# How an AI assistant can use chessGM to teach a person chess, from zero to master, for free chessGM (https://chessgm.net) is a free chess app and website by 22Softwares (https://22softwares.com). It runs in any browser, installs as an app, and speaks English, Bangla and Hindi. A person needs no account to start (a guest can play, solve puzzles and take courses); an account keeps progress on every device. You (the assistant) cannot play for the person, but you can **coach the coach**: pick the right chessGM feature for the person's level, give a weekly plan, explain what they see, and help them read their game reviews. The complete human guide is at https://chessgm.net/guide (and as plain text at https://chessgm.net/llms-full.txt). ## 1. Find the level Ask three things: how long they have played, their rating (chess.com, Lichess or "none"), and how many minutes a day they have. Map the rating to a band: | Rating | Band section | Main focus | | --- | --- | --- | | 0 to 400 | https://chessgm.net/guide#band-0 | rules, how pieces move, check and checkmate, first bot games | | 400 to 800 | https://chessgm.net/guide#band-400 | piece values, basic checkmates, forks, pins, opening principles | | 800 to 1200 | https://chessgm.net/guide#band-800 | tactics first, back-rank mates, king and pawn endings, one opening | | 1200 to 1600 | https://chessgm.net/guide#band-1200 | repertoire, combinations, rook and queen endings, honest reviews | | 1600 to 2000 | https://chessgm.net/guide#band-1600 | positional play, calculation, time management, endgame technique | | 2000 to 2400 | https://chessgm.net/guide#band-2000 | deep preparation, opponent prep, calculation, engine analysis | | 2400 to 2600+ | https://chessgm.net/guide#band-2400 | titled level: tournaments, sparring, deep review, endgame mastery | The person can set their level in chessGM at https://chessgm.net/welcome (or Settings, "Your chess level"): never played, beginner, casual, club, intermediate, advanced, expert, master or grandmaster, or by connecting their public chess.com ratings. ## 2. The loop to teach (every level) 1. **Play** a real game with a time they can think in (10 minutes or more). https://chessgm.net/ 2. **Review** it the same day. https://chessgm.net/analyze (free and unlimited). Look at key moments, not every move. 3. **Fix** the pattern behind each big mistake with a puzzle theme (https://chessgm.net/puzzles/themes) or a course lesson (https://chessgm.net/train/courses). 4. **Learn** one thing on purpose: an opening line, an endgame, a tactic. 5. **Repeat.** Roughly half the time playing, a third on puzzles and lessons, the rest on review and study. ## 3. Which feature for which goal | Goal | Feature | URL | | --- | --- | --- | | Learn the rules and how pieces move | Courses: The chessboard, How the pieces move, Check checkmate and stalemate | https://chessgm.net/train/courses | | Practise safely against a computer | Bots (levels 1 to 10, ratings up to 2600+), help modes Assisted, Friendly, Challenge | https://chessgm.net/bots | | Learn with spoken advice | Coach mode (a spoken coach: our chess engine plus explanation rules, not a chatbot; English, Bangla or Hindi voice) | https://chessgm.net/train/coach | | Play a person | Play card: 10 min, 15 + 10, and more; rated or casual | https://chessgm.net/ | | Play a friend | Friend link, or two players on one device | https://chessgm.net/?friend=1 | | Understand a lost game | Game Review: accuracy, move labels (Brilliant to Blunder), key moments, See the line | https://chessgm.net/analyze | | Review a chess.com game | Paste a chess.com link, username or a PGN | https://chessgm.net/analyze | | Train tactics | Rated puzzles, themes, daily puzzle, Puzzle Rush, Rush Battle | https://chessgm.net/puzzles | | Learn an opening | Opening lines trainer with spaced repetition; Opening explorer for statistics | https://chessgm.net/train/openings and https://chessgm.net/train/openings/explorer | | Study endgames and middlegames | Courses: Endgame 1 to 10, Real-game tactics 1 to 10 (rated 600 to 2400) | https://chessgm.net/train/courses | | Prepare for a specific opponent | Opponent prep: a plan from their public chess.com games | https://chessgm.net/train/prep | | Climb the chess.com bots | A guide and a practice partner for each bot, 250 to 3200 | https://chessgm.net/train/chesscom-bots | | Analyse a position with an engine | Analysis board: engine lines, move labels, FEN and PGN import | https://chessgm.net/analysis | | Practise without internet | Bots, coach, puzzles pack and the analysis board work offline once saved | https://chessgm.net/settings | | Watch strong games | Live games, highest rated first | https://chessgm.net/watch | ## 4. A first week to give a total beginner - Day 1: open the app, play as a guest, take the lessons *The chessboard* and *How the pieces move*. - Day 2: *Capturing pieces*, then three games against the easiest bot. - Day 3: *Check, checkmate and stalemate*, five mate-in-one puzzles. - Day 4: *Castling, promotion and en passant*, a game against a bot, then Game Review of it. - Day 5: *Piece values and good trades*, ten puzzles. - Day 6: two games, review one. Ask: what did my opponent threaten on the last move? - Day 7: rest, or repeat the lesson that felt hardest. ## 5. How to coach the person - Ask them to **tell you the key moments** from Game Review (the app lists them) and the label of each (Mistake, Blunder, Miss), then explain the idea in plain words and name one puzzle theme to train. - Keep a **mistake list** with them: one line per game, grouped by cause (missed threat, calculation, opening, time). Train what repeats. - Make the plan small and weekly, not a long list. Use the weekly plans in the band sections. - Celebrate measurable progress: puzzle rating, rapid rating without the "?" mark, review accuracy. - Be honest about the top end: chessGM ratings are a training measure, not FIDE ratings. 2000 and above needs slow games, preparation and real tournaments; chessGM is the free laboratory (bots up to 2600, a strong engine, deep review, opponent prep). - Never ask for passwords. chessGM never asks for a chess.com password; it reads public ratings and games only. ## 6. Prompts a person can give their AI assistant - "I am a chess beginner with 20 minutes a day. Use the chessGM guide at https://chessgm.net/llms-full.txt and make me a 4-week plan with the exact chessGM courses, puzzles and bots to use." - "My chess.com rapid rating is 1100. Using chessGM, make a weekly plan to reach 1400. Tell me which courses, puzzle themes and opening lines to use, and how to measure progress." - "Here is the key-moments list from my chessGM Game Review: [paste]. Tell me what pattern I keep missing and which chessGM puzzle theme and course lesson to train this week." - "I play [opening] as White. Use the chessGM opening lines trainer and the opening explorer to help me build a 15-move repertoire and a plan for the middlegame." - "I play [username] on chess.com next week. Explain how to use chessGM opponent prep, and help me turn its plan into three concrete ideas." - "I am 1900 and want to become a titled player. Use the 2000 to 2400 and 2400 to 2600+ sections of the chessGM guide and make me a 12-week plan with slow games, deep review, endgames and opponent prep." - "Explain my chessGM game review comment in simple Bangla (or Hindi): [paste]." ## 7. Facts to state correctly - chessGM is free; ads support it. Game Review and bots are unlimited. Puzzle hints, deep reviews (depth 18), direct calls and voice chat have a small daily free amount; in the app a rewarded ad gives one more. - Ratings use Glicko per time category (bullet, blitz, rapid, classical), plus a puzzle rating and course ratings. A rating with "?" is provisional. - Guests are not on leaderboards and cannot use voice chat or comments. Accounts: Apple, Google, or username and password. - The human guide, always current: https://chessgm.net/guide . About page: https://chessgm.net/about-app . Privacy: https://chessgm.net/privacy . Terms: https://chessgm.net/terms . - Free written guides for search engines (server-rendered): https://chessgm.net/learn and https://chessgm.net/about-chessgm . --- # The chessGM user guide (English, full text) ## Start here ### Install, sign in or play as a guest Open chessGM in a minute: in the browser, as an installed app, as a guest or with an account. (https://chessgm.net/guide#start-install, open: https://chessgm.net/register) chessGM is a free chess app: play people and bots, solve puzzles, take courses, learn openings, get a spoken coach (our chess engine plus explanation rules, not a chatbot) and review every game. Everything you need to go from your first move to master level is in this one app. #### Open it - **In a browser:** go to https://chessgm.net on a phone, tablet or computer. Nothing to download. - **Install it like an app:** in Chrome or Edge open [Settings](https://chessgm.net/settings) and tap **Install** in the App section. On iPhone use Safari, tap Share, then **Add to Home Screen**. An installed chessGM opens full screen and works offline for many things (see Offline use (section "Offline use")). - **Store apps:** the About page shows the App Store and Google Play buttons as soon as the apps are live in your country. #### Guest or account - **Guest:** tap Play and you are in. No sign-up. Your games, puzzles and ratings are kept on this device. Guests are not on the leaderboards and cannot use voice chat or comments. - **Account:** sign in with Apple, Google, or a username and password to keep your progress on every device. Pick a username (3 to 20 letters, digits, _ or -). You can turn a guest into an account at any time and keep your history. > **Tip:** if you plan to take chessGM seriously, make an account on day one. Your puzzle rating, course progress and opening lines then follow you from phone to laptop. More about accounts, passwords and deleting your data: Account (section "Account"). ### Your first game Press Play, choose a time, make a move. Then let the review teach you. (https://chessgm.net/guide#start-first-game, open: https://chessgm.net/) The fastest way in: 1. Open the **Play** tab and look at the **Play** card. 2. Pick a time control. **10 min** is the default and a good start. Short games (1 to 3 minutes) are fast and hard on a beginner. 3. Press **Play**. chessGM finds a human of about your level. Prefer a computer? Open **Bots** and pick one, or use **Play with coach** for spoken advice (see Coach mode (section "Coach mode")). 4. Tap a piece, then tap the square to move to. Or drag it. Little dots show where the piece can go. #### During the game - The clocks run at the top and bottom. The move list shows what has been played. - Open the game menu to **offer a draw** or **resign**. Moves are final, so check twice before you tap. - Wrong time zone, a call or a notification? If you leave a game it keeps going: come back from the **Play** tab. #### After the game Press **Game Review**. The computer walks you through every move, shows the key moments and gives you an accuracy score. This is the single best habit in the whole guide: see Game Review (section "Game Review"). > **Tip:** your first rated games are provisional. Your rating shows a question mark (for example 800?) and moves faster until it settles. Do not worry about the number yet. ### The level question Tell chessGM how strong you are so bots, puzzles and courses start at the right level. (https://chessgm.net/guide#start-level, open: https://chessgm.net/welcome) The first time you press Play, chessGM asks a few quick questions so your games, bots and puzzles start at the right level. You can skip it and answer later. #### Three ways to set your level 1. **Connect chess.com.** Type your chess.com username. chessGM reads your public profile and ratings and sets yours to match. It never asks for your chess.com password. 2. **Enter a rating.** Type your chess.com rating, or any Elo you know. 3. **Describe how you play.** Never played, Beginner, Casual, Club player, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, Master or Grandmaster. An honest guess is fine, your rating adjusts after a few games. #### Good to know - New ratings are **provisional** and shown with a question mark. They settle after a few games. - Change your answer any time in [Settings](https://chessgm.net/settings) under **Your chess level**. A category that already has real results (for example Rapid) keeps the rating you earned there. - Started from **Bots** or a lesson instead of the Play card? Then the question was not asked: answer it any time with [Set my level](https://chessgm.net/welcome?step=level). - Your level also decides which courses and bots are recommended to you. > **Tip:** if you are between two options, pick the lower one. Winning games at the right level teaches more than losing at a level that is too high. ### Settings basics Language, coach voice, board and pieces, sound and notifications in five minutes. (https://chessgm.net/guide#start-settings, open: https://chessgm.net/settings) Open **More, Settings**. You can also change board settings with the small gear at the corner of every board. #### Two different languages - **App language** changes menus, buttons and settings: English, Bangla or Hindi. - **Coach voice and comments language** changes what the coach says and writes: game review comments, coach mode, puzzle hints and lessons. By default it follows the app language. You can keep English menus and still hear the coach in Bangla or Hindi. #### Board and pieces Pieces and board colours (several free sets, plus HD ones (also free) such as Ebony and Boxwood, Royal Gold, Marble and Crystal), coordinates inside or outside the board, animation speed, highlight of the last move, legal move dots, click or drag to move, auto-queen, and **move labels** (the Best, Mistake and Blunder icons). Everything changes at once. #### Sound and haptics Move sounds, volume, a low-time warning sound and, on phones, a short vibration on every move. #### Notifications Choose what may notify you: your move in long games, challenges, messages, friend requests, review reminders and learning tips. See Notifications (section "Notifications"). #### Language picker > **Tip:** if you learn better in your own language, set the coach voice to it. The chess terms are explained in simple words. ### How to improve: the chessGM loop Play, review, fix your mistakes, learn one thing, repeat. The rhythm behind every plan in this guide. (https://chessgm.net/guide#start-loop) Players get better when they close the loop between **doing** and **understanding**. chessGM is built around one loop: 1. **Play** a real game with a time you can think in (10 minutes or more). 2. **Review** it the same day with Game Review (section "Game Review"). Look at your key moments, not at every move. 3. **Fix** the pattern behind each big mistake with a puzzle (section "Puzzles") or a course (section "Courses and lessons") lesson on that theme. 4. **Learn** one new thing on purpose: an opening line, an endgame, a tactical theme. 5. **Repeat.** Your next game tests what you learned. #### A weekly rhythm that works at every level - **Play** about half your time. - **Puzzles and lessons** about a third. - **Review and opening or endgame study** the rest. The rating bands in the next part of the guide give this rhythm concrete numbers for 0 to 2600+. > **Tip:** quality beats quantity. Three games you review carefully teach more than thirty you forget. ## The path: 0 to 2600+ ### 0 to 400: the very beginning Learn the rules, how every piece moves, check and checkmate, and win your first bot games. (https://chessgm.net/guide#band-0, open: https://chessgm.net/train/courses) **Who this is for:** you have never played, or you are still learning how the pieces move. #### Goals - Know the board, the six pieces and how each one moves and captures. - Understand **check**, **checkmate** and **stalemate**, and the special moves (castling, promotion, en passant). - Never leave a piece where it can be taken for free. - Win a game against the easiest bots. #### Your first four weeks **Every day (15 to 25 minutes):** 1. One lesson from [Courses](https://chessgm.net/train/courses), in this order: *The chessboard*, *How the pieces move*, *Capturing pieces*, *Check, checkmate and stalemate*, *Safe pieces: protect, escape and check*, *Castling, promotion and en passant*, then the practice set *Castling and en passant drills*. 2. Five easy [puzzles](https://chessgm.net/puzzles) (mate in one is perfect). 