Guides & Blog
Chess tactics, practice routines, and findings from our puzzle data.
10 Checkmate Patterns to Learn First, from Ladder Mate to Scholar's Mate
Ten common checkmate patterns, each on a verified mini board: three basic mates for finishing a won game, five tactical mates and two opening traps.
Chess Terms Explained: Fork to Luft, 15 Words with Mini Boards
A plain-language glossary of 15 chess terms: fork, pin, skewer, zwischenzug, luft and more, each with a short meaning and a mini board showing the shape.
212,300 Chess Puzzles by Theme: Frequency and Rating Distribution
I counted a curated set of 212,300 Lichess puzzles by theme and puzzle rating, and stated the limits of that sample next to the numbers.
Smothered Mate Explained: The Knight and Queen Sacrifice
Smothered mate traps a king behind its own pieces with a knight check. Follow the queen sacrifice in Philidor's Legacy and see examples from games.
The Immortal Game, 1851: Anderssen Gives Up a Bishop, Both Rooks and the Queen
Anderssen vs. Kieseritzky, London 1851: White gives up a bishop, both rooks and the queen, then mates. We follow the score as it was handed down, move by move.
A 15-Minute Daily Chess Tactics Routine: Start With Your Weak Spots
The 15-minute daily routine I settled into while building this site: due reviews first, then your weakest tactics, a short game review and one new idea.
Chess Pattern Recognition: How Grandmasters Think
Strong players use familiar piece relationships to narrow their candidate moves. What the research says, how to train it, and the limits of that claim.
How Beginners (800-1500) Cut Down Tactical Mistakes
For players rated 800-1500: a starting point for splitting your time between games, tactics, review, pattern study and basic endgames.
Applying SM-2 to Chess: Review Tactics, Not the Same Puzzles
Repeating one chess puzzle can mix recognition with memory of its answer. Why this site schedules reviews by tactic instead, and what it does not prove.
The First 6 Chess Tactics to Learn After the Rules: Forks, Pins, Skewers
Forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks, sacrifices and removing the defender: the basic tactics to learn after the rules, plus a quick pre-move check.