Learn chess free
Everything on chessGM that teaches chess is free: interactive courses from the first moves to expert endgames, opening courses that explain every move, rated puzzles, game reviews and a voice coach in English, Bangla and Hindi.
Start where you are
New to chess? The first courses show the board, how each piece moves, check and checkmate. Already playing? Pick the tactics, middlegame or endgame courses, or an opening for White or Black.
Then put it to use: play people or human-like bots, solve puzzles at your level, and review your games to see what to work on next.
Ways to learn on chessGM
Chess courses
52 interactive courses with 280 lessons, from the chessboard and how the pieces move to tactics, middlegames and endgames for experts. Every lesson is played on the board.
- The chessboard (3 lessons)
- How the pieces move (6 lessons)
- Capturing pieces (3 lessons)
- Check, checkmate and stalemate (4 lessons)
- Safe pieces: protect, escape and check (3 lessons)
- Castling, promotion and en passant (3 lessons)
- Castling and en passant drills (2 lessons)
- Piece values and good trades (2 lessons)
- Basic checkmates (3 lessons)
- Endgame 1: Basic mates and running pawns (7 lessons)
- Real-game tactics 1: Free pieces and first tactics (7 lessons)
- Stalemate and other draws (3 lessons)
- Opening principles (2 lessons)
- Scholar's mate and quick traps (2 lessons)
- Checkmate patterns practice (2 lessons)
- Mating patterns I (9 lessons)
- The blunder check (2 lessons)
- Quick practice: forks, pins and skewers (3 lessons)
- Your first repertoire (2 lessons)
- How to choose a move (2 lessons)
- Real-game tactics 2: Forks, pins and skewers (7 lessons)
- Endgame 2: King and pawn (6 lessons)
- Back-rank mates (6 lessons)
- Endgame 3: Pawn races and breakthroughs (6 lessons)
- Real-game tactics 3: Discovered attacks, deflection and decoys (8 lessons)
- Rook endgames essentials (3 lessons)
- Quick practice: king and pawn (3 lessons)
- Pawn structure and plans (2 lessons)
- Discovered attacks (6 lessons)
- Mating patterns II (9 lessons)
- Real-game tactics 4: Removing the defender and sacrifices (8 lessons)
- Endgame 4: Rook against pawn and the Lucena (6 lessons)
- Sacrifices on the king (7 lessons)
- Forks (8 lessons)
- Converting an advantage (2 lessons)
- Pins and skewers (8 lessons)
- Deflection and decoy (9 lessons)
- Endgame 5: Queen endings (6 lessons)
- Real-game tactics 5: Attacking the king (7 lessons)
- Defensive moves (8 lessons)
- Quiet moves (8 lessons)
- Quick practice: discovered attacks and mates (2 lessons)
- Endgame 6: Bishops and knights (6 lessons)
- Real-game tactics 6: Combinations and quiet moves (9 lessons)
- Endgame 7: The Philidor defence and rook endings (6 lessons)
- Real-game tactics 7: Calculation and defence (9 lessons)
- Endgame 8: Pawn endings for experts (6 lessons)
- Real-game tactics 8: Deep combinations (9 lessons)
- Real-game tactics 9: Master calculation (9 lessons)
- Endgame 9: Queen against rook, rook against minor piece (6 lessons)
- Endgame 10: Bishop and knight mate (6 lessons)
- Real-game tactics 10: Grandmaster calculation (9 lessons)
Free opening courses
28 opening courses for White and Black, from the London System and Italian Game to the Najdorf and Grünfeld. Every move is explained, and all of it is free.
- Anti-Sicilians for White · for White
- Catalan Opening · for White
- English Opening · for White
- Italian Game · for White
- King's Gambit · for White
- London System · for White
- Queen's Gambit · for White
- Ruy Lopez · for White
- Réti Opening and King's Indian Attack · for White
- Scotch Game · for White
- Vienna Game · for White
- 1.e4 e5 for Black · for Black
- Beating 1.d4 Sidelines · for Black
- Benoni and Benko Gambit · for Black
- Caro-Kann Defence · for Black
- Dutch Defence · for Black
- French Defence · for Black
- Grünfeld Defence · for Black
- King's Indian Defence · for Black
- Nimzo-Indian Defence · for Black
- Petroff Defence · for Black
- Pirc and Modern Defence · for Black
- Queen's Gambit Declined · for Black
- Scandinavian Defence · for Black
- Sicilian Dragon · for Black
- Sicilian Najdorf · for Black
- Slav Defence · for Black
- Two Knights Defence · for Black
Questions and answers
Is chessGM really free?
Yes. Every feature is free and unlocked, including all 52 courses and 40 opening courses. There is no paid plan. Ads around game reviews and, now and then, between puzzles pay for the servers; play and training have no ads.
Can I learn chess in Bangla or Hindi?
Yes. The app, the courses and the coach's voice are in English, Bangla and Hindi. Choose the language in Settings.
Where do I start if I have never played?
Start with the course on the chessboard and the one on how the pieces move, then check and checkmate. Each lesson is played on the board, so you learn by doing.