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Level 1 - Foundation of Chess for Beginners

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Chapter 1 | The Chessboard and the Pieces

  • Understand the layout of the chessboard and learn the names and positions of each piece.
  • The foundation for everything to come in your chess journey.

Chapter 2 | How the Pieces Move


  • Discover how each chess piece moves across the board.
  • Movement rules are the basics for planning your strategy.

Chapter 3 | Special Moves  


  • Learn castling, en passant, and pawn promotion.
  • These unique rules often change the course of the game.

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Chapter 4 | The Life of a Chess King  


  • Explore the strategic value and vulnerability of the king.
  • The safety of your king is the game's core principle.

Chapter 5 | Mate in One Move  


  • Practice spotting one-move checkmates.
  • Helps sharpen your tactical awareness.

Chapter 6 | Mate by a Queen

  • Understand patterns of delivering checkmate using the queen.
  • Leverage the queen's power in decisive attacks.

Chapter 7 | Mate by a Rook


  • Learn common checkmate setups using one or two rooks.
  • Master rook coordination in endgames.

Chapter 8 | Mate by Two Bishops


  • Execute mate using the harmony of two bishops.
  • A classic example of long-range power. 

Chapter 9 | Basic Mate Configurations  


  • Explore essential mating patterns every player should know.
  • These occur frequently in real games. 

Chapter 10 | Introduction to Chess Openings  


  • Learn basic principles of opening play.
  • Helps you develop your pieces and control the center.

Chapter 11 | Introduction to Chess Middlegames  


  • Discover how to transition from opening to middle play.
  • Focus on tactics and piece activity.

Chapter 12 | How a Game Can End  


  • Know the various outcomes in chess: checkmate, draw, stalemate.
  • Prepares you for all possible results.

Chapter 13 | Combination Basics


  • Understand how to create tactical combinations.
  • Key to launching successful attacks.

Chapter 14 | The Sacrifice  


  • Learn when and why to give up material for a bigger gain.
  • Sacrifices can lead to brilliant wins.

Chapter 15 | The Deflection   


  • Force an opponent’s piece off a key square.
  • This tactic is useful for gaining material or delivering checkmate.

Chapter 16 | The Decoy  


  • Lure Opponent pieces into traps or vulnerable positions.
  • Great for setting up combos and threats.

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Chapter 17 | The Pin and the Skewer


  • Master two of the most powerful tactical weapons.
  • Useful in both offense and defense.

Chapter 18 | Typical Combinations 1  


  • Study commonly occurring tactical themes.
  • Strengthens your calculation and foresight.

Chapter 19 | Typical Combinations 2   


  • Deepen your understanding of advanced combinations.
  • Builds pattern recognition in complex positions.

Chapter 20 | Development Tales   


  • Learn the importance of rapid development.
  • Time matters—develop fast, control the game.

Chapter 21 | The Safety of the King    


  • Master techniques to protect your king.
  • Good defense is as important as a strong attack.

Chapter 22 | The Centre


  • Understand the power of central control.
  • All strategies revolve around the center.

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Chapter 23 | Activity  


  • Learn how to keep your pieces active and aggressive.
  • Activity trumps passive play.

Chapter 24 | Pawn Structures   


  • Study typical pawn formations and their strengths/weaknesses.
  • Pawn structure shapes your entire game plan.

Chapter 25 | Introduction to Chess Endgames    


  • Get introduced to basic endgame concepts.
  • Endgames win games—don’t ignore them.

Chapter 26 | The Basics of Pawn Endgames 1     


  • Focus on king and pawn endgames and opposition.
  • Critical for turning small advantages into wins.

Chapter 27 | The Basics of Pawn Endgames 2     


  • Continue exploring key pawn endgame techniques.
  • Reinforces practical skills in simplified positions.

Chapter 28 | The Basics of Rook Endgames


  • Learn fundamental rook endgame strategies.
  • These are the most frequent endgames you'll face.

Chapter 29 | The Basics of Knight Endgames  


  • Study knight vs. pawns and knight coordination.
  • Knights are tricky—know their strengths.

Chapter 30 | The Basics of Bishop Endgames   


  • Focus on bishops of same and opposite colors.
  • Learn when to push for a win or settle for a draw.

Chapter 31 | The Basics of Queen Endgames    


  • Tactics-heavy endgames where precision is key.
  • One mistake can cost the game.

Chapter 32 | Open Positions    


  • Strategies and piece activity in open games.
  • Use open lines to dominate your opponent.

Chapter 33 | Closed Positions     


  • Learn patience and long-term plans in blocked positions.
  • Slow and steady wins the positional race.

Chapter 34 | Semi-Open Positions    


  • Blend the ideas of open and closed play.
  • Adapt your strategy based on pawn breaks and plans.

Chapter 35 | Gambits   


  • Study how to sacrifice material in the opening for quick development.
  • Great for aggressive players seeking early initiative.

Chapter 36 | Beginner Course – Achievement Test


  • Test your knowledge from all 35 chapters.
  • A checkpoint to validate your progress.