Chess 201: Tactics, pawn endgames and your openings
For players who know the rules and no longer lose pieces for nothing (after Chess 101): eight tactical motifs, spotted in your games and in your opponent's; winning or holding king-and-pawn endings; scanning for both sides, choosing among three candidates and checking yourself before you move. You choose one opening as White and one set as Black to learn properly, with the reason for every move. The course teaches skills; it promises no rating.
- Intermediate
- About 12 to 15 hours
- 10 sections
- 53 lessons
Sign in with Google or GitHub and the course opens in the Academy with the same account.
Course outline
Section 1
Getting started
Where are you now?
Check · 15 min
What this course trains, and how to choose your openings
Lesson · 10 min
Section 2
Forks, pins and skewers
The fork: one piece, two targets
Lesson · 15 min
The pin
Lesson · 15 min
The skewer
Lesson · 12 min
Forks
Practice · 25 min
Pins and skewers
Practice · 25 min
Looking back at chapter 1
Lesson · 5 min
Section 3
Discoveries and breaking the defence
Discovered attacks and double check
Lesson · 15 min
Removing the defender
Lesson · 10 min
Deflection and decoy
Lesson · 12 min
Overloading
Lesson · 10 min
Four new motifs
Practice · 30 min
Motif unknown
Practice · 30 min
Looking back at chapter 2
Lesson · 5 min
Section 4
Scan, choose, check yourself
Scanning for both sides
Lesson · 12 min
Three candidates, compared by criteria
Lesson · 15 min
What does my move allow?
Lesson · 15 min
Scan the position
Practice · 25 min
Find the best move
Practice · 30 min
Looking back at chapter 3
Lesson · 5 min
Section 5
Pawn endgames
The rule of the square
Lesson · 12 min
The opposition
Lesson · 12 min
Key squares
Lesson · 10 min
The outside passed pawn and the breakthrough
Lesson · 12 min
Win with king and pawn
Practice · 25 min
Hold the draw
Practice · 20 min
Pawn endings from real games
Practice · 20 min
Looking back at chapter 4
Lesson · 5 min
Section 6
The opening map
How to learn an opening
Lesson · 10 min
Families after 1.e4
Lesson · 20 min
Families after 1.d4 and the rest
Lesson · 20 min
Looking back at chapter 5
Lesson · 5 min
Section 7
The Italian Game
Ideas and the main line
Lesson · 20 min
The replies you will meet
Lesson · 15 min
When Black doesn't play 1...e5
Lesson · 15 min
Traps on both sides
Lesson · 12 min
The middlegame plan
Lesson · 12 min
Puzzles from the Italian
Practice · 15 min
Looking back: the Italian
Lesson · 5 min
Section 8
The London System
Ideas and the main line
Lesson · 20 min
The replies you will meet
Lesson · 12 min
Traps on both sides
Lesson · 12 min
The middlegame plan
Lesson · 15 min
Puzzles from the London
Practice · 15 min
Looking back: the London
Lesson · 5 min
Section 9
The Ruy Lopez
Ideas and the main line
Lesson · 20 min
The replies you will meet
Lesson · 12 min
When Black doesn't play 1...e5
Lesson · 15 min
Traps and a trick to know
Lesson · 15 min
The middlegame plan
Lesson · 12 min
Puzzles from the Ruy Lopez
Practice · 15 min
Looking back: the Ruy Lopez
Lesson · 5 min
Section 10
The classical set: 1...e5 and the Queen's Gambit Declined
The idea of the set
Lesson · 10 min
Against 1.e4: the Italian Game
Lesson · 15 min
Against 1.e4: the Ruy Lopez, the Scotch, the King's Gambit
Lesson · 18 min
Against 1.d4: the Queen's Gambit Declined
Lesson · 18 min
Against 1.c4, 1.Nf3 and the London
Lesson · 12 min
Traps on both sides
Lesson · 15 min
The middlegame plan
Lesson · 15 min
Tactics from the classical set
Practice · 20 min
Looking back: The classical set
Lesson · 5 min
Section 11
The solid set: the Caro-Kann and the Slav
The idea of the set
Lesson · 10 min
Against 1.e4: the Classical Caro-Kann
Lesson · 15 min
Against 1.e4: the Advance and the Exchange
Lesson · 15 min
Against 1.d4: the Slav Defence
Lesson · 15 min
Against 1.c4, 1.Nf3 and the London
Lesson · 12 min
Traps on both sides
Lesson · 12 min
The middlegame plan
Lesson · 15 min
Tactics from the solid set
Practice · 20 min
Looking back: The solid set
Lesson · 5 min
Section 12
The counter-attacking set: the Accelerated Dragon and the King's Indian
The idea of the set
Lesson · 10 min
Against 1.e4: the Accelerated Dragon
Lesson · 15 min
Against 1.e4: 2.c3, 2.Nc3 and 3.Bb5
Lesson · 15 min
Against 1.d4: the King's Indian
Lesson · 15 min
Against 1.c4, 1.Nf3 and the London
Lesson · 12 min
Traps on both sides
Lesson · 12 min
The middlegame plan
Lesson · 15 min
Tactics from the counter-attacking set
Practice · 20 min
Looking back: The counter-attacking set
Lesson · 5 min
Section 13
Putting it together
A whole game, with questions
Lesson · 20 min
Mixed review
Practice · 35 min
How far have you come?
Check · 15 min
What you will take with you
Lesson · 5 min
Section 14
Final exam
Final exam
Quiz · 30 min
After the exam
Lesson · 5 min