaging voices, songs to unlock and a playful world make kids want to play again tomorrow, and that practice is where progress happens.

Always the right challenge

Each monster plays a little stronger than the last, and Tock's help fades as your child grows, so it's never too easy or too hard.

Thinking for themselves

Tock nudges before he tells: a hint, then a square, and only then the move. Children choose their own moves and learn to take the initiative.

Deeper thinking

Habits strong players use, like checking who's watching, looking at checks, captures and threats, and seeing two moves ahead.

Ideas that stick

One concept per lesson, practised straight away in real games, and brought back again later in the saga and in "Today's 3".

0Meet the team1Monster Meadow2Dino Valley3Jungle Jam4Mystery Island5Mississippi Swamp6NYC Nights7Starlight Station✦The School
Professor Tock, a friendly green tortoise
Your child's coach

Meet Professor Tock

Tock is a wise old tortoise who follows your child through the whole adventure. He knows what they've learned and what comes next, and he's always one tap away.

  • The right hint at the right time. First a nudge ("look at your knight"), then a highlighted square, and only then the move.

  • Every concept, step by step. Tock guides your child from the first pawn move through tactics and strategy to the endgames strong players know.

  • Spots danger before it's too late. When a piece can really be lost, the square turns red and the attackers open their eyes.

Careful! The pawn and the queen are both watching that square. Is your knight safe there?

"Who's watching?" shows exactly which pieces can take yours.

Learning from mistakes

Mistakes become lessons, not losses

Here the knight jumped to g5, but the pawn on h6 and the queen on d8 can both capture it. Tock warns your child, shows who's watching and gives them the chance to think again.

Hints and takebacks are unlimited and free for every child. Help shows in the stars, never as a punishment.

The adventure saga

Seven worlds, one complete chess education

Each world has 26 levels: 10 short lessons and 16 games against its monsters, ending in a boss battle. Ideas build on each other, and big ones keep coming back. Pick a world to see what your child learns there, or jump to every lesson below.

Brand new to chess? Before the saga, children meet the whole team (pawn, rook, bishop, knight, queen and king) and learn how each piece moves. The School is always there for extra practice on any topic.

Start the adventure
0
Before the adventure

Meet the team: how the pieces move

Every child starts by meeting the six pieces, one at a time, with voice-over and hands-on tasks. Children who already know the moves can skip straight to the saga.

Rules & basicsThe pawn

Pawns move straight forward one square at a time, or two squares on their very first move. They capture diagonally, never move backwards, and a pawn that reaches the far side becomes a queen or another piece.

Example. This is a pawn. It walks straight forward, one square at a time. Watch: one step, and one more!
Try it. On its very first move, a pawn may jump two squares. Move it two squares!
Example. A pawn can't walk through a piece. These two are stuck, nose to nose!
Rules & basicsThe rook

The rook slides in straight lines, up, down and sideways, as far as it likes, until something is in the way. It captures the first enemy piece in its path.

Example. This is a rook. It slides in straight lines: up, down and sideways, as far as it likes.
Try it. A rook takes whatever stands in its way. Take the pawn!
Try it. Which pawn can the rook reach? Take it!
Rules & basicsThe bishop

The bishop slides along diagonals as far as it likes. Because it only moves diagonally, a bishop stays on the same colour square for the whole game.

Example. This is a bishop. It slides diagonally, as far as it likes.
Try it. Slide the bishop to the glowing square!
Example. A bishop always stays on its own colour. This one lives on dark squares forever!
Rules & basicsThe queen

The queen combines the rook and the bishop: straight lines and diagonals, any distance. She is the most powerful piece on the board.

Example. This is the queen, the strongest piece. She moves like a rook AND like a bishop: in all eight directions!
Example. Watch: she slides diagonally, all the way to the glowing corner.
Try it. Slide her straight up!
Rules & basicsThe knight

The knight moves in an L shape: two squares one way and one to the side. It is the only piece that can jump over other pieces, and it always lands on a square of the other colour.

Example. This is a knight. It jumps in an L: two squares up, then one to the side. Watch!
Example. It can jump two squares any way, then one to the side. From here, it can land on every glowing square.
Try it. Knights can jump over pieces! Jump out of the crowd to a glowing square.
Rules & basicsThe king

The king moves one square in any direction. He can never move onto a square where he could be captured, and protecting him is the whole point of the game.

Example. This is the king, the most important piece. He walks one square in any direction.
Example. The king may NEVER step onto a square an enemy attacks. This rook watches its whole column and row.
World 1 · 16 monster games

Monster Meadow

Focus: learn the basics and how the pieces move, then free pieces, piece values, the centre, check and checkmate. Help from Tock is generous here.

TacticsTake the free piece

A piece that nobody guards can be captured for free. Children learn to check whether an enemy piece is defended before they take it, and to grab it when it isn't.

