In this part, we will give you all the links you need.
Complete beginners can watch a series of short tutorial videos, where they will be explained everything about chess.
Advanced players might want to check last couple of these videos, just to learn a bit more about chess openings and tactics.
Experts should try and finish Expert Puzzles we prepared for them.
Everyone can see a list of chess platforms, puzzle platforms, names and socials of big chess content creators, list of professional ongoing and planned events and tournaments.
Chess knowledge is gained by interest and constant playing and learning from your mistakes.
You are the one who decides about your chess future!
We hope you find this page useful and never give up. You are your biggest obstacle!
Chess and puzzle platforms to play on:
Top three used platforms for chess games and puzzles are:
1) Chess.com
2) Chess24
3) Lichess.org
More platforms, not so commonly used but by no means worse:
4) Internet Chess Club (ICC)
5) FICS: Free Internet Chess Server
Recommended chess content creators:
1) Agadmator:
Youtube channel
Twitch.tv
2) GM Hikaru Nakamura:
Youtube channel
Twitch.tv
3) IM Levy Rozman
Youtube channel
Twitch.tv
4) GM Magnus Carlsen
Youtube channel
5) GM Andrew Tang
Youtube channel
Twitch.tv
6) WFM Alexandra Botez
Youtube channel
Twitch.tv
All the players in top 20 in all formats (Classical, Rapid, Blitz) are amazing source of material to learn and study from.
If you do not enjoy any of the content creators listed above, feel free to roam on internet and try to search based on your needs.
There is unlimited content and it is waiting just for you to find it!
Chess tutorial (videos):
1. Movement of pieces
If you are a beginner, you should start with how the pieces work.
In this short video, all chess pieces are described in a funny and simple way.
2. Castling
Castling is most useful move to hide your king.
As we learned from previous video, king is the most important piece on the board and needs to be protected.
3. Capturing pieces and En Passant
Once you know how to move pieces and how to castle, you should take a look at how pieces capture.
This is very important for early game to gain advantage and change the tides of battle.
4. Start of the game
Once you know how the pieces move, you should go on and look at the very basic
actions that can happen at the start of chess game and why are some better than others.
5. Middle game
Once you know what to do and not to at the start of chess game, you might wonder "what now?".
In this video, you will be explained couple of possible ways to play "middle game".
Because game of chess is very situational and subjective, you might enjoy some of them less and some of them more.
Forming the strategy yourself will help you find your style.
6. Endgame (checkmates)
Once you understand the basics of how to play in both start and middle phases of the game, you might want to look into endgame.
All great masters say, that the endgame is the most important part of the game.
The most important part of endgame itself is checkmate, which ends the game.
Here are some basic check mating patterns you might see in your games.
7. Checkmating tactics
Because check-mate is game-ending series of moves, you might want to look deeper into other types of checkmates.
In this video, you will find very well explained and showed patterns that might and will appear in your games.
8. Chess Principles
If you know the basic actions and moves of all the pieces, know what to do in all stages of game and know how to checkmate,
you might want to look into some of the most basic principles of chess game.
This is important for both beginners and advanced players, because the better you
get at these principles, the more likely you are to win!
All these principles apply to all of the chess games ever played and they will help you to shape your strategy.
9. Most known chess openings
Once you know how to start the game, how to play during the game and how to checkmate your opponent,
your strategy should be on a horizon.
The strategy starts on first move of each game and should help you during your whole game. Forming a strategy from first moves is called "opening" and there is a bunch of them.
Each opening fits to different playstyle and helps you go with your tactic.
Try to find an opening you will enjoy and try playing it.
The more you play with certain opening and more possible variants of that opening you get to witness,
the more experience you can use while playing with and against this opening, which can help you catch your opponent by surprise!
We hope this tutorial helped you to learn how to play chess.
You have all the basics you need now.
It is up to you now to go and try playing chess games.
You can revisit any of the video at any time, in case you need to be explained some parts again / more.
Remember:
Always analyze your gameplay and learn from your mistakes.
Everyone is weak at something and strong at something else.
"Good players" differentiate from "players" not by their level of play, but by how much they improve.
Good luck and we hope to see you up there!
UCT Chess Club