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A few essential basics before you dive in, written for beginners.
How chess pieces move
The absolute starting point: what each piece can and cannot do on the board.
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Three opening principles every beginner should know
Control the center, develop your pieces, get your king to safety: the foundation of every solid opening.
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Spotting forks, pins, and skewers
Three simple tactical patterns that are enough to win material in the vast majority of beginner games.
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Castling: the only move that moves two pieces at once
A move of its own, with rules of its own. Here's everything you need to never get it wrong again.
Read the article →Scholar's mate: the trap every beginner meets sooner or later
Four moves, one lightning checkmate. Here's how it works, and above all how to never fall for it.
Read the article →What is a knight really worth? Piece values explained
A simple mental scale that alone prevents 90% of beginner trades gone wrong.
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