Basics of chess - free course from Skillbox, training, Date: November 29, 2023.

Chess from scratch

Chess ABC
You will become familiar with the geography and geometry of the chessboard, the players in the starting position, the moves of the pieces and the concept of castling. You will learn how the interaction between pieces works, how a chess game ends and how players come to a draw.

First steps
You will understand the value of pieces in digital terms and find out what stages a chess game consists of. Study the principles of the interaction of pieces when checkmating with a queen and rook and figure out how to checkmate a lone king. Get acquainted with the rules of chess etiquette and learn how to behave before, after and during the game.

Philosophy of the game
Become familiar with the basic principles and methods of playing an opening, the concept of capturing the center and central placement of pieces. You will learn what opening, middlegame and endgame are, study the types of advantages and understand how to use them. Get acquainted with the theory of global exchange and learn how to attack the king.

Basics of chess tactics
Learn the concept of combination in a chess game. In practice, you will practice a double strike, a link, an open attack, destroying a defender, combinations to lure and distract.

History of chess
You will learn how chess and chess equipment appeared and developed. You will understand how modern tournaments are organized.

FIDE Online Arena Platform
Get to know the FIDE Online Arena platform: explore its features, register and prepare for your first tournament.

Chess Middle

Realization of material superiority in “elementary” endings
Study examples of insufficient material advantage and analyze different game situations: queen against bishop, queen against rook, rook against knight. Learn how to checkmate with two bishops or a bishop and a knight.

General principles of playing the endgame
You will learn what the endgame is, and understand the concept of capturing the center and the central arrangement of pieces. You will understand how to use the activity of chess and master the principle of unhurried play.

Pawn endings
Study the “square” rule, learn what a pawn chain and advantage are, and learn how to play complex multi-pawn endings.

Easy-figure endings
You will analyze knight endings and their similarities with pawn endings. Learn how to play endgames with bishops of the same color. Master the “one diagonal principle.” Take part in a tournament among students.

Rook endings
Study the position of Philidor, Lucena and the frontal attack. Find out why activity is more important than material. Learn to play rook endings.

Other types of endings
Explore queen and multi-piece endings. Learn how to achieve the “two bishop advantage” in the endgame. Watch a webinar on chess studies and take part in a tournament among students.

Game in the opening. General principles
Consider the classification of chess openings. You will understand what tasks the player faces at the beginning of the game. Learn to think in diagrams. Learn the principles of constructing an opening repertoire.

Open openings
You will analyze the Italian, Spanish and Scottish games, study the Philidor Defense. You will be able to play the opening of four knights.

Half-open openings
You will analyze the Sicilian and French defenses, as well as the Caro-Kann and Pirts-Ufimtsev defenses. Learn to play other half-open openings.

Closed openings
You will analyze the history of occurrence and classification of variants of the Queen's Gambit. Learn to play the Nimzowitsch and Grünfeld defenses, as well as rare openings for black and white.

Playing in the middlegame
You will understand the concept of “pawn structure”, the types of centers and how they affect the game plan. Study the principles of attack during unilateral and multilateral castlings, and analyze typical “positional” plans in the middlegame.

Features of a chess player's thinking
Learn to select an algorithm for choosing a move, calculate options and take into account various factors when assessing a position. You will understand how to recognize the enemy’s plan and play ahead.