In this course, we will…
Learn the Pieces!
The pieces are not JUST pieces. They are well rounded characters who will tell you a different story every game you play! Our first step is to meet them.
Learn how to Play!
Before we have too much fun, we’ll go over how the game is played.
Learn the Principles!
Chess is a dance that has been practiced and perfected for hundreds of years. Here we will learn the time tested ideas that are proven to give you the highest possible advantage against your opponent.
Next, we’ll go over…
Openings!
An opening is a sequence of pre-planned moves that you start the game with. There are an endless amount of ways to open the game but the best ways have already been figured out and everyone plays them! Plus, they all have cool names that you can drop during the game to impress (or annoy) your friends and family.
Misses, mistakes and Blunders
Hey, we all make mistakes. The best chess players in the world make mistakes. Learning how to deal with them is part of playing the game. Together, we’ll learn that it’s ok. We’ll learn that it’s not over. We’ll learn to take care of ourselves, give ourself credit, talk ourselves up. We’ll learn how to step back, relax, regroup and recover.
Time Controls
Sometimes, chess is timed. You might hate it or love it. But at some point, we all need it. Timed games make it easier for us to play more chess! At some point, your uncle needs to know that spending 20 minutes on every move is too much. Here, we’ll learn about the different time controls.
Deeper Principles
At the end of this beginner course, you may find yourself to be more than a beginner. To prepare for the next level, we’ll go over important ideas that will help you know what to do in any given position. We will learn how to evaluate the position, think on the fly and make the right move.
Thinking ahead…
After this, our beginner course will be over! The next steps are to pratice, repeat and have fun! We’ll continue to play games, talk through the moves and analyze the result. All the way, you’ll see your chess rating climb higher and higher…