♟️ What You’ll Be Able to Do After This Course
After completing this beginner chess course, students will be able to:
- Set up the chessboard correctly and start games the right way.
- Move every chess piece with confidence using the correct rules.
- Understand check and checkmate and recognize game-ending threats.
- Play complete chess games independently with clear next steps.
- Recognize basic winning ideas and make smarter beginner decisions.
📘 What You Will Learn
This free beginner chess course teaches you how to play chess step by step, starting with the essential chess rules and basic concepts. The lessons are structured to help new players quickly understand the game and build a strong foundation for future chess improvement.
Each video lesson explains one important topic clearly, making it easy for beginners to follow and learn chess at their own pace.
In this course, you will learn:
- How each chess piece moves
- Basic chess rules and piece values
- What check and checkmate mean
- How chess pieces work together in a real game
- The fundamentals needed to start playing chess confidently
For best results, we recommend using a real chessboard while watching the lessons. Practice setting up positions and repeating the moves shown in each video to strengthen understanding and memory.
Watch the lessons in order to progress naturally from basic chess rules to practical gameplay.
After completing the course, you can take our free online chess test to evaluate your understanding and confirm your beginner chess skills.
👥 Who Is This Course For?
- complete beginners learning chess for the first time
- parents teaching chess at home
- kids starting structured chess training
- students preparing for their first full games
📚 Course Lessons
Tip: Start from Lesson 1 and watch in order for the fastest progress.
How the King Moves in Chess | Beginner Guide
2:25
How Pawns Move and Capture in Chess | Beginner Guide
3:07
How the Bishop Moves in Chess | Diagonal Movement Explained
2:03
How the Rook Moves in Chess | Files and Ranks Explained
2:09
How the Knight Moves in Chess | Easy Beginner Guide
3:35
How the Queen Moves in Chess | Complete Beginner Guide
2:21
Chess Piece Values Explained | Beginner Strategy Basics
3:22
What Is Check in Chess? | Beginner Explanation
4:05
What Is Checkmate in Chess? | Beginner Guide
3:35
Chess Notation Explained | How to Record Moves
1:35
How to Set Up a Chessboard | Step-by-Step Guide
0:53
Beginner Chess Test | Check Your Chess Knowledge
4:51
🎯 Final Skill Test
After the lessons, take a short online assessment. It helps us recommend the correct next level and the best learning format.
➡️ Continue Learning
Next course recommendation: Targeting the King | Beginner Checkmate Course
🚀 Your Next Step
Complete the course, then choose the next step — no pressure.
Best For
- Kids ages 5–12
- Complete beginners
- Families who want structure
🏅 Why Parents Trust Chess Heroes Academy
- 15+ years of teaching experience
- 5,000+ students taught worldwide
- Multiple Provincial & National Champions
- 3 Scholastic World Champions trained through our programs
What Parents Say About Our Chess Programs
Thousands of families trust our programs to help beginners learn chess with confidence.
The Vancouver Chess School is a great place for children to develop their critical thinking and math skills. Ever since my child has attended this school, he has developed great improvements in his co...
My son joined Vancouver Chess School this year and he loves it! I regretted not sending him earlier. The classes are well-structured, the programs are well-organized, and the teachers are all very nic...
Vanchess has been really helping my son to stay focused and helping him to build confidence. So far I am really happy with my son's progress and looking forward to participating in their future camps ...
Vancouver Chess School is a great place for the children who like chess. My son really have a great time here....
The best teacher, patience, my child learned here from 2017, not only learns to play chess, but also exercises how to deal with various challenges, how to judge the improvement of ability, so that now...
I love vanchess! It taught my brother endgame techniques that he never knew about and tactics. I appreciate vanchess for its effective teachings. It is very good!...
In Vancouver Chess School, there has a complete and systematic chess education system, rich and interesting practice resources, and tournaments for all levels players weekly and monthly. Most importan...
The best school ever! My daughter loves her chess classes about 3 years! Thanks for teacher ...
The Vancouver Chess school took my son’s interest in chess and sparked an obsession. My son used to believe most things are “easy” or he would have difficulty with failures. However, this che...
Looking for a place to develop my son chess skills. Found Vancouver Chess School, Best choice ever. Great online class, Competitive chess event to keep things interesting for kids. If your kids like c...
My son enjoys learning chess from this school and has been in this school more than 3 years. The teachers are very kind, respectful and professional. My son loves to attend the classes there. All the...
My son has been attending classes and tournaments at Vancouver Chess School for several years, starting in-person at his school, then, as he became more advanced, classes at the VCS facility and more ...
My kids enjoy learning and playing at Vancouver Chess School. Both the classes and tournaments are well-organized and the teachers are super friendly and patient. The kids are always encouraged to le...
My son has been learning chess in VCS for three years, and he enjoyed classes/plays very well. The school has not only taught kids chess in classes, but also given them many opportunities to apply wha...
My son has been attending Vanchess for half a year now. It has been a great learning experience and his skills improved very much. His instructor Gyan is professional, kind, encouraging and patient. ...
This is a great chess school for kids to learn and grow up in. I am so happy we made the right choice 4 years ago. When my son told me he was interested in chess, I enrolled him in Vancouver Chess sc...
Great a chess school! My son made great progress while learning chess in VSC, where he got a lot of chess strategy and practice opportunities. Most importantly, my son has always been inspired to fac...
As a volunteer assistant coach of the chess camps, I felt the genuine trust and support from the teachers! The instructors gave every assistant coach some time every camp to teach the class some conce...
Great staff! Great learning experience for kids!...
I represented team BC at the 2019 Canadian Chess Challenge (CCC), where I won 1st place in the toughest section of the competition. This year, Gyan personally invited me to Captain Team BC at the 2022...
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is this course suitable for complete beginners?
Yes. This course is designed for students with no prior chess experience and teaches the rules step by step.
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What age group is this course best for?
While suitable for beginners of any age, it is especially effective for children ages 5–12 starting chess for the first time.
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Do we need special equipment?
No special equipment is required. A real chessboard is recommended for practice, but you can also learn using an online board.