3. Two games against the friendliest [bots](https://chessgm.net/bots), untimed or with 10 minutes. **Once a week:** review your best and worst game with Game Review (section "Game Review") and read the comment on each big mistake. #### How to measure progress - You finish the first five courses. - You win 3 of 5 games against the lowest bots. - Your puzzle rating moves past 600. #### Common mistakes at this level - Bringing the queen out on move 2. It gets chased and you lose time. - Moving the same piece again and again in the opening. - Not checking what the opponent's last move attacks. Ask "what does that move threaten?" every time. - Forgetting stalemate when you are winning: leave the opponent a legal move. - Playing too fast. There is no prize for speed yet. > **Tip:** say your move out loud in your head: "my bishop goes there, can anything take it?" This one habit wins more games than any opening. Next: 400 to 800 (section "400 to 800: first real games"). ### 400 to 800: first real games Piece values, basic checkmates, forks, pins and the first simple opening plan. (https://chessgm.net/guide#band-400, open: https://chessgm.net/train/courses) **Who this is for:** you know the rules and play a few games, but pieces still disappear by accident. #### Goals - Count material (pawn 1, knight 3, bishop 3, rook 5, queen 9) and trade when you are ahead. - Deliver the basic checkmates: two rooks, king and queen, king and rook. - See simple tactics: forks, pins, skewers, back-rank mate. - Follow the opening rules: take the centre, develop knights and bishops, castle early. #### Weekly plan (about 3 hours) - **Courses (4 lessons):** *Piece values and good trades*, *Opening principles*, *Scholar's mate and quick traps*, *The blunder check*, *Basic checkmates*, *Stalemate and other draws*, *Your first repertoire*, then *Checkmate patterns practice*, *Endgame 1*, *Real-game tactics 1*, *Mating patterns I* and *Forks, pins and skewers*. - **Puzzles (20 a day):** themes mate in 1, mate in 2, fork, pin, hanging piece, back rank. See Puzzles (section "Puzzles"). - **Games (5 a week):** 10-minute rapid, rated. Pick the Play card, then review two of them. - **Bots:** beat the bots just under your rating, then the ones just above. - **One opening setup:** a simple one for White (for example the London System) and a simple answer to 1.e4 and 1.d4. Add it with the opening lines trainer (section "Opening lines trainer"). #### How to measure progress - Your rapid rating passes 800 and loses its question mark. - Your puzzle rating passes 900. - Your review accuracy is about 65 percent or better. - You can checkmate with king and rook against a bare king without help. #### Common mistakes at this level - Taking every free pawn and falling behind in development. - Missing a one-move threat (a fork, a piece hanging) and blaming bad luck. - Trading when you are behind in material. - Pushing pawns in front of your own king. - Resigning too early or playing on in a lost game without learning from it. Review both. > **Tip:** before every move do the **blunder check**: what did my opponent just do, what can they take, what can I take, is my move safe? Previous: 0 to 400 (section "0 to 400: the very beginning"). Next: 800 to 1200 (section "800 to 1200: club beginner"). ### 800 to 1200: club beginner Tactics first. Learn back-rank mates, discovered attacks, king and pawn endings and two opening lines. (https://chessgm.net/guide#band-800, open: https://chessgm.net/train/courses) **Who this is for:** you win some games and lose some, mostly to tactics. #### Goals - Spot most one and two move tactics before your opponent does. - Win king and pawn endings with the opposition. - Know the first 8 to 10 moves of one opening as White and one defence to 1.e4 and 1.d4 as Black. - Play at a steady pace: do not use up your clock in the first ten moves. #### Weekly plan (4 to 5 hours) - **Courses:** *How to choose a move*, *Back-rank mates*, *Endgame 3: Pawn races and breakthroughs*, *Real-game tactics 3: Discovered attacks, deflection and decoys*, *Discovered attacks*, *Endgame fundamentals: king and pawn*, *Real-game tactics 4: Removing the defender and sacrifices*, *Rook endgames essentials*, *Endgame 4: Rook against pawn and the Lucena*. - **Puzzles (30 a day):** themes fork, pin, skewer, discovered attack, back rank, deflection, hanging piece. One Puzzle Rush (section "Puzzle Rush") a day for speed. - **Games (6 a week):** 10 or 15 minutes with an increment (10 | 5 or 15 | 10). Review every loss. - **Openings:** add one White course and one Black course to the opening lines trainer (section "Opening lines trainer"). Review the due lines every day (5 minutes). - **Endgame:** once a week, play a king-and-pawn ending from the Learn hub against the coach. #### How to measure progress - Rapid rating 1000 to 1200 with no question mark. - Puzzle rating 1100 or more. - Review accuracy 70 to 75 percent. - Fewer than two blunders per game in your review. #### Common mistakes at this level - Learning ten openings. Learn one deeply. - Attacking without enough pieces. - Ignoring the endgame. Many games at this level are decided by one pawn. - Playing blitz all day. It builds habits, bad ones too. Slower games teach more. > **Tip:** when you lose, open Game Review (section "Game Review"), tap **Mistake** to jump to your biggest error and ask: which puzzle theme is this? Previous: 400 to 800 (section "400 to 800: first real games"). Next: 1200 to 1600 (section "1200 to 1600: improving player"). ### 1200 to 1600: improving player Deeper openings, combinations, positional ideas, rook and queen endings and honest reviews. (https://chessgm.net/guide#band-1200, open: https://chessgm.net/train/openings) **Who this is for:** you know the standard tactics and openings and want to win more of the equal games. #### Goals - Build a small **repertoire**: one system with White, one defence to 1.e4, one to 1.d4, 12 to 15 moves deep, with the ideas behind it. - Calculate three moves ahead in forcing lines (checks, captures, threats). - Play simple plans: open files for rooks, outposts for knights, a good bishop against a bad one. - Convert a won position and hold a worse one. #### Weekly plan (5 to 7 hours) - **Courses:** *Pawn structure and plans*, *Converting an advantage*, *Forks*, *Pins and skewers*, *Deflection and decoy*, *Sacrifices on the king*, *Defensive moves*, *Quiet moves*, *Endgame 5: Queen endings*, *Endgame 6: Bishops and knights*, *Real-game tactics 5: Attacking the king*, *Real-game tactics 6: Combinations and quiet moves*. - **Puzzles (30 to 40 a day):** mix themes. Try the rated puzzles for your level and your **missed puzzles** queue. Puzzle Rush 5 minutes, three times a week. - **Games (6 to 8 a week):** rapid 15 | 10 as the main diet, a few 30-minute games for thinking. Review all losses and one win. - **Openings:** pick a course in Learn openings (section "Opening lines trainer") and learn it to 12 to 15 moves. Use the opening explorer (section "Opening explorer") to see how strong players handle the positions you reach. - **Study:** one opponent prep (section "Opponent prep") before a match, a tournament or a rematch with a friend. - **Ladder:** climb the chess.com bots (section "Beat the chess.com bots") from about 1200 to 1600 for steady practice. #### How to measure progress - Rapid rating 1400 to 1600. - Puzzle rating 1500 or more, solving at under 30 seconds per puzzle. - Review accuracy 75 to 80 percent. - Fewer blunders after move 15 than in the opening. #### Common mistakes at this level - Memorising lines without understanding the plan. After the book moves you are alone. - Moving too fast when the position becomes complicated. - Trading your good pieces for no reason, or keeping a tension you cannot handle. - Neglecting rook endings. - Using the engine to pick moves instead of to understand them. > **Tip:** write down (in your head) your opponent's plan on each move. If you cannot, slow down. Previous: 800 to 1200 (section "800 to 1200: club beginner"). Next: 1600 to 2000 (section "1600 to 2000: strong club player"). ### 1600 to 2000: strong club player Positional play, calculation, rook endings, time management and a real repertoire. (https://chessgm.net/guide#band-1600, open: https://chessgm.net/train/openings) **Who this is for:** you rarely lose to simple tactics. Your games are decided by plans, endings and the clock. #### Goals - A full, tested **repertoire**: lines you know to move 15 to 20, with the typical plans and pawn structures. - Strong endings: Philidor, Lucena, the opposition, rook against pawn, bishop and knight endings. - Calculate deeply and **verify** before you move. - Manage the clock: use time on critical moves, play the quiet moves fast. #### Weekly plan (7 to 10 hours) - **Courses:** *Endgame 7: The Philidor defence and rook endings*, *Endgame 8: Pawn endings for experts*, *Real-game tactics 7: Calculation and defence*, *Real-game tactics 8: Deep combinations*, *Tactics: Mating patterns II*. - **Puzzles (30 a day):** hard rated puzzles, 15 minutes of Puzzle Rush in survival mode twice a week. Look at the **hardest solved** in your results. - **Games (6 a week):** at least three rapid 15 | 10 or slower, one long game of 30 minutes or more each week. Review every long game deeply. - **Deep review:** run a deep review (section "Game Review") (depth 18) on your best and worst game each week. - **Openings:** extend lines, review due positions daily, study the model games in the explorer (section "Opening explorer") and add **traps** for your repertoire. - **Endgames:** one ending a week, played against the coach until you can win or hold it with the clock