Remember: if nobody guards a piece, take it for free!

Example. This knight has nobody guarding it. Watch the rook take it for free!
Example. But this knight has a pawn friend. Taking it would cost the rook!
Try it. Take the free piece.
Rules & basicsWhat pieces are worth

Pieces have values: queen 9, rook 5, bishop and knight 3 each, pawn 1. Knowing them helps children choose the best capture and avoid bad trades.

Remember: take the piece worth the most, if it's safe to take.

Example. Let's look at what your pieces are worth. Stronger pieces are worth more. The queen is the strongest, worth 9. Then the rook, worth 5. The bishop and the knight are worth 3 each. And the pawn is worth 1.
Example. Here, the pawn can take a knight or a rook. The rook is worth more, so watch the pawn take the rook!
Try it. You're white. Which piece will your knight take?
Thinking habitsGet out of danger

Noticing when one of your own pieces is attacked, and moving it to a square where it is safe.

Remember: when a piece is attacked, move it to a safe square.

Example. This knight is in danger: the pawn can take it. Watch it hop to a safe square!
Try it. Which piece is in danger? Move it somewhere safe.
Try it. A pawn attacks your bishop. Move it!
OpeningsTake the middle

The four centre squares (d4, e4, d5 and e5) are the most important squares early in the game. Pieces and pawns in the middle control more of the board.

Remember: push a middle pawn first, then bring out your pieces.

Example. Let's take a look! These four middle squares are the best spots on the board.
Example. A middle pawn steps up. Watch: now the pieces behind it can come out!
Try it. Push a pawn into the middle.
OpeningsWake up your team

Developing pieces: bringing the knights and bishops off the back row early, instead of moving the same piece again and again. In the app this is called waking up your team.

Remember: bring out your knights and bishops first.

Example. Knights and bishops come out first. Watch the knight join the game!
Example. Then a new piece each time, and the queen stays home for now. Watch the bishop come out!
Try it. Bring out a knight or a bishop.
Rules & basicsCheck!

A check is an attack on the king. Children learn to spot checks and to give them.

Remember: a good check is a safe check, where your piece can't be taken.

Example. Here's how it looks. Watch the rook attack the king: that's check! The king must get out of it.
Example. Careful! Here the king could take the rook. A good check is a safe one!
Try it. Give a safe check.
Rules & basicsGet out of check

There are exactly three ways out of check: move the king, block the check, or capture the piece that is giving check.

Remember: run, block or take, and pick the way that keeps your pieces safe.

Example. Check! There are three ways out: the king moves, something blocks the line, or the checker is taken.
Example. The best way out keeps your pieces safe. Watch this pawn block, with the knight guarding it!
Try it. Check! Get out without losing anything.
CheckmatesCheckmate

Checkmate: the king is in check and has no way to escape. That ends the game. Children deliver their first checkmates.

Remember: checkmate is check where the king can't escape.

Example. Watch the queen checkmate! The king is in check and can't escape. That wins the game!
Example. Watch the queen check right next to the king. The king guards her, so she can't be taken!
Example. Checkmate with your queen.
Rules & basicsCareful, don't stalemate!

If the player to move has no legal moves but is not in check, the game is a draw by stalemate. Children learn to leave the losing king a square to move to when they are winning.

Remember: when you're far ahead, always leave their king a square to move to!

Example. The black king is not in check, but he has no move at all. That's stalemate, and stalemate is a draw!
Example. Far ahead? Leave the king one square. Watch: the queen steps away, the king gets a square, then checkmate!
Example. Checkmate the king. Careful: no stalemate!
CheckmatesMate in one

Finding checkmate in one move, in many different positions with different pieces.

Remember: look at every check, and see if the king can escape.

Example. Here the king is stuck behind its pawns. Watch the rook checkmate!
Example. Even a little knight can checkmate! Watch: the king has no square to run to.
Example. Can you find the move that checkmates?
World 2 · 16 monster games

Dino Valley

Focus: don't give pieces away, castle early, stop Scholar's Mate, promote pawns and fork with knights.

Thinking habitsDon't give pieces away

Before every move, check that the piece you move won't be left where it can be taken for free. This one habit wins more children's games than any trick.

Remember: before you move, check that nobody can take your piece there.

Example. If the knight jumps here, the pawn can take it. That square isn't safe!
Example. Here nobody can take the knight. Watch it jump to this safe square!
Try it. Let's move your knight, but make sure it lands on a safe square.
Thinking habitsDefend your piece

Protecting an attacked piece by guarding it with another piece, so that taking it would cost the opponent.

Remember: a piece with a friend guarding it is much harder to win.

Example. Here the rook attacks a knight. Watch a pawn step up to guard it!
Example. Now if the rook takes the knight, the pawn takes the rook back!
Try it. Guard your knight.
OpeningsCastle early

Castling is the special move where the king and a rook move together. It tucks the king into safety and brings the rook into the game, so it's best done early.

