Calculate, defend and prepare for tournaments.

130 Attacking the Castled King Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

Attacking the castled king with open lines and more attackers

Attack a king that has already castled by opening lines toward it and bringing more attackers than the defence can meet, converting the attack into decisive material or checkmate, and calculating the forcing sequence to a clear result before committing.

taught after 89 · 100 · 101

131 Pawn Storms Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

Pawns are not just defenders or future queens-in-waiting — they are immediate attackers. A well-timed pawn advance or capture can shatter the enemy king’s shelter, tear open files for heavy pieces, or become an unstoppable promotion threat that decides the game on its own.

Students will learn to identify and execute pawn attacks in three forms — shield-smashing captures that crack open the enemy king, pawn thrusts that open files and win material, and passed-pawn storms that race to promotion.

taught after 130 · 89 · 100 · 101

132 Opening Lines & Sacrifices for Attack Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

Line-opening sacrifices — giving up material to open a file, rank, or diagonal for a heavy piece to deliver checkmate through the opened line.

Students will identify and execute two types of line-opening sacrifice — demolition (rook smashes shield, queen mates through opened file) and deflection (queen decoy drags guard off line, rook mates through vacated rank) — and will calculate the entire forced sequence before committing.

taught after 117 · 130 · 131

133 The Exchange Sacrifice Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

The exchange sacrifice — giving a rook for a minor piece for activity or attack

Recognise when giving up the exchange (a rook for a knight or bishop) is favourable, and calculate the follow-up — a tactic that wins the material back or an attack that crashes through — before committing.

taught after 130 · 131 · 132

134 Defensive Resources Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

Defence is a skill, not a surrender. When the opponent attacks, calm players do not freeze or grab material blindly — they read the attack, find its spearhead, and choose the resource that meets it. This session builds a defender’s toolbox and a habit for using it: the ASSESS-CHOOSE-CALCULATE loop. ASSESS the threat and name the piece delivering it; CHOOSE the resource that fits; CALCULATE the line to a safe result. There are three resources you will use directly today, and two more for your games: (1) TRADE or REMOVE THE ATTACKER — capture or exchange off the piece making the threat, killing it at the source; (2) RELOCATE and DEFEND — regroup a piece to guard the key square, over-guard it, or hem in and trap an over-extended invader; (3) COUNTERATTACK — when your own blow lands first, answer a threat with a bigger one, an in-between check or capture that seizes the initiative; (4) RETURN MATERIAL — when ahead, give some back to break the attack and simplify into a safe, winning position; and (5) the FORTRESS — a wall of pawns and pieces the enemy cannot breach, used to hold a draw from a worse position. Calculation matters most in defence, because a single overlooked check can undo everything. In every position today the opponent has just attacked, and your task is to pick the resource that meets it and calculate it out — a move that, checked by the engine, is also the objectively best move on the board.

When facing an attack, identify the opponent’s spearhead threat and choose the correct defensive resource — trade or remove the attacker, relocate and defend, or counterattack — then calculate the line to a safe or winning result, proven to be the position’s clear best move.

taught after 130 · 131 · 133

135 Attack & Defense Sparring (Guided Practice) Guided practice 60 min · 6 positions

Sparring with both attack and defence: switch roles at the board, calculate the right method, and execute it with confidence.

Practise THE CALCULATE in game-like positions where the student must switch between attacker and defender, choosing the right method — add an attacker, sacrifice the exchange, open a line, simplify by trading, prophylaxis by relocating/defending/capturing — for each situation.

taught after 130 · 131 · 132 · 133 · 134

136 Unit Review: Attack & Defense Review 55 min · 8 positions

A fighting game has two modes, and reading which one you are in comes first: attack when the enemy king is the weaker, defend when yours is — then run THE CALCULATE to prove the plan. Attack by naming a target, opening lines with a storm or sacrifice, and calculating a forced mate; defend by assessing the threat, choosing an active resource, and calculating that your king ends up safe.

Consolidate Unit-1 attacking and defensive methods by exercising JUDGMENT: on each unlabelled position, decide whether it is a moment to attack.

taught after 130 · 131 · 132 · 133 · 134 · 135

137 Candidate Moves Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

Strong players do not play the first move that jumps out at them. They generate a short list of candidate moves and calculate each one to the end, then play the move they have proven is best.

