Chess for beginners
Learn chess from scratch — board, pieces & rules
Never played chess before? ChessSchool Pre-School walks you through the board, every piece, check, checkmate, castling, and promotion — with interactive puzzles so you learn by doing, not memorizing. When you're ready, the placement test finds the right starting class.
Pre-School classes for new players
- The Chess Board64 squares, setup, files, ranks, and coordinates.
- The PiecesMeet every piece and what it can do.
- Piece MovesHands-on practice for every piece type.
- Capture & BlockingTaking pieces and blocked paths.
- Special MovesPromotion, castling, and en passant.
- How Games EndCheck, checkmate, stalemate, and draws.
- Chess LanguageRead and write moves — Nf3, Qd5, O-O.
Already know the basics?
Take the 8-puzzle placement test (~2 minutes). We'll recommend Elementary, Middle, or High School so you skip material you already know.
Beginner questions
See the full FAQ on the home page — including how long basics take and whether ChessSchool is free.