Remember: castle early to hide your king in the corner.

Example. Castling early keeps the king safe. Watch it hide in the corner, behind its pawns!
Example. Now the king is safe, and the rook can join the game!
Try it. Keep your king safe. Castle!
OpeningsThe queen waits

Why the queen should wait: if she comes out too early, the opponent can chase her with smaller pieces while developing their own team.

Remember: keep your queen at home early, and chase theirs while you bring out pieces.

Example. Here the queen came out early. Watch: a pawn chases her, she runs, and a new piece comes out!
Example. Each chase brings out a new piece. Watch the knight chase this queen!
Try it. Bring out a piece and chase the queen!
OpeningsStop Scholar's Mate

Recognising and stopping Scholar's Mate, the quick checkmate on f7 (or f2) with queen and bishop that catches many beginners.

Remember: when the queen comes early, guard the weak pawn next to your king.

Example. The bishop already aims at the weak pawn next to the king. Watch: the queen comes out and aims at it too. If nobody stops them, the queen takes it: checkmate!
Example. Here they aim at your pawn. You can guard it, block the line, or chase the queen. Watch the pawn block and chase!
Try it. Black threatens checkmate. Stop it!
CheckmatesBack-rank mate

Back-rank mate: a rook or queen checkmates a king trapped on the back row by its own pawns. Children learn to use it and to avoid it.

Remember: a king stuck behind its pawns can be mated on its back row, so give your own king air.

Example. This king is stuck behind its own pawns. Watch the rook go to the back row. Check, and the king can't escape: checkmate!
Example. Your own king can get stuck too! Watch a pawn step up to give it air. Now it has a square to escape to.
Example. Checkmate on the back row.
EndgamesMake a queen

Promotion: a pawn that reaches the last row turns into a queen (or a rook, bishop or knight).

Remember: make a queen, but check that her square is safe first.

Example. A pawn that reaches the last row becomes a queen! Watch this one do it.
Example. Careful: here the rook guards that square. The new queen would be taken!
Try it. Make a queen before the rook stops you!
EndgamesPush your free pawn

A passed pawn has no enemy pawns in front of it or on the files next to it. Pushing it forward, with support, can decide the game.

Remember: a free pawn has nothing in its way. Push it to make a queen!

Example. A free pawn has no enemy pawns in its way. It can run all the way and become a queen!
Example. Their king is too far away to catch it. Watch it run!
Try it. Push your free pawn.
EndgamesPawn races

When both sides race pawns towards promotion, counting the moves tells you who gets there first.

Remember: count the moves, and use the double step at the start.

Example. A pawn race! Let's count how many moves each pawn needs to reach the end.
Example. You move first, and your pawn can jump two at the start. Watch: you win the race!
Try it. Race! Which move wins?
TacticsKnight forks

A fork is one piece attacking two things at once. Knight forks are the classic: the opponent can only save one piece.

Remember: a knight can jump to attack two pieces at once. Watch out for their knights too!

Example. A fork is when one piece attacks two pieces at once. They can only save one! Knights love forks: watch this knight attack the king and the queen.
Example. Their knights can fork too! Watch this knight jump in to attack the king and the rook at once.
Try it. Fork the king and queen. Then take it!
World 3 · 16 monster games

Jungle Jam

Focus: the big tactics, forks, pins and skewers, spotting threats, good trades and the king as an endgame fighter.

Thinking habitsSpot the threat

After every opponent move, ask: what does my opponent want to do now? Then stop the threat before it happens.

Remember: before you move, ask what your opponent wants to do.

Example. What does the other side want? This knight wants to jump here, and attack the king and the rook!
Example. Watch the king step up to guard that square. Now a jump there would lose the knight!
Try it. What does the knight want? Stop it!
TacticsQueen forks

Using the queen to attack two pieces at once, often together with a check.

Remember: a fork attacks two pieces at once. They can only save one!

Example. Remember: a fork attacks two pieces at once. Watch the queen fork the rook and the knight! They can only save one.
Try it. Check the king and attack the rook! Then take it!
Try it. Check the king and attack the bishop! Then take what they can't save!
Middlegame & strategyGood trades

When trading pieces is a good idea: give something worth the same or less, and trade more willingly when you are ahead.

Remember: a good trade wins more points than it loses.

Example. Here our knight takes their rook, and a pawn takes it back. We lose a knight worth 3, but win a rook worth 5. That's a good trade!
Example. But our queen for their knight? We'd lose 9 and win only 3. That's a bad trade!
Try it. Find the trade that wins.
TacticsSpot a pin

A pin: a piece can't move without exposing a more valuable piece (often the king) standing behind it.

Remember: pins are a great way to trap pieces. A piece standing in front of its king might be pinned and won!