Students learn to pause before every move, generate two or three candidate moves from the checks, captures and threats on the board, and calculate each one to the end.

taught after 135 · 136

138 Calculating Forced Lines Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

Calculating a forced line: stringing together checks, captures, and threats so that every opponent reply is forced, and following the sequence accurately to its conclusion — here, a three-move forced checkmate.

Students learn to calculate a forcing sequence of checks, captures, and threats accurately to its conclusion.

taught after 115 · 116 · 117 · 137

139 Visualization — Three Moves Ahead Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

Visualization is the mental skill of holding a future position clearly in your mind’s eye — seeing exactly where each piece will stand after a forced sequence — so you can judge the outcome before you ever move a piece.

Students learn to visualize a forced three-move sequence all the way to checkmate — picturing where every piece will land and naming the final mating square from memory — describing that future position in their mind’s eye without ever touching a piece, applying THE CALCULATE.

taught after 114 · 115 · 116 · 138

140 Critical Moments (THE CALCULATE) Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

A critical moment is the instant a game hangs in the balance — a forcing tactic is on the board and one routine, autopilot move can throw the whole game away — so the skill is a two-part habit: first RECOGNISE the moment from its trigger signs, then SLOW DOWN and CALCULATE the forcing line to its end before you play.

Students learn to recognise a critical moment from its trigger signs, switch out of autopilot into deep calculation, and calculate a forcing line all the way to checkmate, applying THE CALCULATE from recognition through verification to the played move.

taught after 114 · 116 · 138 · 139

141 Blunder-Check & Opponent’s Best Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

The blunder-check is a habit you run before every move: once you have a candidate, you assume the opponent will answer with their STRONGEST reply — not the weak or hoped-for one — and you calculate your move to the end against that best defence; only if it still wins or mates do you play it, because most blunders come from calculating only the opponent’s obvious answer.

Students learn the blunder-check: after choosing a candidate move, pause and identify the opponent’s STRONGEST reply, then calculate their move against that best defence to verify it still works before playing, applying THE CALCULATE from candidate to verified move.

taught after 138 · 139 · 140

142 Calculation Drills (Guided Practice) Guided practice 65 min · 6 positions

Calculation is a trainable habit: pick a forcing candidate, assume the opponent’s best reply, calculate the whole line to checkmate in your head, verify it, then play.

Practise THE CALCULATE by solving mixed mate-in-two and mate-in-three drills: for each position the student picks a candidate forcing move, assumes the opponent’s strongest reply, calculates the whole line in their head to checkmate, verifies it, and only then plays.

taught after 138 · 139 · 140 · 141

143 Unit Review: Calculation Review 55 min · 8 positions

Strong calculation is recognition plus proof: name the mating pattern you are steering toward, then run THE CALCULATE — candidate, assume the best reply, calculate the whole line to checkmate in your head, verify, and play.

Review the whole Calculation & Visualization unit by solving interleaved forced-mate positions drawn from every teaching session: for each, the student names the mating pattern.

taught after 138 · 139 · 140 · 141 · 142

144 The Isolated Queen’s Pawn Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

isolated queen’s pawn

You will learn how to play both WITH and AGAINST the isolated queen’s pawn.

taught after 92 · 93 · 138 · 143

145 Hanging Pawns Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

hanging pawns

Handle hanging pawns from both sides: as their owner, cash the space and the two half-open files they hand you.

taught after 92 · 93 · 144

146 The Minority Attack Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

minority attack

The student can recognise a minority-attack structure.

taught after 93 · 144 · 145

147 Space Advantage & Restriction Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

space advantage

Students will use a space advantage the three ways it actually pays: OCCUPY it.

taught after 144 · 145 · 146

148 Open vs Closed Positions Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

open position

Classify any position as open or closed using a fast structural test, and choose a fitting plan — long-range lines on open boards, knight outposts and pawn breaks on closed ones — verifying each plan with THE CALCULATE.

taught after 145 · 146 · 147

149 Structure-Based Middlegames (Guided Practice) Guided practice 60 min · 6 positions

A pawn structure has a name, and the name comes with a plan already attached. Recognising the structure hands you the plan, the plan hands you two or three candidate moves, and THE CALCULATE tells you which one to play — so naming the structure is the fastest way to stop drifting in a middlegame.

Practise THE CALCULATE on six typical pawn structures by naming the structure before anything else: the name supplies the standing plan, the plan narrows your candidate moves, and THE CALCULATE proves the best one works.

taught after 144 · 145 · 146 · 147 · 148

150 Unit Review: Advanced Strategy Review 55 min · 8 positions

Strong strategic play begins with recognition: the pawn structure tells you which plan belongs to the position, and THE CALCULATE then proves whether your chosen move actually delivers that plan.