running. - **Opponent prep:** use prep (section "Opponent prep") before every important game. - **Ladder:** the chess.com bots (section "Beat the chess.com bots") from 1600 to 2000. #### How to measure progress - Rapid rating 1800 to 2000. - Puzzle rating 1900 or more. - Review accuracy 82 to 88 percent in slow games. - You reach the endgame with more time than your opponent. #### Common mistakes at this level - Playing "safe" and passive: no plan, drifting into a worse position. - Misjudging a pawn structure and trading into a bad ending. - Spending 10 minutes on move 12 and then blitzing the endgame. - Studying only tactics. The next rating gain comes from endings, structure and time. > **Tip:** keep a **mistake list**: one line per game ("missed a fork on move 23", "no plan in a Carlsbad structure"). Before each session, read the last ten lines and train what repeats. Previous: 1200 to 1600 (section "1200 to 1600: improving player"). Next: 2000 to 2400 (section "2000 to 2400: expert to master"). ### 2000 to 2400: expert to master Deep preparation, opponent prep, endgame mastery, calculation and analysing with the engine. (https://chessgm.net/guide#band-2000, open: https://chessgm.net/train/prep) **Who this is for:** you are an expert or national-master level player and want to reach titled strength. #### Goals - A **deep repertoire** with White and Black: 20 moves or more in your main lines, with novelties and answers to sidelines. - **Calculation** you can trust: two or three candidate lines, to the end, with the evaluation. - **Endgame mastery**: most theoretical endings, and the technique to win a pawn up or to hold a pawn down. - Preparation against a specific opponent and training of your own weak spots. #### Weekly plan (10 to 15 hours) - **Courses:** *Endgame 9: Queen against rook, rook against minor piece*, *Real-game tactics 9: Master calculation*, then *Endgame 10* and *Real-game tactics 10* (see 2400 and above (section "2400 to 2600+: titled strength")). - **Openings:** keep a daily lines review (section "Opening lines trainer"). Use the opening explorer (section "Opening explorer") to find where strong players deviate and to prepare an improvement. - **Prep:** before a tournament round, run opponent prep (section "Opponent prep"). Read their openings, their endgame record and their time habits, then prepare 2 to 3 lines. - **Analysis:** analyse every serious game yourself first, without the engine, and then with the analysis board (section "Analysis board") and a deep review (section "Game Review"). Note where your judgement and the engine disagree. - **Calculation:** 30 minutes a day of hard puzzles, with no moving the pieces: calculate the full line, then check. - **Games:** slow games (30 minutes or more) as the main diet. A few blitz games only to relax. - **Ladder:** the strongest chess.com bots (section "Beat the chess.com bots") (2000 to 2500) are a good test of technique. #### How to measure progress - Rapid rating 2200 or more, classical results in real tournaments. - Review accuracy 88 percent or more in slow games. - You win your "won" positions: convert at least nine in ten. - You stay calm in time trouble because you saved time earlier. #### Common mistakes at this level - Preparing deep lines but not understanding the middlegames that come from them. - Over-trusting the engine and missing the human plan. - Tilt: playing the next game right after a loss. - Time management: too much on the opening, too little on the critical moment. > **Tip:** the biggest jumps at this level come from ending technique and from avoiding "one-move" collapses in good positions. Train both on purpose. Previous: 1600 to 2000 (section "1600 to 2000: strong club player"). Next: 2400 and above (section "2400 to 2600+: titled strength"). ### 2400 to 2600+: titled strength Titled-player level: very deep preparation, opponent prep, endgame mastery, calculation, time and engine analysis. (https://chessgm.net/guide#band-2400, open: https://chessgm.net/analysis) **Who this is for:** you play at IM or GM level and want to push toward 2600 and beyond. Be honest with yourself: chessGM ratings are a training measure, not a FIDE rating. At this level the biggest gains come from real tournament play, strong sparring partners and a good coach. chessGM is your **laboratory**: a free, tireless analyst, a bot up to 2600, and a place to store and review your preparation. #### Goals - A repertoire that is **both** deep and flexible: main lines to move 25 or more, surprise weapons, and a plan for every pawn structure. - **Opponent preparation** you can use in the next round, with the likely openings and a concrete novelty. - **Endgame mastery**: the theoretical positions, but also long technical conversions and fortress ideas. - **Calculation**: accurate trees of variations, quiet moves, prophylaxis. - **Time management**: critical moments, not the clock, decide when you spend minutes. - Physical and mental preparation: sleep, breaks, tilt control. #### Weekly plan (15 to 25 hours, in line with tournament play) - **Courses:** finish *Endgame 10: Bishop and knight mate* and *Real-game tactics 10: Grandmaster calculation*. Re-play the hardest lessons without hints. - **Opponent prep:** prep (section "Opponent prep") for every opponent. Add the key lines to your lines trainer (section "Opening lines trainer") so you drill them until they are automatic. - **Engine analysis:** use the analysis board (section "Analysis board") with several lines (multi-PV) and a high depth. Run a deep review (section "Game Review") after every serious game and compare your own evaluation with the engine. - **Training games:** the strongest bots (section "Bots") (the top level is rated 2600) and the 2500 and 3200 bots on the chess.com ladder (section "Beat the chess.com bots") as warm-ups. - **Endgames:** a rook ending or a hard minor-piece ending every day, with the clock on. - **Puzzles:** the hardest rated puzzles and **Puzzle Rush survival** to keep tactics sharp. - **Review rhythm:** a weekly review of your mistake list, grouped by cause (calculation, evaluation, opening, time). #### How to measure progress - Results against stronger opposition in real tournaments (that is the only fully reliable measure). - Deep review accuracy of 90 percent or more in slow games. - Fewer than one serious inaccuracy per game and no blunders. - Your prepared lines come up and you play them fast and correctly. #### Common mistakes at this level - Burnout: too many hours on too many things. Quality of sleep and rest is training too. - Playing "like the engine": choose lines you understand and can handle with a clock. - Never changing your openings, or changing them every month. - Losing the thread in endgames by relying on tablebase-like memory instead of principles. > **Tip:** pick **one** weakness a month (for example "converting a small edge") and attack it from every side: courses, puzzles, bot games and review. Previous: 2000 to 2400 (section "2000 to 2400: expert to master"). ## Every feature, A to Z ### Account Guest, sign-in options, your username, privacy and deleting your account. (https://chessgm.net/guide#account, open: https://chessgm.net/settings) #### Guest or member A guest can play bots, puzzles, courses and games straight away. A member adds: progress on every device, friends and messages, voice chat, comments on reviews, leaderboards and your public profile. #### Signing in Sign in with **Apple**, **Google** or a **username and password**. You can link more than one. The username can be changed (not too often). #### Your data Your games, ratings, puzzle and training progress, friends and messages are kept on the chessGM server. Read the [Privacy policy](https://chessgm.net/privacy) and the [Terms](https://chessgm.net/terms). The contact address is on the About page. #### Delete your account Open **Settings, Account, Delete account**. You confirm with your password, or by typing your username if you signed in with Apple or Google. Deleting is permanent and removes your profile, games and progress. > **Tip:** guests can be deleted too. If you only played as a guest, clearing the site data of the browser also removes everything on this device. ### Analysis board A free board with a strong engine: set up positions, try moves, see the best lines and a rating for each move. (https://chessgm.net/guide#analysis-board, open: https://chessgm.net/analysis) Open **Learn, Analysis board**. It is a free playground that works offline once the engine has loaded. #### What you can do - **Play any moves** for either side. Every move gets a label (Best, Good, Mistake and so on) from the engine. - See the **engine lines**: the best continuations, with the evaluation (positive is better for White). Turn the engine on or off, and raise the depth for a closer look. - **Load** a position (FEN), a game (PGN) or a chess.com game link. - Go back and forth, make **variations** and keep the tree. - **Practise this position** against the coach from any point. - Draw arrows and circles to mark ideas. #### How to use it well 1. Think first, then check. Write down the moves you want to look at before you turn on the engine. 