Free opening courses, every move explained
Good opening courses often cost money. On chessGM, 28 opening courses, 30 line courses and lessons for more than 3,800 named lines are free, with every move explained and a review that brings lines back before you forget them.
What you get, free
- Opening courses for White and Black, from beginner level (London System, Italian Game, Scandinavian) to advanced (Najdorf, Dragon, Grünfeld, King's Indian).
- Every move explained: why it is played, the other good moves, and the tempting mistakes and what is wrong with them.
- The traps of each opening, the ones to set and the ones to avoid.
- Drills where you play the moves yourself, and a spaced-repetition review of your lines.
- Line courses with many short lines per opening, a few new ones a day.
- A lesson for every named opening, and an opening explorer.
- All of it in English, Bangla and Hindi.
How it compares with paid courses
Paid opening courses usually sell a repertoire with explanations and a trainer that repeats the lines. chessGM teaches the same way, explanation first, then drills and spaced repetition, without charging for it.
What chessGM does not have: video lessons or courses recorded by titled players. The courses are written for the app by the chessGM team, and you can play every line against the bots right after learning it.
Who pays for it
Ads around game reviews and, now and then, between puzzles pay for the servers. The opening courses, drills and games have no ads, and nothing is locked behind a paid plan.
Popular opening courses
Questions and answers
Are chessGM's opening courses really free?
Yes. All 28 opening courses, the line courses, the drills and the review are free, with no paid plan and no ads in the courses.
Which opening should a beginner learn?
Pick one opening for White that follows the main opening principles, such as the Italian Game or the London System, and one answer for Black to 1.e4 and to 1.d4, such as the Scandinavian Defence and the Queen's Gambit Declined. chessGM has a free course for each.
Can I build my own repertoire?
Yes. The lines you learn go into your repertoire, and the review drill brings each one back when it is due.