Example. This knight is pinned. If it moved, the king would be in check, so it can't move.
Example. The knight is pinned by the rook and can't run away, so the rook can take it.
Try it. Pin the knight to its king, then take it.
TacticsUse a pin

Attacking a pinned piece. It can't run away, so it can often be won.

Remember: a pinned piece can't run away. Attack it with a pawn, and it is yours!

Example. If the pinned piece is guarded, we don't just trade. Bring a pawn to attack it: the pinned piece can't move away, and the pawn takes it.
Example. A rook can be pinned too. Watch the pawn attack it. The rook is stuck, so the pawn takes it!
Try it. Attack the pinned knight with a pawn, then take it!
TacticsPile on a pin

Piling up on a pin: adding more attackers to a pinned piece until it falls.

Remember: count attackers and guards. A pinned piece can't run, so bring more attackers than guards!

Example. Here the knight is pinned to its king, and it has a guard. One attacker is not enough, because the guard would take back.
Example. Watch a second attacker join in. Now two pieces attack and only one guards. The knight falls!
Try it. Bring one more attacker to the knight, then take it.
TacticsSkewer

A skewer is a pin in reverse: attack a valuable piece, and when it moves, capture the piece behind it.

Remember: when their king and another piece stand on one line, check the king. When it steps away, take the piece behind!

Example. Here the king and the queen stand on one line. Watch the rook check the king. The king must step away, and the rook takes the queen!
Example. A skewer is a pin turned around: the big piece is in front. Watch the queen check the king, and the queen behind it falls!
Try it. Check the king, then take the rook.
Thinking habitsStop the fork

Seeing a fork coming and making a move that stops it.

Remember: see the fork coming, and stop it before it happens.

Example. Watch this pawn: one step forward, and it attacks two knights at once!
Example. Stop the fork before it happens. Watch: the knight takes the pawn that wanted to fork.
Try it. Black wants to fork two of your pieces. Stop it!
EndgamesEnd game: the king fights

In the endgame, with fewer pieces left, the king becomes a strong fighting piece and should march towards the centre.

Remember: in the end game, bring your king to the middle and lead your pawns.

Example. When most pieces are gone, the king becomes a fighter. Watch it march to the middle!
Example. Kings can't stand side by side. Facing the other king with one square between is called the opposition.
Try it. Use your king to take the lonely pawn!
TacticsTrapped pieces

A piece with no safe squares to go to is trapped and can be won.

Remember: count the safe squares of their piece. Take them all away, and it is trapped!

Example. A trapped piece has no safe square to go to. Their knight is stuck in the corner: both squares it could jump to are guarded, so it is trapped. A trapped piece can be won!
Example. Watch the little pawn shut the door. Now the bishop has no safe square, and the king walks over to take it!
Try it. Trap the bishop with a pawn. Then take it!
World 4 · 16 monster games

Mystery Island

Focus: endgame technique, the basic checkmates with queen and rooks, king and pawn endings, the opposition, and discovered attacks.

CheckmatesKing and queen mate

Checkmating a lone king with king and queen, step by step, without stalemating.

Remember: it must be check! A trapped king that isn't in check is a draw.

Example. King and queen together can checkmate a lone king. The king goes to the edge, then the queen checks. Watch!
Example. Careful! If the king can't move but isn't in check, it's a draw.
Example. Checkmate, but don't trap the king without check!
CheckmatesTwo-rook ladder mate

The ladder mate: two rooks take turns to push the enemy king to the edge of the board and checkmate it.

Remember: one rook guards a row, the other gives check.

Example. Two rooks climb like a ladder. Watch: one guards a row, the other gives check!
Example. Step by step they reach the edge. Watch the checkmate!
Example. Finish the ladder: checkmate in one!
EndgamesKing and rook: the method

The method for checkmating with king and rook against a lone king: box the king in, shrink the box, then deliver mate.

Example. w1
Example. g1
Example. w2
EndgamesAhead? Trade pieces, not pawns

When you're ahead in material, trade pieces rather than pawns to reach an endgame that is easy to win.

Remember: when you're ahead, trade pieces, not pawns. Your pawns can become queens!

Example. You have an extra rook. Watch: the rooks swap, and the king takes back. Now your last rook has nobody left to fight!
Example. Pawns are different. Here every pawn is gone, and a knight alone can never checkmate. Your pawns are your winners, because they can become queens!
Try it. You're ahead. Trade a piece, not a pawn.
EndgamesEnd game: free pawns run

Passed pawns in the endgame: how to create them and escort them to promotion.

Remember: a free pawn wants to run, and the king catches it only from inside its square.

Example. A free pawn has no enemy pawn in its way. Watch it run to the end and become a queen!
Example. Picture a square from the pawn to its last row. A king that can step inside it catches the pawn.
Try it. Push your pawn one step to make a queen!
EndgamesOpposition

The king as a fighter in the endgame, and the opposition: kings facing each other with one square between them, a key idea in pawn endgames.