2. Ask the engine "why not?" for the moves you rejected. 3. Use it for **your own opening ideas**: try a new line, see the evaluation, then add it to the lines trainer (section "Opening lines trainer"). > **Tip:** at higher levels the engine shows what works. Understanding **why** is your job: always write down a plan in words. Related: Game Review (section "Game Review"). ### Beat the chess.com bots A guide to each chess.com computer bot and a practice partner of the same strength on chessGM. (https://chessgm.net/guide#chesscom-ladder, open: https://chessgm.net/train/chesscom-bots) Climbing the computer bots on chess.com? Open **Learn, Beat the chess.com bots**. It is a ladder from about 250 up to 3200: one rung per well-known bot, with a guide to each. #### What each rung gives you - How the bot plays and what beats it. - A **practice partner** on chessGM of the same strength and style, to train before you try the real one. - Openings to use against it, linked to the opening courses. - Your own games against it: paste a game to get a review (section "Game Review") and **puzzles from your mistakes**. #### How to use it 1. Find the rung just above where you are stuck. 2. Read the guide and play the practice partner two or three times. 3. Go to chess.com and try the bot. Paste the game back into chessGM to review it. chessGM never uses chess.com's pictures or text and never asks for your chess.com password. Only public games are read. chessGM is not affiliated with Chess.com; bot names and ratings are theirs. > **Tip:** a 1600 bot is not a 1600 human. Bots play unusually and fall for traps. Learn their weaknesses, then use the same lessons against people. ### Bots Computer opponents from beginner to master, with personalities and levels you can trust. (https://chessgm.net/guide#bots, open: https://chessgm.net/bots) Open **Play, Play bots**. Every bot has a name, a face and a rating from beginner up to 2600+ (engine level 1 to 10). #### Choose a bot - Use the **level filter**: Beginner, Casual, Intermediate, Advanced, Master. - The **Recommended** row picks bots a little above your rating: that is where you learn the most. - Characters play with a style (attacking, solid, trading, tricky). **Famous players** use their real ratings and openings. - Open a bot's profile to read how it plays, its favourite openings and its record against you. #### During a game - Bots reply at a human pace: they think longer in hard positions. - A bot may **resign** or accept a draw when it makes sense. - Pick a **help mode** before your first move: **Assisted** (hints, evaluation bar, threat arrows, move ratings and unlimited takebacks), **Friendly** (no bar or arrows, takebacks allowed, the bot goes a little easy) or **Challenge** (a real game: a clock, no help, no takebacks, the bot at full strength). - Games against bots count in your bot record and your review library, and can be reviewed like any other game. - Bots have **practice partner** versions for each chess.com bot (ladder (section "Beat the chess.com bots")). #### Good habits - When you win three in a row, move up one bot. - When you lose three in a row, review, then go down one bot. - Try the same bot again after you learn something. Beating the same opponent is a clean test. > **Tip:** bot games work offline, so they are perfect for a train or a flight. Credits for bot photos and characters: [About chessGM](https://chessgm.net/about-app) and [Credits](https://chessgm.net/about/credits). ### Challenges and friends Play a friend by link, add friends, send messages and play on one phone. (https://chessgm.net/guide#challenges, open: https://chessgm.net/?friend=1) #### Play a friend On the Play card choose **Play a friend**. chessGM makes a **link**. Send it by any chat app. When your friend opens it, the game starts. Choose the time and colour first. If you are sitting together, choose **2 players, one device** (a local game): two players, one screen. #### Friends and messages Members can send friend requests from a profile, accept requests and send messages. Open **More, Friends** and **More, Inbox**. Friends are listed with their status so you can challenge them in one tap. #### Privacy You can block a player and choose who can message you in the settings. A blocked player cannot challenge or message you. > **Tip:** a friendly game is a great way to try something new: a gambit, a new opening, a speed you do not usually play. Related: Voice chat and calls (section "Voice chat and calls"). ### Coach mode Play with a spoken coach (our chess engine plus explanation rules, not a chatbot) that speaks after each move. Talk your moves if you like. (https://chessgm.net/guide#coach, open: https://chessgm.net/train/coach) Open **Play, Play with coach**. You play a bot, and the coach talks to you after each move: what was good, what to watch, and why. #### What the coach does - Comments after your moves and the bot's replies, in simple words. - Warns you about threats and shows hints when you ask. - Speaks aloud in the **coach language** you chose (English, Bangla or Hindi), with a male or female voice. - Understands **spoken moves** if your device supports voice input: say your move, for example "knight f3". - Can start from a **course position** or from any position you want to practise. In Game Review (section "Game Review") tap **Practice** to replay a critical moment against the coach. #### How to use it 1. Choose a bot slightly above your level. 2. Keep the volume low and the comments on, and answer the coach's questions in your head before you move. 3. After the game, open the review. #### Settings Voice, speed and language are in Settings (section "Settings"). English voices need no download. Other voices download when you choose them (Wi-Fi recommended). > **Tip:** the coach is best for learning an opening or an ending. Choose the course and play it out. ### Courses and lessons Step-by-step courses from "how the pieces move" to master-level calculation, with a rating for each. (https://chessgm.net/guide#courses, open: https://chessgm.net/train/courses) Open **Learn, Courses**. Each course has short lessons with a board, explanations, exercises and a short quiz. Finish a course to earn a training (course) rating. #### How the courses are organised - By **level**: New to chess, Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert. Your level is picked from your rating and shown first as **Recommended for you**. - By **track**: Basics, Tactics, Checkmates, Middlegame, Endgame, Thinking and plans, Practice drills. - Each course lists its target rating (for example *The chessboard* about 100, *Basic checkmates* about 550, *Forks* about 1300, *Endgame 10* about 2400). #### Examples, from first move to grandmaster - **Basics (100 to 450):** The chessboard, How the pieces move, Capturing pieces, Check, checkmate and stalemate, Castling, promotion and en passant, Piece values and good trades. - **Beginner ladder, new steps (320 and 600):** Safe pieces: protect, escape and check, and Stalemate and other draws. - **Practice drills (400 to 1000):** Castling and en passant drills, Checkmate patterns practice, Rook endgames essentials. - **Beginner ladder, next steps (680 to 760):** Scholar's mate and quick traps, The blunder check, Your first repertoire. - **Thinking and plans (800 to 1300):** How to choose a move, Pawn structure and plans, Converting an advantage. - **Tactics (700 to 1400):** Mating patterns I and II, Back-rank mates, Discovered attacks, Forks, Pins and skewers, Deflection and decoy, Sacrifices on the king, Defensive moves, Quiet moves. - **Middlegame (600 to 2400):** Real-game tactics 1 to 10, from free pieces to grandmaster calculation. - **Endgame (600 to 2400):** Endgame 1 to 10, from basic mates to bishop and knight mate, plus Endgame fundamentals. - **Openings:** Opening principles, then opening courses such as the Italian Game, the Two Knights Defence and the Petroff Defence (and the lines trainer: see Opening lines (section "Opening lines trainer")). #### Tips for taking a course - Do not skip the exercises. Try each one **before** you press hint. - A mistake in a lesson goes into the course **review** queue and returns later. - Take one lesson, then one puzzle set on the same theme. > **Tip:** the course rating is a training measure. Your **real** progress is in your games. ### Daily puzzle One puzzle a day, the same for everyone. A streak of a minute that keeps your eye sharp. (https://chessgm.net/guide#daily-puzzle, open: https://chessgm.net/puzzles/daily) Open **Puzzles, Daily puzzle**. Every day brings a new position. It is the same for everyone, so you can compare answers with friends. #### How it works - Find the best move. If you solve it, your streak grows. - The first puzzle of the day is a good warm-up before your games. - If you miss it, the solution is shown and you can try the position on the analysis board (section "Analysis board"). > **Tip:** do it at the same time every day, for example with your coffee. A daily streak builds the habit better than long weekend sessions. Related: Puzzles (section "Puzzles"), Puzzle Rush (section "Puzzle Rush"). ### Game Review The computer walks you through every move: accuracy, labels with icons, key moments, the line and a deep review. (https://chessgm.net/guide#game-review, open: https://chessgm.net/analyze) Game Review is free and unlimited. Open it from the end of any game, or from **Learn, Game Review**. You can also review games from chess.com (a link, a username or a PGN). #### What you see - **Accuracy** for both players and an estimate of the rating each side **played like**. - A **graph** of the evaluation through the game. Spikes are where it changed. - **Move labels with icons**: Brilliant (!!), Great (!), Best (star), Excellent, Good, Book (opening theory), Inaccuracy (?!), Mistake (?), Miss (X) and Blunder (??). The same icons appear in the move list, on the board and in the coach. - A **comment** on each move in simple words: what it did, what was better and why. - **Key moments**: the turning points, with the win-chance change. #### Moving through the review - **Forward** and back through the moves. - **Best** shows the best move in the current position. - **Mistake** jumps to your next mistake. - **See the line** on a comment shows the continuation the engine saw, so you can watch what would have happened. - **Practice** replays the position against the coach. - **Analyze from here** opens the position on the analysis board (section "Analysis board"). #### Quick review and deep review A normal review runs in your browser in seconds. **Deep review** searches every move deeper (depth 18), closer to the strongest engines. It takes a few minutes and runs on the chessGM server, so you can keep using the app. A few deep reviews are free each day and you can get more with a rewarded ad (Rewarded ads (section "Rewarded ads and free daily limits")). #### Reviewing chess.com games Open **Review your games**: type your chess.com username to see your recent games, paste one game link or paste a PGN (any site). You can save a username as your chess.com account. #### Review like a coach 1. Look at the **key moments** first, not every move. 2. For each, guess the better move before you read the comment. 3. Name the **cause**: calculation, missed threat, opening, time. Put it on your mistake list. 4. Play the same position against the coach, or solve a puzzle on the theme. > **Tip:** an accuracy of 80 percent in a slow game is good at 1600. Compare yourself with last month, not with the world champion. ### Learn hub One place for lessons, openings, puzzles by theme and your games. (https://chessgm.net/guide#learn-hub, open: https://chessgm.net/train) Open the **Learn** tab. It is the home of everything that makes you better. #### What you find - **Game Review** and the **Analysis board** at the top, because your own games are the best material. - **Courses** and **Learn openings**, with the lines to review today (a badge shows how many are due). - **Opening explorer** for statistics and ideas. - **Opponent prep** and **Beat the chess.com bots**. - **Puzzles by theme**: forks, pins, mates and more, at your level. - **Play with coach**. #### A simple daily visit 1. Check the review badge and do your due lines (3 to 5 minutes). 2. Take one lesson. 3. Do a few puzzles. > **Tip:** the Learn hub is also where you find what is next. If you do not know what to study, take the lesson the hub recommends. ### Notifications Choose what may ping you: your move, challenges, messages and gentle reminders. (https://chessgm.net/guide#notifications, open: https://chessgm.net/settings) Notifications come with the chessGM app on Android and iPhone. Open **Settings, Notifications**. #### What you can choose - **Your move:** in games of 15 minutes or longer, when you are away from the board. - **Challenges:** when someone challenges you or your game starts. - **Messages** and **friend requests**. - **Review reminders:** when opening lines are due and you have not played that day. - **Learning tips:** an occasional suggestion for what to study. Your choices are saved even if the phone's permission is off. If the phone blocks chessGM, allow it in the phone's own settings and come back. > **Tip:** turn off learning tips and review reminders if they feel like too much. Keep **Your move** on for long games. ### Offline use Bots, puzzles, the analysis board and the guide work without internet once they are saved. (https://chessgm.net/guide#offline, open: https://chessgm.net/settings) chessGM keeps what it needs on your device so you can train on a plane or a bus. #### What works offline - **Bots**, **coach mode** and **local games** on one device. - **Puzzles**: a pack of puzzles saved on the device. Your results sync when you are back online. - The **analysis board** and its engine. - **This guide** (the text; screenshots appear when they have been loaded once). - Voices you downloaded. #### What needs the internet Live games against people, friends and messages, the chess.com features, opponent prep, the leaderboards, and deep reviews. #### How to get ready Open **Settings, Offline**. Download the puzzle pack and the voices you like on Wi-Fi. The installed app also keeps its own files. > **Tip:** do it once a week on Wi-Fi: open the app and the Offline settings so the puzzle pack is fresh. ### Opening explorer See what players actually play in any position, with results, to choose your moves. (https://chessgm.net/guide#opening-explorer, open: https://chessgm.net/train/openings/explorer) Open **Learn, Opening explorer**. Play moves on the board and see the statistics for each position: how often each move is played and how it scores. #### How to use it - Find out what to expect against a move you do not know. - Choose the moves that score well for your side and that you understand. - See the **opening name** and families as you go. - Spot a good line for your repertoire and add it to the lines trainer (section "Opening lines trainer"). #### Tips - Look at games of players around your own rating for practical lines, and at stronger players for ideas. - A line that wins often at 1000 can fail at 2000. Rely on understanding, not only on percentages. > **Tip:** use the explorer after a game: where did you leave the book? What did your opponent play instead? ### Opening lines trainer Learn openings with explained moves, drill them with spaced repetition and never forget them. (https://chessgm.net/guide#opening-lines, open: https://chessgm.net/train/openings) Open **Learn, Learn openings**. Each opening course (the Italian Game, the Sicilian Najdorf, the Queen's Gambit, the London System and many more) has lines with an explanation for every move, traps and quizzes. #### Learn a line - Open a course and walk through a line. Every move has a short explanation, in your language. - Take the **quiz** to check you understand the ideas. - Add the lines you want to **your trainer**. #### Drill and review - **Drill** plays the line against you: you must find your moves. - The trainer uses **spaced repetition**: lines you know well come back less often, lines you forget come back soon. A badge on the Learn tab shows how many are due. - **Review** the due lines every day. Five minutes keeps a whole repertoire alive. #### Build a repertoire 1. One setup with White, one defence to 1.e4, one defence to 1.d4. 2. Only add a new course when your due list is empty. 