Caveat Academy course · Grades 6 to 12

Chess Fundamentals

Chess from the first move to sound tournament play: every rule including castling and en passant, notation, the checkmates every player must know, the forks, pins and skewers that win games, opening principles and plans, and the king and pawn endings that decide close ones. Six modules at your own pace, with a check in every lesson and a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
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Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Passion projects kit, $39 for 34 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 12 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: The board and the pieces

    Set up the board, move every piece legally, apply the special rules for castling, en passant and promotion, and compare pieces by value.

    • Setting up the board
    • How the pieces move
    • Castling, en passant and promotion
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Check, checkmate and notation

    Find every escape from check, tell checkmate from stalemate and other draws, and read and write algebraic notation.

    • Check and how to escape it
    • Checkmate, stalemate and draws
    • Reading and writing chess notation
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: The basic checkmates

    Recognize common mating patterns and carry out the queen, rook and two-rook checkmates without stalemating.

    • Mating patterns to recognize
    • Queen and king against a lone king
    • Rook and king, and the two-rook ladder
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Tactics that win material

    Identify forks, pins, skewers and discovered attacks, and calculate whether an exchange wins or loses material.

    • Forks
    • Pins, skewers and discovered attacks
    • Counting exchanges and removing the defender
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Openings and plans

    Evaluate opening moves against the principles of development, name common openings, and plan from pawn structure.

    • Opening principles
    • Common openings
    • Middlegame plans and pawn structure
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Endgames and getting better

    Use the opposition and the rule of the square in king and pawn endings, compute expected scores from ratings, and design a plan for improving.

    • The king in the endgame
    • Passed pawns and the rule of the square
    • How to keep improving
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 4 · Forks

Worked example: the family fork

  1. Black's king is on e8 and a black rook is still on a8. The c7 square is empty and not defended by any black piece.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Enrichment · Passion Projects$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished course in chess fundamentals: you can play every rule correctly, including castling, en passant and promotion, read and write a game in notation, tell checkmate from stalemate, finish the queen, rook and two-rook checkmates, spot forks, pins, skewers and discovered attacks and count an exchange before you capture, open a game on sound principles and plan from the pawns, and use the opposition and the rule of the square in endings. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 6 to 12 who know a little chess or none at all and want to play well, players getting ready for a school chess club or first tournament, and homeschool families who want a complete enrichment unit. A physical set or any free online board is enough to play through the positions.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 12 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Passion projects kit ($39) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The Passion Projects space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. FIDE Laws of Chess, the official rules used in international play: handbook.fide.com
  2. US Chess Federation, rules and rating information: uschess.org
  3. Arpad Elo, The Rating of Chessplayers, Past and Present, 1978, the source of the expected-score formula used in Module 6

Chess Fundamentals is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. It teaches the international rules of chess; local clubs and tournaments may add their own regulations, such as time controls. It does not replace a chess club, a chess teacher or a school course and awards no credit. Piece values and expected scores are standard guides, not guarantees. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.