Remember: in the end game, bring your king to the middle and lead your pawns.

Example. When most pieces are gone, the king becomes a fighter. Watch it march to the middle!
Example. Kings can't stand side by side. Facing the other king with one square between is called the opposition.
Try it. Use your king to take the lonely pawn!
EndgamesKing and pawn: the opposition

King and pawn against king: using the opposition to promote the pawn, or to hold the draw as the defender.

Example. w1
Example. g1
Example. w2
EndgamesEnd game: the active rook

The active rook in the endgame: rooks belong behind passed pawns and on open lines, not stuck defending.

Remember: cut the enemy king off with your rook, and put rooks behind free pawns.

Example. A rook on a whole empty line is a wall. The enemy king can't cross it. Watch!
Example. Behind your free pawn, the rook pushes it. Behind theirs, it chases it.
Try it. Use your rook as a wall between their king and your pawn!
TacticsDiscovered attack

A discovered attack: moving one piece uncovers an attack by another piece standing behind it.

Remember: when your piece stands in front of your rook, bishop or queen, moving it opens a surprise attack!

Example. A discovered attack is when one piece steps out of the way and the piece behind it attacks. Here the knight stands in front of the rook. Watch it jump away: now the rook attacks the queen!
Example. It wins when the piece that moves makes a threat too. Here the bishop steps away with check! The king must deal with the check first, and then the rook takes the queen.
Try it. Move a pawn to uncover your bishop, with check.
TacticsDouble check

Double check: a discovered attack where both pieces give check at once. The king has to move.

Remember: in a double check, the king must move. Nothing can block or take both checkers!

Example. A double check is when two of your pieces give check at once. Watch the knight jump: now the knight and the rook both give check! The king has to run, and the knight takes the queen.
Example. Their queen could take the knight, but the rook would still give check. Blocking the rook leaves the knight's check. Only a king move helps!
Try it. Give a double check, then grab the rook.
World 5 · 16 monster games

Mississippi Swamp

Focus: combinations, checks-captures-threats, removing the defender, deflection, decoys, overloading and famous mating patterns.

Thinking habitsChecks, captures, threats (look first)

The habit strong players use: before choosing a move, look at all checks, captures and threats.

Remember: before every move, look for checks first, then captures, then threats.

Example. Before every move, good players look for checks first, then captures, then threats. Here the queen has a check that takes a pawn. Watch: it's checkmate!
Example. No check helps here, so captures come next. Nobody guards this rook. Watch the knight take it for free!
Try it. No checks here. Can you capture something?
TacticsRemove the defender

Removing the defender: capture or chase away the piece that guards something, then win what it was guarding.

Remember: if a piece is guarded, take its guard first. Then the piece is free!

Example. Removing the defender means taking the guard first, so the piece it guarded is left alone. Here the knight guards the rook. Watch the bishop take the knight: now the rook has no guard left!
Example. Their queen guards the knight. Watch: queen takes queen, and the pawn takes back. Now the knight has no guard, and the bishop takes it!
Try it. Their queen guards the knight. Take the guard away!
CheckmatesMate in 2

Checkmate in two moves: a forcing first move, then mate whatever the opponent does.

Try it. White to move: find the checkmate.
Try it. White to move: find the checkmate.
CheckmatesSmothered mate (the knight's trick)

Smothered mate: a knight checkmates a king that is completely surrounded by its own pieces.

Remember: a king boxed in by its own pieces can't run, and nobody can block a knight's check.

Example. Smothered mate: the king is boxed in by its own pieces. Watch the knight jump in with check. Nobody can block a knight, so it's checkmate!
Example. Here's the famous trick: the queen checks right next to the king, and the rook has to take her. Now the king is boxed in by its own rook. Watch the knight checkmate!
Example. The king is boxed in. Checkmate with the knight!
CheckmatesCorner mates (Arabian, Anastasia)

Classic checkmate patterns near the corner, such as the Arabian mate (rook and knight) and Anastasia's mate.

Remember: a king in the corner or on the edge has few squares. A knight covers them while the rook or queen checks.

Example. The Arabian mate: a rook and a knight trap the king in the corner. Watch the rook check, with the knight guarding it. The knight also covers the last square: checkmate!
Example. The Anastasia mate: the knight stands guard, and the king is stuck behind its own pawn. Watch the rook check along the edge. The knight covers the escape squares: checkmate!
Example. Arabian mate: rook and knight together. Checkmate!
TacticsDeflection (pull the guard away)

Deflection: forcing a defending piece away from the square or piece it is protecting.

Remember: a check can pull the guard away. Then the piece it guarded is free!

