Chess Lessons

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Beginner

first

Rules & objectives

Beginner Foundations

Check, checkmate, stalemate, draw conditions

How pieces move

Beginner Foundations

Legal moves, captures, special moves overview

Special rules

Beginner Foundations

Castling, en passant, promotion (when/why)

Basic mating patterns I

Beginner Foundations

Back rank, ladder mate, queen+king mate ideas

Basic mating patterns II

Beginner Foundations

Rook+king mate ideas, "box the king" concept

Principles of good play

Beginner Foundations

Development, king safety, center control, avoid blunders

Forks

Beginner Tactics

Creating double attacks; common knight forks

Pins

Beginner Tactics

Absolute vs relative; winning material via pinned pieces

Skewers

Beginner Tactics

Reverse pins; typical bishop/rook skewer setups

Discovered attacks

Beginner Tactics

Discovered check, discovered attack, discovered double

Hanging pieces & simple combinations

Beginner Tactics

"Undefended piece" logic; 1–2 move wins

Check threats & forcing moves

Beginner Tactics

Checks/captures/threats; basic calculation routine

Opening principles

Beginner Openings

Develop, castle, connect rooks, don't hunt pawns

Basic opening traps awareness

Beginner Openings

Avoid early queen adventures; typical "cheap tricks"

Simple White repertoire

Beginner Openings

One system-based setup (e.g., London/Italian principles)

Simple Black repertoire

Beginner Openings

Responses to e4 and d4 built around principles

King activity & opposition

Beginner Endgames

Why the king is a fighting piece

K+P vs K basics

Beginner Endgames

Key squares, opposition, promotion technique

Simple mates

Beginner Endgames

Q+K vs K and R+K vs K method

Basic rook endgame ideas

Beginner Endgames

Rook behind passed pawn; cut-off king concept

Candidate moves

Intermediate Calculation

Generating options systematically

Forcing line calculation

Intermediate Calculation

Checks/captures/threats first, then quiet moves

Visualization & pruning

Intermediate Calculation

Avoid "analysis paralysis"; stop rules

Tactical defense

Intermediate Calculation

Finding opponent threats; "what changed?" method

Time management

Intermediate Calculation

Practical thinking times for rapid/classical

Deflection

Intermediate Tactics

Removing defenders; decoying pieces away

Overloading

Intermediate Tactics

One defender, two jobs; exploit with tempo

Interference

Intermediate Tactics

Blocking lines; "zwischenzug" (in-between move)

Clearance & attraction

Intermediate Tactics

Clearing squares/files/diagonals for tactics

Sacrifice patterns

Intermediate Tactics

Greek gift concept, exchange sacs for initiative (intro)

Pawn structures

Intermediate Middlegame

Isolated pawn, doubled pawns, pawn chains; plans

Weak squares & outposts

Intermediate Middlegame

Creating/occupying; trade decisions

Open files & rooks

Intermediate Middlegame

Penetration, 7th rank, doubling

Good vs bad bishops

Intermediate Middlegame

Color complexes; when to trade bishops

Prophylaxis

Intermediate Middlegame

Anticipate opponent plan; restrict counterplay

Opening to middlegame transition

Intermediate Openings

Identify pawn structure early

Repertoire building

Intermediate Openings

Choose openings that match style; model games

Anti-theory practical lines

Intermediate Openings

Avoid memorization; playable systems

Rook endgames basics

Intermediate Endgames

Activity, cut-off king, passed pawn technique

Minor-piece endgames basics

Intermediate Endgames

Knight vs bishop themes; outside passer concept

Deep forcing analysis

Expert Calculation

Multi-branch calculation; evaluation checkpoints

Quiet move tactics

Expert Calculation

"Only move" resources; improving move in combos

Defensive calculation

Expert Calculation

Fortress, perpetual, resource hunting

Complex exchanges & simplification

Expert Calculation

When to trade; converting advantages

Practical engine-like thinking

Expert Calculation

Candidate ordering; blunder-check protocol

Initiative & tempo

Expert Middlegame

Convert initiative into material/structure; don't let it die

Dynamic imbalances

Expert Middlegame

Space vs development; bishop pair vs structure

Exchange sacrifices (advanced)

Expert Middlegame

Positional exchange sacs; typical compensation

King safety attacks

Expert Middlegame

Attacking "zones"; removing defenders; open lines

Endgame-oriented strategy

Expert Middlegame

Steering middlegame toward favorable endgames

Repertoire architecture

Expert Openings

Mainlines + backups; transpositions

Opponent prep

Expert Openings

Building a scouting file; targeted sidelines

Novelty planning

Expert Openings

Where to innovate; what "practical novelty" means

Typical structures mastery

Expert Openings

Play structures, not moves; structure dossiers

Advanced rook endgames

Expert Endgames

Active defense, checking distance, cutting off

Pawn races & triangulation

Expert Endgames

Tempo play; zugzwang creation

Complex minor-piece endgames

Expert Endgames

Opposite-color bishops dynamics; fortress ideas

Queen endgames basics

Expert Endgames

Perpetual motifs; king safety; pawn shield

Tournament training plan

Expert Training

6-week plan; tactical volume + opening refresh

Post-game review workflow

Expert Training

Error taxonomy; convert mistakes into training sets

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