Chess is that game that we all watch being played with fascination, secretly jealous that we have no idea what’s going on.
Chess is governed by the United States Chess Federation. It was founded in 1939.
Well, if you want to make the leap into learning chess but have no idea how then trying an online course might be the way to go.
Online chess courses are actually one of the best methods of learning this laidback, cerebral game.
They will help you to employ some of the most basic strategic thinking, teach you some of the rules, and give you examples of some moves executed in great chess matches.
But where can you find these courses? Luckily, there are hundreds online that can offer you different things. We’ve whittled them down to the best 15, each one offering various skills and techniques for different levels of playing.
So, what are you waiting for, read these 15 best chess courses you can try today and make your first move!
15 Best Online Chess Courses
1. Complete Chess Course
If you are starting to play chess online, then you’ll want to go from the very beginning. This online chess course covers it all, from the fundamental moves, how to approach the beginning, middle, and end game, and practical applications of chess theory.
This comes with easy-to-understand tutorials that will break down this often-complicated game into a series of understandable, bite-sized chunks.
This comes with 2 hours of video, lifetimes access to the course, and the ability to watch on your mobile or tablet.
2. Chess Strategies: Learn Geometrical Tactical Chess Maneuvers
How can you communicate your king with your pawn, even if they are on other sides of the board? Well, this course will teach you how to do that. It looks at various moves from a geometric standpoint, which is the underlying governing principle of chess.
This analyses certain chess puzzles, breaking them down with videos and course materials, which will help you understand a lot of the most popular moves.
This is ideal for anyone who considers themselves a beginner and wants to improve their game radically.
3. The Complete Guide to Attacking Chess
Chess is much the same as a lot of other two-on-two games, it’s all about attacking and defending. This course is dedicated to the former.
It will teach you the popular rules of attacking and how to exploit openings in your opponent’s defense.
With a whopping 30+ hours, of course, videos and even more course materials for you to download, it is hard to see how your game won’t be noticeably improved after you have completed this course – and you will get a certificate at the end to prove it.
4. Complete Chess Grandmaster Technique
If you are looking to improve your chess game, then why not learn from the best chess master? This course will stop you from making common errors that a lot of rookies make in the game, sharpening your game and allowing you to be more focused during your attacks and defense.
Because chess grandmaster way is all about psychology and if you can get a handle on that then your chess game will be noticeably improved.
This course has some amazing videos that will break down most of the moves and mentality of the masters.
5. Chess Bootcamp: Tactics
There are plenty of different moves in chess and it is worth mastering them to get a handle on your game. Whether it is a stalemate, checkmate, double-checks, pins, x-ray attacks or windmills, you’ll learn how to become a master chess tactician.
This comes with videos and quizzes that will really test your knowledge no matter what level you’re at. This is great for developing your game and actually implementing the knowledge that you’ve learned.
This comes with 17 downloadable course resources that will help you gain great insight into chess at any level.
6. The Complete Chess Tactics Bootcamp
Learning some of the more common tactics will certainly be helpful in chess, although having knowledge of some of the lesser-known ones will be crucial in gaining some advantage over your opponent.
This course will teach you how to get out of a tricky chess deadlock and what are the best chess combinations in chess training which will help you to learn the tactics of advanced chess players.
This is taught by an expert chess player who aims to teach you all the right tricks for getting out of a corner. This comes with nearly 5 hours of video and plenty of downloadable materials. Once you have signed up for this course, then you get lifetime access.
7. Chess For Everyone!
If you are determined to become a good chess player or are a good chess player and you really want to become a better chess player, then this is the course for you.
This starts with the basics and helps you to progress right the way through to the endgame, including how to enforce a checkmate.
This has around 3 hours of video lessons for intermediate chess players, which will help walk you through some of the basic moves in bite-sized chunks. You can access this course on your mobile or tablet.
Once you have signed up, you can also access this for life, which is great if you need to brush up on your chess knowledge and chess skills at a later date.
8. Chess Bootcamp: Strategy
Strategy is one of the important chess lessons that you must learn chess, whether it is how to set up your pawns and how to position them perfectly for an attack, you’ll need to know how to think a few moves ahead.
Luckily, this course teaches you a lot about chess tactics.
This comes with 7 hours of video, which will help to teach you how to ‘read’ chess moves and how to position your pawns in response to attacks. This covers Steinitz rules, prophylaxes, and other complex moves that are designed for intermediate and advanced players.
9. Chess Strategies: Learn Attacking Tactical Chess Maneuvers
This is another chess course that covers attacking instead of defense, teaching you how to get the moves just right, as well as spotting weaknesses in your opponent’s defense.
This is broken down into 5 different areas, analyzing certain puzzles to give you more of a concrete demonstration of certain tactics.
This comes with lots of great ratings from chess students, with lots of comments saying how much this course improved their tactical game and how easy the course was to understand overall.
This comes with hours of video and downloadable course materials that discuss starting positions and aggressive endgame tactics.
10. Chess Bootcamp: Endgame
When it comes to those closing moments of the game, you’ll want to keep your wits about you and have the perfect strategy to terminate the game.
This course outlines 50 endgame strategies along with 10 endgame drills that will help you during your final performance.
This comes with 5 hours of video that will teach you how to approach endgames with your rook or your pawns and make sure that the dying minutes of your chess game is anything but boring.
You’ll be able to access this course any time you like, whether it is on your mobile or tablet device.
11. Chess; Deadly Opening Trap
Getting your opponent in a trap is one of the most important tactics that you’ll need to master if you are to gain an advantage in the chess world.
This course also covers historical chess openings in matches, breaking down each move and why it was performed.
12. Chess for beginners: Practical course
This course is very useful as it does not require any preexisting knowledge of chess to get started. This will teach you some practices that you can do in the middlegames as well as how to strike in the endgame.
This weighs more on the side of practice than theory.
13. Defensive Techniques in Chess
As well as the attacking strategy, you’ll need a good defense in chess. This will help beginners to keep their heads when they are being hemmed in by their opponent, giving you tactics to be able to slip out of their grasp.
14. Chess Strategies: How To Play Rook Endgames
The stats that over half of all chess matches end in rook endgames. This is why it is important to master the rook and how to move it during these pivotal final moments of your match.
This covers different motifs such as how to press a passed pawn and how you can control the rook effectively toward the end of the match.
15. A Fun Lovers Guide to the Major Chess Openings
Finally, we have an approach to chess that doesn’t take the game too seriously, because at the end of the day, it’s about having fun, right?
This will help you identify the personality of different styles of opening as well as how to spot connections at various stages of the game. This comes with hours of course materials and a friendly instructor.
Conclusion
If you have had a look at some of these courses, then suddenly chess might not seem so daunting. No matter what skill level you happen to be at, you can find something that will suit your playing chess style and ability.
Just remember to read the course synopsis before signing up.