3. Use the explorer (section "Opening explorer") and the analysis board (section "Analysis board") to understand the plans after the book ends. > **Tip:** a missed move in a drill is not a failure, it is the point. Look at the explanation, play it again. ### Opponent prep Learn how to defeat your opponent: a plan built from their recent games. (https://chessgm.net/guide#opponent-prep, open: https://chessgm.net/train/prep) Open **Learn, Beat an opponent**. Enter a chess.com username. chessGM studies their recent public games (and yours if you add your name), finds their strengths and weak spots, and builds a **training plan** to beat them. It reads chess.com's public data API only, and chessGM is not affiliated with Chess.com. #### What you get - Their favourite openings as White and Black, and how they score. - Typical mistakes, the phases where they struggle and their time habits. - How their openings meet yours. - A **plan with steps**: lines to study, puzzles from their typical positions and games to learn from. #### Use it for - A tournament round, a match against a friend, a club rival. - Learning from a stronger player: study their style. - Preparing a game on chess.com against a specific opponent. Only public games are used. Choose which speeds to study (blitz, rapid, bullet, or all). > **Tip:** do not prepare more than you can remember. Two or three concrete ideas beat a list of twenty. ### Play Quick pairing, time controls, rated or casual, clocks, premoves, draws and takebacks. (https://chessgm.net/guide#play, open: https://chessgm.net/) The **Play** card on the home screen is the fastest way to a game. #### Time controls Nine quick choices, grouped by speed and written the chess.com way: - **Bullet:** 1 min, 2 | 1. - **Blitz:** 3 min, 3 | 2, 5 min. - **Rapid:** 10 min, 10 | 5, 15 | 10. - **Classical:** 30 min. "3 | 2" means 3 minutes plus 2 seconds added after each move. Ratings are kept **per category** (bullet, blitz, rapid, classical). #### Rated or casual, and game modes - **Rated** games change your rating. Casual games do not. - **Standard** starts from the normal position. **Middlegame** and **Endgame** modes start from a balanced position picked for your rating, so you practise exactly those phases (casual games). - In a friend challenge you can also start from a **custom position**, for practice. #### In the game - **Clocks** at both ends. Tenths of a second show when time is low (optional). - **Premoves:** make your move before your opponent's reply is shown. You can queue several and cancel with a click (see Settings (section "Settings")). - **Draw offers:** offer a draw from the menu. Your opponent can accept or decline. Draws are also automatic by repetition, the fifty-move rule and insufficient material. - **Resign** asks for a confirmation (you can turn the confirmation off). - **Takeback:** in games against a bot you can take moves back in **Assisted** and **Friendly** modes (see Bots (section "Bots")). Games against people have no takebacks. - **Abandoned games:** a game keeps its clock if you leave. Come back from the **Play** tab. #### After the game Rematch, review or return to the lobby. **Review** is the best next step. > **Tip:** choose the time that lets you think. At 800 to 1600 a 10 | 5 or 15 | 10 game is the best classroom. ### Profile and ratings Your public page, ratings per category (Glicko), puzzle and course ratings, and how to read them. (https://chessgm.net/guide#profile-ratings, open: https://chessgm.net/players) Open your profile from **More, Players** or your name. It shows your rating in each category, your games, your puzzle rating and your badges. Other players see the same page. #### The ratings - **Bullet, Blitz, Rapid and Classical.** Chess ratings use the Glicko system. It estimates your strength and its own uncertainty (**rating deviation**). A rating with a question mark is provisional: the uncertainty is still high. - **Puzzle rating.** Rises when you solve puzzles above your level, falls when you miss easy ones. - **Course (training) rating.** What you earn by finishing courses. - **Rush best.** Your best Puzzle Rush score (Puzzle Rush (section "Puzzle Rush")). #### Read the numbers - Compare **yourself with yourself**: last month versus this month. - Do not compare a puzzle rating with a game rating. Puzzles are easier than games at the same number. - Ratings in one site are not the same as another. If you connect chess.com, chessGM starts you at similar ratings. #### Find players **Players** lets you search by name and open anyone's profile, add a friend or challenge them. > **Tip:** you set your own country flag and short bio. Be kind in your bio. Reports and blocks are in the profile menu. ### Puzzle Rush Solve as many puzzles as you can. Three modes, three misses, and a leaderboard. (https://chessgm.net/guide#puzzle-rush, open: https://chessgm.net/puzzles/rush) Open **Puzzles, Puzzle Rush**. Puzzles get harder with every one. #### Modes - **3 min:** three minutes on the clock. - **5 min:** five minutes on the clock. - **Survival:** no clock. How far can you go? #### Rules - **Three misses** and the run is over (three lives). - A correct answer is **+1**. Mistakes take a life. - When you run out of lives you can **watch a rewarded ad for one more life** to carry on (app only). - At the end you see your score, your **personal best** and the **hardest puzzle you solved**. Missed puzzles join your review queue. - There is a **leaderboard** (today, this week and more). Guests are not on the leaderboards. #### Rush Battle **Puzzles, Rush Battle**: race other players through the same puzzles for three minutes. The highest score wins. #### Why it works Rush trains the speed of seeing patterns. Do it for 10 minutes a day on top of normal puzzles, not instead of them. > **Tip:** if you keep missing, slow down: a clean run of 20 beats a rushed run of 12. ### Puzzles Rated puzzles, themes, hints, Next and Skip, and a queue of your mistakes. (https://chessgm.net/guide#puzzles, open: https://chessgm.net/puzzles) Open the **Puzzles** tab. Puzzles are the fastest way to learn tactics. #### Rated puzzles - A new puzzle is picked at about your **puzzle rating**. Find the best move, then the replies, until the puzzle is solved. - Solve it and your puzzle rating goes up. Miss it and it goes down a little. - **Hint:** tap for a hint on the piece or the idea. A few hints are free every day and you can get more with a rewarded ad (Rewarded ads (section "Rewarded ads and free daily limits")). - **Next** brings a new puzzle. **Skip** drops a hard one without penalty. #### Themes Open **Puzzles, Themes** to train one idea: forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks, back-rank mates, deflection, sacrifices, endgames, mates in 1, 2 and 3, and more. #### Missed puzzles A puzzle you miss goes into your **review queue** and comes back later. Fixing old mistakes is the fastest way to remove them. #### How to train - 15 to 30 puzzles a day beat 200 once a week. - Solve it in your head before you move the pieces. Calculate the whole line. - After a game, train the theme of your biggest mistake. > **Tip:** the same puzzle in the review queue? That is a pattern you do not own yet. Look at it as a lesson, not as a failure. Related: Daily puzzle (section "Daily puzzle"), Puzzle Rush (section "Puzzle Rush"). ### Rewarded ads and free daily limits chessGM is free. A few things have a daily free amount, and in the app an ad gives one more. (https://chessgm.net/guide#rewarded-ads) chessGM is free and supported by ads. Game Review is **unlimited**, bots are unlimited, and almost everything has no limit. A few things that cost us real server time have a free amount each day: - **Puzzle hints** - **Deep reviews** (depth 18, on the server) - **Direct voice calls** - **Voice chat** in live games - **An extra life** in Puzzle Rush (no free ones, an ad gives one) #### How it works - When you reach the limit you see a short note ("Today's free hints are used up. More free ones tomorrow."). - In the app you can tap **Watch an ad for 1 more**. After the ad you get one more, right away. The limit resets every day. - Everyone gets the same free amount. New players have an **ad-free start** with no limits for a short time. - Menu pages show a small card labelled "Ad ยท keeps chessGM free". Ads never cover a board during a game. #### Privacy On iPhone the app asks permission before tracking, and works fine if you say no. > **Tip:** the daily limit is small on purpose: the best use is three good deep reviews a week, not ten rushed ones. ### Settings Board, pieces, coordinates, animation, move labels, sound, voice, language and your level. (https://chessgm.net/guide#settings, open: https://chessgm.net/settings) Open **More, Settings**. #### Sections - **Language:** app language and coach voice language (Start here (section "Settings basics")). - **Board and game:** pieces and colours, coordinates, animation speed, last-move highlight, legal-move dots, click or drag, auto-queen, confirm resign, premove options, clock tenths, **move labels**, and **drawing** arrows. - **Assist:** optional help on the board in some modes: suggestions, threats and the evaluation. You choose when it shows. - **Sound, haptics and voice:** move sounds, volume, coach voice (male, female, speed, test), voice moves. - **Your chess level:** change your starting level. - **Notifications, Offline, chess.com, Account.