Learning chess: a training path
Where do you start when you don’t know where to start? That’s the question I get asked almost every time. Here’s the answer: a training path in blocks, ordered by level, with no gaps or jumps. You don’t have to read it all at once. Study a block, play, come back. That’s how it works.
If you want to go straight to the beginning, I have a free course that guides you step by step from scratch.
The training tree
1. First steps
Before anything else, you need to know how to play chess: the board, the pieces, how each one moves. Without that, none of the rest makes sense. It’s also worth reading the full rules so you don’t get caught out by castling or en passant capture. And if at any point you don’t understand a term, the glossary is there.
2. Openings
Once you can move the pieces without hesitating, let’s move on to openings. I’m not asking you to memorize twenty variations. I’m asking you to understand the principles: develop quickly, control the center, get your king to safety. Everything else follows on its own.
3. Middlegame
The middlegame is where most games are won and lost. Do you have a plan, or are you just reacting? Here you’ll learn to formulate concrete plans, understand pawn structures, and not run out of ideas when the position gets complicated.
4. Tactics
Tactics are the engine that turns advantages into points. A pin, a fork, a well-calculated sacrifice: that’s what decides games at the beginner level. I recommend spending time here before anything else.
5. Endgames
Many players neglect endgames and then don’t know how to convert a winning advantage. Don’t make that mistake. Start with pawn and rook endgames: they’re the most common and will earn you the most games.
6. Tools for practice
Studying without playing doesn’t work. Use these tools to put what you learn into practice: play games, solve puzzles, analyze your mistakes.
How to use this structure without burning out
Don’t try to finish an entire block before playing. This routine works best:
- Study a concept.
- Play one or two games trying to apply it.
- Review a recurring mistake.
- Go back to the block you’re missing.
Four steps. No stress. Once you master the first steps, you’ll see it all clicks into place.
Just starting from scratch? Continue now with how to play chess. Already playing with some fluency? Jump straight into middlegame or tactics.
Preguntas frecuentes
Where should a beginner start?
The first thing is to understand the board, the piece setup, the basic moves and the essential rules.
When is it worth studying openings?
When you can already play full games without losing material to basic oversights and you can review your mistakes.
Is it better to study tactics or endgames?
For most new players, tactics give faster results; endgames consolidate technique afterward.