Students consolidate the whole Advanced Strategy unit by recognising six pawn structures on sight — isolated queen’s pawn, hanging pawns, minority attack, space advantage, open and closed positions — and recalling the correct plan for each, from both sides.

taught after 144 · 145 · 146 · 147 · 148 · 149

152 Bishop Endgames (Same Colour) Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

same-coloured bishop endgame

Convert winning and defend inferior same-coloured-bishop endgames by judging bishop quality, activating the king, and using THE CALCULATE to play every bishop trade and every pawn race to the very end before committing.

taught after 121 · 122 · 127 · 151

153 Opposite-Coloured Bishops Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

opposite-coloured bishops

Judge whether an opposite-coloured bishop ending is draw territory or winning territory, then calculate blockades and promotion races to the very end and play for the right result.

taught after 121 · 122 · 127 · 152

154 Knight Endgames Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

knight endgames

Handle knight endgames with confidence: calculate the pawn ending before trading knights, count race tempi against the knight’s short legs, and use the fork-check as the ending’s key tactical resource.

taught after 121 · 122 · 152 · 153

155 Bishop vs Knight Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

Bishop’s long range on open boards

Students judge which minor piece the pawn structure favours and use THE CALCULATE to steer toward — or trade into — the favourable minor-piece or pawn ending.

taught after 152 · 153 · 154

156 Queen Endgame Basics & Q vs Pawn Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

The checking staircase

Students will win queen-versus-pawn endings against b/d/e/g-pawns with the checking staircase, hold the a/c/f/h-pawn stalemate draws, and calculate every queen trade and promotion race to the very end before playing it.

taught after 152 · 153 · 154 · 155

157 Practical Endgames (Guided Practice) Guided practice 60 min · 6 positions

Practical endgame play is a three-step decision: name the endgame family, state the goal (convert, hold, or mate), then calculate the committal move — trade, push, or promotion — to the very end before playing it.

Practise correct practical decisions in complex endgames: for each unlabelled position the student names the endgame family.

taught after 152 · 153 · 154 · 155 · 156

158 Unit Review: Complex Endgames Review 55 min · 8 positions

Complex-endgame mastery is the review ritual made automatic: name the family (it loads the right toolkit), state the goal (convert, hold, or mate), then calculate the committal move to the very end before playing it.

Consolidate the Unit-4 complex-endgame toolkit by solving interleaved, unlabelled problems across all five families.

taught after 152 · 153 · 154 · 155 · 156 · 157

159 Time Management & the Clock Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

The clock is a resource to budget just like material: sort every position into SNAP — play on rhythm in 10-20 seconds when it is a recapture, a known pattern, or a choice between equal safe moves — or INVEST — spend 2-5 minutes when there is a forcing sequence, a sacrifice, or an irreversible decision, and run THE CALCULATE to the very end before touching a piece — because time trouble means playing the most important moves of the game on seconds.

Students learn to treat the clock as a resource to be budgeted like material, sorting every position into a quick SNAP move or a deep INVEST.

taught after 140 · 151 · 158

160 Notation & Tournament Rules Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

Full algebraic notation is the written language of chess — piece letter plus destination square, x for captures, + for check, # for mate, =Q for promotion, O-O and O-O-O for castling, and a from-file or from-rank like Rgxg8 or Q6xg7 when two identical pieces can reach the same square — kept on a scoresheet in the tournament order of play the move FIRST, then write it; and it lives alongside the laws of the tournament hall: touch-move with ’I adjust’, the same-hand clock press, and the etiquette of silence, polite draw offers, handshakes, and raising a hand for the arbiter.

Students learn to record a complete game in full algebraic notation.

taught after 140 · 158 · 159

161 Handling Nerves & Pressure Confidence 55 min · 8 positions

The four-step calming routine — BREATHE (one slow breath, drop the shoulders), LOOK (name the opponent’s biggest threat out loud in your head), CALCULATE (run the candidate line to the very end exactly as THE CALCULATE taught, before the hand moves under touch-move), and TRUST (play the calculated line without flinching, even through a mid-line counter-check) — practised under a growth mindset that normalises nerves as universal (even world champions feel them), treats pressure as a signal to slow down rather than speed up, and treats every mistake as information for the next game rather than a verdict on the player.