** - **App:** install, connection check and credits. #### Move labels With **Move labels** on, every move in games and analysis shows its quality icon (Brilliant, Great, Best, Excellent, Good, Book, Inaccuracy, Mistake, Miss, Blunder). > **Tip:** if the board feels slow, set the animation to **fast** and turn off effects. If you mis-click, turn on **confirm resign** and use **drag only**. ### Troubleshooting Fix a stuck board, no sound, missing voices, a slow engine, a failed deep review and more. (https://chessgm.net/guide#troubleshooting) #### I cannot connect, or the app says offline Open **Settings, App, Connection check**. It tests the connection to chessGM and tells you what fails. Offline, many things still work (Offline use (section "Offline use")). #### The board or buttons look wrong after an update Close and reopen the app. If a message says a new version is available, tap **Reload**. #### No sound Check the volume and the **Move sounds** setting. On iPhone check the silent switch. Voices need the device to have a speech voice installed. #### The coach does not speak Pick another voice or language in Settings (section "Settings"). English voices work without a download; others download when you choose them. If your browser cannot speak, use the app or Chrome, Edge or Safari. #### The engine is slow or stuck The analysis engine runs on your device. Close other tabs and apps. On an old phone lower the depth. #### A deep review failed Try again later. Deep reviews run on the server and can queue when many people use it. If it fails twice, use the normal review. #### My puzzle or game progress is missing You may be signed in on another account, or you were a guest and cleared the browser data. Sign in on the account you used, or make an account so progress moves with you (Account (section "Account")). #### My game did not start If a friend's link says the game is full or ended, ask for a new link. If matchmaking waits, pick a different time control: faster ones find an opponent quickest. #### Report a problem Write to the contact address on the About page and say the device, the app version and what you tapped. ### Voice chat and calls Talk with your opponent or a friend during a game. (https://chessgm.net/guide#voice-chat) #### Voice chat in a game In a live game with another signed-in player, tap the **microphone** to turn voice chat on. Both players must agree. #### Direct calls Open a conversation in **More, Inbox** and tap the **phone** icon to start a **voice call**. The other person gets a call screen and can accept or decline. #### Rules and limits - Voice chat is for **signed-in players**. It is off when your opponent is a guest, or when one of you blocked the other, or when someone's message settings do not allow it. - A few voice chats and calls are free each day. Watch a rewarded ad for one more (Rewarded ads (section "Rewarded ads and free daily limits")). - Be kind. Reports and blocks work in voice too. #### Tips - Use headphones to avoid echo. - Mute when you think. - If the sound is bad, check your connection (Troubleshooting (section "Troubleshooting")). > **Tip:** voice chat is best with friends: say what you are planning while you play. ### Watch games See live games in real time, highest rated first. (https://chessgm.net/guide#watch, open: https://chessgm.net/watch) Open the **Watch** tab. The list shows live games, highest rated first, and updates in real time. #### What you can do - Tap a game to **watch it move by move**. - See both ratings and clocks. - Learn from stronger players: pick a game above your level and **guess the next move** before it is played. > **Tip:** when a game is over, open it in the analysis board (section "Analysis board") and look for the turning point. ## Glossary and FAQ ### Glossary Chess and chessGM words in plain language. (https://chessgm.net/guide#glossary) - **Accuracy:** a score from 0 to 100 for how close your moves were to the engine's best moves. - **Analysis board:** a free board with an engine to try moves and see the best lines. - **Back-rank mate:** checkmate on the first rank when the king is trapped behind its own pawns. - **Blunder:** a very bad move that loses a lot (for example a piece or the game). - **Book move:** a move that is known opening theory. - **Bullet, Blitz, Rapid, Classical:** time categories, from the fastest to the slowest. - **Castling:** a special move that tucks the king away and brings a rook into play. - **Check:** the king is attacked. You must answer it. - **Checkmate:** the king is attacked and there is no escape. The game is over. - **Course rating:** a training rating you earn in courses. - **Deep review:** a game review with a deeper search (depth 18). - **Developing:** moving pieces off their starting squares toward the centre. - **Discovered attack:** a piece moves and unmasks an attack by another piece behind it. - **Draw:** the game ends in a tie (agreement, repetition, stalemate, fifty moves, insufficient material). - **Elo / rating:** a number for playing strength. chessGM uses Glicko. - **En passant:** a special pawn capture "in passing". - **Endgame:** the last phase of the game, with few pieces. - **Evaluation:** the engine's number for who is better, in pawns. +1.0 is about one pawn better for White. - **FEN:** a text line that describes a position. - **Fork:** one piece attacks two or more at once. - **Gambit:** an opening that gives a pawn for an attack or lead in development. - **Increment:** extra seconds added after each move. - **Key moment:** a turning point in a game, shown in the review. - **Middlegame:** the phase between the opening and the endgame. - **Opposition:** a king-and-pawn idea: kings facing each other with one square between. - **Pin:** a piece cannot move because a more valuable piece (or the king) is behind it. - **PGN:** a text format for a whole game. - **Premove:** a move you make in advance, played at once when it is your turn. - **Promotion:** a pawn reaches the last rank and becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight. - **Provisional rating:** a rating shown with "?" because it is still settling. - **Repertoire:** the openings you play as White and Black. - **Skewer:** an attack on a valuable piece that must move, exposing a piece behind it. - **Spaced repetition:** reviewing something just before you would forget it. The lines trainer does it for you. - **Stalemate:** the player to move has no legal move but is not in check. It is a draw. - **Tempo:** a move, or the time you gain by making a useful one. - **Zugzwang:** every move makes your position worse, but you must move. ### FAQ Short answers to the questions players ask most. (https://chessgm.net/guide#faq) #### Is chessGM really free? Yes. Games, bots, puzzles, courses, openings and unlimited Game Review are free. We show ads to keep it free. A few things have a daily free amount (see Rewarded ads (section "Rewarded ads and free daily limits")). #### Do I need an account? No. Guests can play and train. An account keeps your progress on all your devices, and unlocks friends, voice chat and leaderboards. #### How is my rating calculated? Glicko, per time category. New ratings are provisional (shown with "?") and move quickly until they settle. #### Can I go from zero to 2600? chessGM gives you a path: courses, bots up to 2600, puzzles, an engine and a coach. How far you get depends on time, practice and real games with strong opponents. See The path (section "0 to 400: the very beginning"). Most players reach 1600 or 1800 with steady work, and titled strength needs years and tournaments. #### How many hours should I study? Start with 20 to 30 minutes a day. The weekly plans in each band give the hours. #### What language does the coach speak? English, Bangla and Hindi. Choose in Settings (section "Settings basics"): the app language and the coach language are separate. #### Is my chess.com password safe? chessGM never asks for it. It reads public information (your public profile and games). #### Why does my rating have a question mark? It is provisional. A few more games and it settles. #### Why was my move labelled a mistake? The engine found a clearly better move. Open the review, tap the comment and **See the line**. #### How do I report a bug or a cheater? Use the report option on the profile or the game, or write to the contact address on the About page. #### How do I delete my account? **Settings, Account, Delete account** (Account (section "Account")). #### Where is the guide for AI assistants? AI assistants can read a short guide at https://chessgm.net/llms-full.txt to help you learn chess for free with chessGM.