Chess Starter Checklist

1. Gather your supplies

• A chess set or a free app
• A willingness to lose a few games
• A basic guide to the pieces
• An opponent or a computer

2. Your first project

3. Your first month, step by step

• Week 1: Learn the board and how each piece moves and captures. Do not worry about winning yet. Set the pieces up correctly (white square on your right), and play a few slow games just getting comfortable. Watch the beginner rules video and follow along on a real board if you have one.
• Week 2: Learn to checkmate a lone king with a queen and a rook, and practice the two-rook 'ladder' mate. Knowing how to finish a game gives you confidence. Start a free account on chess.com or lichess.org and play a few 10- or 15-minute games.
• Week 3: Focus on opening principles: control the center, develop your knights and bishops, and castle your king to safety early. Try not to move the same piece twice or bring your queen out too soon. Play daily and notice these ideas in your games.
• Week 4: Add simple tactics: look for forks, pins, and skewers on every move. Before each move, ask 'is anything of mine being attacked, and can I attack two things at once?' Do a few free daily puzzles to train your eye, and review one of your games.

4. Mistakes to avoid

• Moving the same piece several times in the opening. In the opening, move each piece once to a good square before moving it again. Aim to get all your knights and bishops out and castle before launching an attack.
• Ignoring development and bringing the queen out too early. Develop your minor pieces (knights and bishops) first and castle. An early queen just gets chased around and wastes your time.
• Hanging pieces by leaving them undefended. Before every move, check whether the piece you are moving, or any other piece, can be captured for free. Make this a habit on every single turn.
• Playing without any plan. Ask a simple question each move: what is my worst-placed piece, and how do I improve it? Improving your pieces is always a good plan.
• Memorizing opening moves without understanding them. Learn the ideas behind the moves, like why you put a bishop on a certain square, instead of memorizing long lines. Understanding holds up when your opponent plays something unexpected.
• Rushing your moves, especially online. Slow down. Choose longer time controls (10 to 30 minutes) so you have time to look for your opponent's threats before you move.