Example. Deflection means pulling a guard away from the piece it guards. Here their king guards its rook. Watch the check pull the king away: now the rook has no guard, and your rook takes it!
Try it. Their king guards the rook. Pull it away with a check!
Try it. Their king guards the rook. Check it away! Then take the piece!
TacticsDecoy (lure the king in)

Decoy: luring the king or another piece onto a bad square, often with a sacrifice.

Remember: a capture with check can lure the king onto a bad square. Then your next piece checkmates!

Example. A decoy lures the king onto a square where your pieces can catch it. Watch the rook take with check: the king has to take back. Now the king stands on the back row, and the other rook checkmates it there!
Try it. Lure the king onto the back row.
Try it. Take with check, and lure the king in!
TacticsOverloaded defender

An overloaded defender has two jobs and can't do both. Attack one job and win the other.

Remember: a guard can't do two jobs at once. Take one thing it guards, and the other falls.

Example. An overloaded guard has two jobs at once, and it can't do both. Here their rook guards two knights: watch the bishop take one, and the rook takes back. Now the other knight has no guard!
Try it. Their rook guards the bishop and the back row.
Try it. Their knight guards the bishop and the back row. Too many jobs!
Middlegame & strategyMiddle game: open lines and the 7th row

Open files and the seventh row: where rooks are strongest in the middlegame.

Remember: rooks love open lines. Double them, then invade the seventh row.

Example. This line has no pawns on it: an open line. Rooks love open lines. Watch!
Example. From an open line, a rook can invade the seventh row, where it eats pawns and traps the king.
Try it. Put a rook on a line with no pawns, to open it up!
Middlegame & strategyRook on the 7th

Putting rooks on open lines, doubling them, and invading the seventh row, where they attack pawns and trap the king.

Remember: rooks love open lines. Double them, then invade the seventh row.

Example. This line has no pawns on it: an open line. Rooks love open lines. Watch!
Example. From an open line, a rook can invade the seventh row, where it eats pawns and traps the king.
Try it. Put a rook on a line with no pawns, to open it up!
World 6 · 16 monster games

NYC Nights

Focus: first moves as White and Black, outposts, the bishop pair, attacking the king and the key rook endgames.

OpeningsFinish the opening: connect the rooks

The opening is finished when the knights and bishops are out, the king has castled and the two rooks can see each other.

Remember: knights and bishops out, king castled, queen up one step. Then your rooks can see each other!

Example. Our knights and bishops are out and our king is castled. Only the queen stands between the rooks. Watch her step up: now the rooks can see each other!
Example. Connected rooks guard each other and can slide to any line. Watch a rook move over to the middle!
Try it. Your queen is in the way. Connect your rooks!
OpeningsMy first moves as White

Sound first moves as White, following the opening principles: take the centre, develop, castle (for example 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4).

Try it. A sound sequence of opening moves.
Try it. A sound sequence of opening moves.
OpeningsMy first moves as Black

Sound first moves as Black: fight for the centre, develop your pieces and get your king safe.

Try it. A sound sequence of opening moves.
Try it. A sound sequence of opening moves.
Middlegame & strategyMiddle game: outposts and forks

Outposts: safe squares in the opponent's half where a knight can't be chased away by pawns, and the forks that knights find from there.

Remember: a knight loves an outpost, a square your pawn guards and no enemy pawn can chase it from.

Example. Your pawn guards that square, and no enemy pawn can ever chase a knight from it. It's an outpost. Watch!
Example. A knight attacks in a ring of eight squares. It can hit two pieces at once: a fork!
Try it. Put your knight on an outpost, where no pawn can chase it!
Middlegame & strategyMiddle game: long diagonals and the bishop pair

Bishops on long diagonals, and why two bishops together (the bishop pair) are so strong.

Remember: keep your two bishops, give them long diagonals, and keep your pawns off your bishop's colour.

Example. Two bishops together cover every square. Keep the pair when you can. Watch this one take the long diagonal!
Example. A bishop stuck behind its own pawns on its colour is a bad bishop. Pawns on the other colour set it free.
Try it. Put your bishop on the long diagonal, aiming at the middle!
Middlegame & strategyAttack the castled king

Attacking the castled king by bringing pieces and pawns towards it.

Remember: bring more attackers than they have defenders. Two pieces on one square next to the king can checkmate!

Example. A castled king hides behind its pawns. Our bishop already aims at the pawn next to it. Watch the queen join the attack!
Example. Now two attackers aim at that pawn, and only the king guards it. Two beat one: the queen takes it, checkmate!
Example. Queen and knight team up. Checkmate!
TacticsX-ray attack

An X-ray: a piece attacks or defends a square through another piece standing on the same line.

Remember: a rook, bishop or queen can look right through a piece. When that piece moves away, the attack comes through!

Example. An x-ray is a piece that attacks right through another piece: our rook looks right through their rook. Watch: the queen takes, their rook takes back, and the line opens. Checkmate!
Try it. Take their queen: your rook waits behind their rook.
Try it. Your rook sees through their rook. Win a whole rook! Then take back!
TacticsIn-between move

The in-between move: before making the expected recapture, play a stronger move first, such as a check.