Students learn and use a four-step calming routine — BREATHE, LOOK, CALCULATE, TRUST — together with a growth mindset, so that during tense tournament moments they slow down, name the real threat, finish their forced calculation, and play it without flinching.

taught after 159 · 160

162 Pre-Game Preparation Tournament prep 55 min

A repeatable six-item pre-game preparation routine, the Round-Ready checklist, in which BODY covers sleep, food and water, BAG covers set, clock, scoresheet, pen and routine card packed the night before, BOARD covers arriving early and setting up correctly with a white square bottom-right and each queen on her own colour, BRAIN covers a short timed warm-up of quick forced mates to wake pattern recognition, BEARINGS covers the pairing sheet, colour, opponent and a first move chosen in advance for each colour, and BREATH covers one slow breath before move one, so that nothing at all is left to be decided in the five minutes when a player is least able to decide well.

Students will follow a six-item pre-game preparation checklist — BODY, BAG, BOARD, BRAIN, BEARINGS, BREATH — running a timed tactics warm-up of forced mates and calculating each line to its final move before touching a piece.

taught after 159 · 160 · 161

163 Analyze Your Own Game Model game 60 min

The post-mortem method: replay, recognise, recalculate, record

Analyse one of your own games with the Four Rs and find the critical mistakes that decided it.

taught after 159 · 160 · 161 · 162

164 Simulated Tournament Round Tournament prep 75 min

the full round arc under tournament conditions: pre-round checklist, clock and notation during play, signed result and post-mortem afterwards

Play a full game with clock and notation under tournament rules, then post-mortem it straight away.

taught after 159 · 160 · 161 · 162 · 163

165 Unit Review: Tournament Skills Review 55 min · 8 positions

Tournament readiness is the round ritual made automatic: settle with a breath, calculate the forced line to the very end, play it on a sensible clock budget, and record it in clean, unambiguous notation — the same routine before the clock starts, while it runs, and after you shake hands.

Consolidate the Unit-5 tournament-skill toolkit using the round ritual — settle, calculate the forced line to the end, play on a sensible clock budget, and record the move in clean notation.

taught after 159 · 160 · 161 · 162 · 163 · 164

166 Deepening Your Repertoire Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

opening principles

Play your opening repertoire several moves deeper with correct ideas, continuing principled chess when the book runs out and proving each plan concretely with THE CALCULATE.

taught after 159 · 160 · 164

167 Typical Middlegame Plans from Openings Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

pawn structure

Read the pawn structure your opening leaves behind and let it tell you which wing your plan belongs on. Name that plan, then prove its breakthrough with THE CALCULATE before you commit to it.

taught after 166 · 132

168 Preparing Against an Opponent Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

targeted preparation

Learn to scout ONE opponent for ONE habit he repeats - the knight hop he never misses.

taught after 166 · 167

169 Traps & How to Avoid Them Teaching 60 min · 8 positions

trapped piece

Recognise when a piece — yours or your opponent’s — has moved to a square with no safe retreat.

taught after 166 · 168

170 Main-Line Model Game Model game 70 min · 8 positions

The five stations of a model game — BOOK, JOBS, STRUCTURE, PLAN, CONVERT: read the pawn structure a main line produces, play the plan that structure hands you, and convert it by counting.

Explain the opening-to-middlegame plan of a model main-line game: name where BOOK ends, read the pawn structure it produced, state the plan that structure hands you, and follow it through to a counted, converted advantage.

taught after 166 · 167 · 168 · 169

171 Unit Review: Opening Depth Review 55 min · 8 positions

Opening depth is not more memorised moves: it is knowing which question the position is asking. Where the book ends, the four opening jobs answer it; where the pawns are uneven, the count answers it; where you know your opponent, his habit answers it; where a piece has strayed, its escape squares answer it; and where a plan has already created a weakness, only a calculated line answers it.

Consolidate the Unit-6 opening-depth toolkit by recognising, without being told.

taught after 166 · 167 · 168 · 169 · 170

172 Stage 4 Comprehensive Review Review 60 min · 8 positions

Interleaved review across all Stage 4 skills: sort the position before solving it. A mixed set removes the label that a teaching session gives away for free, so the pupil must decide from the board alone whether the answer is forcing or quiet - anything loose or any exposed king means calculate; nothing loose means name the structure and improve the worst piece - and then verify the chosen line to its end with THE CALCULATE.

Solve mixed Stage 4 problems across attack, calculation and endgames by SORTING before solving.

taught after 136 · 143 · 150 · 158 · 165 · 171