Chess tips, puzzle guides, and updates.
Most checkmates in real games follow a handful of recurring patterns. Learn to recognize the back-rank mate, the smothered mate, and a few other classics, and you will start seeing mates several moves before they happen.
Almost every won game is decided by a tactic. Learn the three fundamental patterns — the fork, the pin, and the skewer — and where to practice each one until you spot them instantly.
Ten focused minutes a day beats a four-hour weekend binge. Here is the science-adjacent case for the daily puzzle habit, and how to structure it so the gains actually stick.
Stalemate is the most painful draw in chess — you have an overwhelming position and the game ends with half a point. Here is exactly what stalemate is, why it happens, and the habits that prevent it.
Mini chess squeezes a full game of chess onto a 5x5 board. With fewer squares and fewer pieces, every decision carries more weight. Here is how to adapt your thinking to the small board.
Survival mode gives you one knight against an endless stream of pawns. The longer you last, the higher your score. These habits will keep your knight jumping long after the board gets crowded.
The Takes puzzle looks simple at first, but finding the right capture order is harder than it seems. Here is everything you need to know to clear the board every time.
Chain Capture asks you to clear the board in one single unbroken sequence of captures. One wrong move and the chain breaks. Here is how to approach it the right way.
The Check puzzle is chess on a 4x4 board, and it is harder than it looks. A smaller board means fewer squares, less room to maneuver, and every move counts.
A smothered mate is one of the most beautiful ideas in chess. A lone knight delivers the final blow while the enemy king is completely surrounded by its own pieces. Here is how it works and how to set it up.
Chess Solitaire is like a chain capture game but on a full board with full chess rules. The challenge is much greater, and so is the reward when you find the solution.
The king and pawn endgame is one of the most important things to understand in chess. Get it right and you convert a small advantage into a win. Get it wrong and the game slips away.
A passed pawn charging toward the back rank looks dangerous, but a queen can usually stop it in just a few moves. Here is the method that works and the traps to watch out for.
King and rook against a lone king is the most basic winning endgame in chess. Most players know it is a forced win but do not know how to finish it quickly. Here is the method.
Zugzwang is a German word for a situation where being forced to move is actually a disadvantage. It is one of the most fascinating ideas in chess, and the Zugzwang puzzle teaches you how to create it.
Mate in 1 puzzles are the foundation of chess tactics. One move ends the game. The challenge is training your eye to spot it quickly and consistently.
Mate in 2 puzzles are the next step after mastering mate in 1. You need to find a move that sets up checkmate no matter what your opponent does. Here is how to think about them.
Mate in 3 is where chess calculation starts to get serious. You need to see five half moves, White plays three and Black plays two, and account for everything your opponent can do. Here is how to approach it.