New to Chess
Complete beginner? Start here. Learn how the pieces move, basic rules, and your first tactics.
What to focus on
- How pieces move
- Check, checkmate, and stalemate
- Basic opening principles
- Basic tactics (forks, pins)
- Simple checkmates (back rank, smothered)
Don't just watch — train
Drill opening lines move-by-move on an interactive board. Spaced repetition makes them stick.
Open the TrainerRecommended Videos (6)
How To Play Chess PROPERLY
Nathan RoseThe foundations done right from move one: what each phase of the game is for and the habits that make everything else easier.
Hikaru's Step By Step Guide To Chess
Hikaru NakamuraProfessor Hikaru slows all the way down and teaches chess from scratch — how a world #2 thinks about every move, explained for beginners.
What to do in a chess opening? — Beginner to Chess Master #5
ChessNetworkOpening PRINCIPLES over memorization: center, development, king safety — taught with Jerry's legendary clarity.
The Chess Tactics Guide For Beginners!
Chess VibesWhat tactics are and the 3 patterns that decide most beginner games: forks, pins, and skewers — with clear examples of each.
Chess Tactics Terminology — Beginner to Chess Master #9
ChessNetworkEvery tactical term defined and shown: fork, pin, skewer, discovered attack, deflection, zwischenzug and more.
5 Biggest Chess MISTAKES Made By Beginners
Igor SmirnovThe five habits that cap beginners' ratings — and the concrete fix for each one.