Remember: before you take back, look for a check that wins even more!

Example. An in-between move is a stronger move you play before you take back. Their queen just took ours. If our pawn takes back straight away, their bishop takes ours.
Example. But first comes a check: our bishop takes theirs, the king must move, and then the pawn still takes the queen!
Try it. Their rook took your queen. Check first!
EndgamesHold the draw: Philidor (rook endings)

The Philidor position: the defending technique that holds a rook endgame a pawn down to a draw.

Remember: keep your rook on your 3rd row. When their pawn steps onto it, go far away and check from behind!

Example. Our king stands in front of their pawn, and our rook guards our 3rd row, so their king can't come closer. When the pawn steps forward, the rook goes far away. Watch!
Example. Now the pawn no longer hides their king. Each time it comes close, our rook checks it from behind, and the game is a draw!
Try it. Hold the draw: keep their king away.
EndgamesBuild a bridge: Lucena (rook endings)

The Lucena position: building a bridge with the rook to shelter the king and promote the pawn in a rook endgame.

Remember: rook to the 4th row, king walks out, then the rook blocks the check. That's the bridge!

Example. Our pawn is nearly a queen, but our king is stuck in front of it. A check pushes their king away, then our rook steps up to the 4th row.
Example. Our king walks out, and their rook keeps checking. Then our rook blocks the check, right next to our king: that's the bridge!
Try it. Their rook checks. Walk your king out!
World 7 · 16 monster games

Starlight Station

Focus: strategy, weak pawns, pawn breaks, improving your worst piece, zugzwang, underpromotion and calculating ahead.

Middlegame & strategyWeak pawns

Weak pawns, such as isolated, doubled and backward pawns, and how to attack them.

Remember: a lonely pawn, or two pawns on one line, can't be guarded by a pawn friend. Aim at them!

Example. This pawn has no pawn friend beside it. It is lonely, so no pawn can guard it. Watch the rook take it!
Example. These two pawns stand on one line, one behind the other. They can't guard each other! Watch the rook take one and aim at the next.
Try it. Their pawn stands all alone. Take it!
Middlegame & strategyMiddle game: chains and breaks

Pawn chains and pawn breaks: how pawns lock the position and how a well-timed pawn move opens it up.

Remember: break a pawn chain at its base, keep your pawns healthy, and use them to take squares away.

Example. These pawns form a chain: each one guards the next. Attack a chain at its back pawn. Watch!
Example. Two pawns on one line, or a pawn with no friends beside it, are weak. Healthy pawns stand side by side.
Try it. Hit their pawn chain with a pawn to break it!
Middlegame & strategyImprove your worst piece

Finding your least active piece and giving it a better square, a habit of strong players.

Remember: when you don't know what to do, find your worst piece and bring it into the game.

Example. The rook in the corner is asleep: it has nothing to do. Watch it wake up and move to the open line. Now it can attack!
Example. A knight on the edge sees only a few squares. In the middle it sees many more. Watch it jump closer to the action.
Try it. Your corner rook is asleep. Wake it up!
Thinking habitsTake away a square

Taking away squares: restricting the opponent's pieces so they have nowhere good to go.

Remember: take away the square they want, and their plan can't start.

Example. This bishop wants to come here and pin your knight to your queen. Watch!
Example. A pawn one step forward takes that square away. Watch: now the bishop can't come there without being taken.
Try it. Black's bishop wants to pin your knight. Stop it!
EndgamesZugzwang

Zugzwang: positions where having to make a move is a disadvantage, because every move makes things worse.

Remember: sometimes the best move is the one that makes them move. Every move they have hurts!

Example. Both kings guard their own pawn. Whoever has to move must step away and lose it. That's zugzwang!
Example. Here it's your move, but you have a spare pawn step. Watch the pawn move. Now it's their turn, and their king must give way.
Try it. Put your king where theirs must give way.
TacticsClear the way

Clearance: moving a piece out of the way to open a line or a square for another piece.

Remember: if your piece blocks your own line, move it with a threat. If their piece guards along a line, block it!

Example. Your knight is in the way of your rook. Watch it jump out with check. Now the rook's line is open: checkmate!
Example. Their rook guards the square where your pawn wants to be a queen. Watch the bishop step into the rook's line. Now the pawn gets through!
Try it. Your knight blocks your rook. Move it with check!
CheckmatesMate in 3

Checkmate in three moves: calculating a forcing sequence to the end.

Try it. White to move: find the checkmate.
Try it. White to move: find the checkmate.
EndgamesUnderpromotion

Underpromotion: promoting to a rook, bishop or knight when a queen would give stalemate or a knight gives a winning check.

Remember: before you make a queen, check that their king can still move. If not, make a rook!

