PropChess · Start here
New to chess? Start with your first game. Know the basics? Jump to the rule or skill you want to understand. Each lesson gives you a clear explanation, a board to explore, and a quick way to check what you learned.
26 lessons · Free to read and practice · Choose a topic or follow the path
Part 1
Set up your first game and learn to read the board. Start here if chess is new to you.
Lesson 01
Learn how to set up the board, move the pieces, and recognize checkmate. Play through an example, then choose your next beginner lesson.
Start lesson →Lesson 02
Set up a chessboard correctly from either side: light square on the right, queen on her color, and pawns in the second row.
Start lesson →Lesson 03
Decode moves such as Nf3, exd5, and O-O, learn what + and # mean, and replay a short game sequence on the board.
Start lesson →Part 2
Learn one movement pattern at a time, then practice captures, blockers, and safe destinations.
Lesson 04
Compare the six chess pieces, learn the difference between moving and capturing, and find a focused lesson for each movement pattern.
Start lesson →Lesson 05
Learn when a pawn can move two squares, why it cannot capture straight ahead, and how to recognize its two special rules.
Start lesson →Lesson 06
Learn the knight’s L-shaped move, see how it jumps over pieces, and practice finding legal landing squares before you move.
Start lesson →Lesson 07
Trace a bishop’s diagonals, understand why it stays on one color, and learn how friendly and enemy pieces limit its movement.
Start lesson →Lesson 08
Learn how rooks move along ranks and files, where they must stop, and how their normal movement differs from castling.
Start lesson →Lesson 09
See how the queen combines rook and bishop movement, why it cannot jump, and how to keep it safe when attacking.
Start lesson →Lesson 10
Learn the king’s one-square move, safe captures, the rule against adjacent kings, and why a pinned defender still matters.
Start lesson →Part 3
Know when you must respond, when the game is over, and how castling works.
Lesson 11
Compare three similar positions using two questions: is the king attacked, and does the player to move have a legal response?
Start lesson →Lesson 12
Learn what check means, how to escape it, and why blocking works against a rook but never against a knight.
Start lesson →Lesson 13
Recognize checkmate by testing captures, blocks, and escape squares. Compare a real mate with a similar position that is only check.
Start lesson →Lesson 14
Understand the two conditions for stalemate, compare it with checkmate, and see why a legal pawn move can keep the game going.
Start lesson →Lesson 15
Learn kingside and queenside castling, check the four requirements, and see why an attacked rook does not always prevent the move.
Start lesson →Part 4
Make sense of the rules that surprise new players, with examples you can replay.
Lesson 16
See where an en-passant capture lands, why it must happen immediately, and when removing the pawns would expose your own king.
Start lesson →Lesson 17
Learn when promotion happens, why a second queen is legal, and when choosing a rook, bishop, or knight can matter.
Start lesson →Lesson 18
Compare stalemate, dead positions, repetition, move-count rules, and agreed draws, with clear distinctions between claims and automatic endings.
Start lesson →Lesson 19
See a threefold repetition on a replayable board and learn why the side to move, castling rights, and en passant can change the count.
Start lesson →Lesson 20
Understand the 50-move draw rule, the difference between moves and halfmoves, and how pawn moves, captures, and the 75-move rule affect it.
Start lesson →Part 5
Start weighing trades, finding tactical threats, and giving your opening moves a purpose.
Lesson 21
Learn the usual 1–3–3–5–9 piece values, count a complete exchange, and see why king safety can outweigh the material total.
Start lesson →Lesson 22
Learn to influence the center, develop your pieces, and protect your king without memorizing a long opening variation.
Start lesson →Lesson 23
Spot knight and pawn forks, follow through after a checking fork, and learn why two attacked pieces do not always mean free material.
Start lesson →Lesson 24
Compare absolute and relative pins, test which moves remain legal, and learn how to break a pin without overlooking your king.
Start lesson →Lesson 25
Learn how a skewer works, compare it with a pin, and replay a rook skewer that uses check to uncover a second target.
Start lesson →Lesson 26
Recognize a king trapped behind its own pawns, test a back-rank mate, and compare it with a position where one escape square saves the king.
Start lesson →