Beginner chess course in Surat
The beginner course takes a child who may never have touched a chessboard and leaves them able to play a full, legal game with intent — recording their moves, spotting checkmate, and defending a piece under attack. Three levels, each with its own workbook, taught over the board in Vesu, Surat.
What the beginner course covers
Every topic below is taught in class, with its own workbook and puzzle sheets. A student moves to the next level when the material is genuinely understood — not when the term ends. This course is part of the shared Knight, Rook and Queen class (your plan only decides how often you come), taught by head coach Rushi Shah at the club in Vesu.
Foundation 1 — The board, the pieces, and the first rules of the game
Topics covered
- ◆The board and the pieces
- ◆How each piece moves
- ◆Attacking and capturing
- ◆The pawn — moves, captures and promotion
- ◆Defending a threatened piece
- ◆Check, and getting out of check
By the end of Foundation 1 a student can
- ✓Set the board up correctly, every time
- ✓Move every piece with confidence
- ✓Spot the moment the king is in check
Foundation 2 — Checkmate, castling, and the difference between a win and a draw
Topics covered
- ◆Checkmate — what it is and how to see it
- ◆Mate in one
- ◆Creating mate
- ◆Castling
- ◆The exchange
- ◆The profitable exchange
- ◆Winning material
- ◆Draws
- ◆Stalemate
- ◆Mating with the queen
By the end of Foundation 2 a student can
- ✓Deliver checkmate in one move, confidently
- ✓Castle early to keep the king safe
- ✓Judge when to exchange pieces — and when not to
- ✓Recognise a draw, and avoid stalemate when winning
Foundation 3 — Notation, the double attack, and the first real tactics
Topics covered
- ◆Files, ranks and diagonals
- ◆Attacking and capturing
- ◆Defending threatened pieces
- ◆Check and getting out of check
- ◆Recognising checkmate
- ◆Castling — kingside and queenside
- ◆Exchange and profitable exchange
- ◆The twofold attack — the double attack
- ◆Draws — stalemate, repetition and insufficient material
- ◆Advanced pawn play
- ◆Notation — reading and writing chess moves
By the end of Foundation 3 a student can
- ✓Spot checkmate and double attacks (forks)
- ✓Defend a piece that is under attack
- ✓Record a full game in chess notation
- ✓Make exchanges that gain material
Where this sits in the full path
Ten levels run from a first look at the board through to tournament-ready chess. See them all on the curriculum page.
Not sure which level your child starts at?
That is exactly what the free trial is for. One session, sixty minutes, and an honest read on where to begin — from the head coach, over a real board in Vesu.