Example. A new queen here takes every square from their king, but it isn't check. Their king can't move at all. That's stalemate, only a draw!
Example. So make a rook instead! Their king still has a square, so it isn't stalemate, and your rook will win. Sometimes a knight is best, when its jump gives check.
Try it. A queen would stalemate. Make a rook!
Thinking habitsLook 2 moves ahead

Looking two moves ahead: calculating a short sequence that wins material.

Try it. White to move: find the move that wins material.
Try it. White to move: find the move that wins material.
Middlegame & strategyPawn storm

A pawn storm: advancing pawns towards the enemy king to open lines for an attack.

Remember: when the kings live on different sides, push the pawns in front of their king. Pawns chase the defenders away!

Example. The kings live on different sides, so your pawns can march at their king. Watch this pawn chase away the knight that guards the king. A pawn is a cheap attacker, so pushing it costs little!
Try it. Push a pawn at the knight that guards their king.
Try it. Their bishop guards the king. Chase it with a pawn!
🏫
Practise any topic, any time

The School: 74 topics in five groups

Next to the adventure, the School has a course for every topic, each with Tock's lessons first and then puzzles in four levels, from Easy to Expert. Children can go back to anything from the saga, or go deeper into openings, tactics, checkmates, endgames and strategy.

Openings 20 topics

  • Take the middleEasy
  • Bring out your knights and bishopsEasy
  • One move per pieceEasy
  • Don't push every pawnEasy
  • Castle earlyEasy
  • Punish the lazy kingMedium
  • Keep your queen homeEasy
  • Don't be greedy: gambits and pawn huntsMedium
  • Stop Scholar's MateMedium
  • Opening traps: Fool's Mate, Légal's Mate, the Fishing PoleMedium
  • Dealing with the pin: Bg5 and Bg4Medium
  • The Italian GameMedium
  • Two Knights and the Fried LiverHard
  • Four Knights and the ScotchMedium
  • The Ruy LopezHard
  • Black's e5 answers: Philidor and PetrovHard
  • The Queen's GambitHard
  • The London SystemMedium
  • Sicilian basics (meeting 1...c5)Hard
  • French and Caro-Kann basicsExpert

Tactics 21 topics

  • Attacked and defendedEasy
  • Free piecesEasy
  • Piece values and tradesEasy
  • Don't hang your piecesMedium
  • Check that wins somethingEasy
  • Spot the threatMedium
  • Stop their idea (defence)Medium
  • Knight forksMedium
  • Queen forksMedium
  • Pawn and bishop forksMedium
  • PinsHard
  • Skewers and X-raysHard
  • Discovered attacks and double checkHard
  • Trapped piecesHard
  • Remove the defenderHard
  • Deflection and overloadHard
  • DecoyHard
  • Checks, captures, threatsHard
  • In-between movesExpert
  • Clearance and interferenceExpert
  • Quiet moves and sacrificesExpert

Checkmates 14 topics

  • Mate in one with the queenEasy
  • The king helpsEasy
  • Mate in one, mixedEasy
  • Back-rank mateMedium
  • Mate in twoHard
  • Mate in threeExpert
  • Smothered mateHard
  • The ladder (two rooks / rook and queen)Easy
  • Anastasia's mateHard
  • Arabian mateHard
  • Two bishops mate (Boden's, double bishop)Hard
  • Hook and dovetail matesExpert
  • Attack the castled kingHard
  • Opera mate and Légal's mateExpert

Endgames 12 topics

  • King and queen vs kingEasy
  • King and rook vs kingMedium
  • Passed pawns and pawn racesEasy
  • The square of the pawnMedium
  • King and pawn vs king: oppositionMedium
  • The king fightsMedium
  • Zugzwang and triangulationExpert
  • Stalemate tricksMedium
  • Make a passed pawnMedium
  • Rook vs pawnHard
  • Lucena: build a bridgeExpert
  • Philidor: the third-rank defenceExpert

Strategy 7 topics

  • The middle game: wake up sleepy piecesEasy
  • Rooks: open files, the 7th rank, behind passed pawnsMedium
  • Outposts for knightsHard
  • Good and bad bishopsHard
  • Pawn structure: weak pawnsHard
  • Space and a planExpert
  • When to tradeHard

EasyMediumHardExpert show where each topic's lessons start. Every topic also has puzzles at all four levels.

Ready to start the adventure?

Monster Meadow and all the basics are free.

Play now, free

ChessMons teaches real chess to children aged 3 to 12: how the pawn, rook, bishop, knight, queen and king move; check, checkmate and stalemate; castling, promotion and piece values; tactics such as forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks, deflection and decoys; checkmate patterns including back-rank, smothered, Arabian and Anastasia's mate; opening principles; middlegame strategy such as outposts, open files and pawn breaks; and endgames from king and queen mate to the Lucena and Philidor positions.