The Strategy Guide

Six short chapters that take you from your first center pawn to your first mate. Every chapter ends with a puzzle to solve.

The Opening: Claim the Center

The first ten moves decide the shape of the whole game. Learn where your pieces want to go.

A knight on the edge of the board is half a knight. Learn to bring every piece into the fight.

Attacks work when more of your pieces point at the target than the defender can count. Learn to build one.

When you are in check or down material, cool defense wins more games than wild counterattack.

When most pieces are gone, your strongest piece is the king himself. Learn to march him out.

Tactics are short tricks that win material in one or two moves. Learn the four every kid should know.