Chess Blog
Opening guides, puzzle strategies, training tips, and chess news to help you improve. From beginner walkthroughs to advanced tournament analysis, our blog covers everything a chess player needs to level up their game.
20 posts
Chess Tactics 101 — Forks, Pins, and Skewers That Win
Forks, pins, and skewers win more chess games than brilliant openings. Here's how each tactic works and how to start spotting them in your own games.
Read more →The Queen's Gambit — How to Actually Play It in Chess
The Queen's Gambit isn't just a Netflix show. It's one of the strongest chess openings for White. Here's how to play it, what to expect, and how to beat it.
Read more →Chess Time Controls — Bullet, Blitz, Rapid, Classical
Bullet, blitz, rapid, classical — each chess time control plays completely differently. Here's what each one means and which one actually makes you better.
Read more →I Switched to the Sicilian — Here's What Happened
The Sicilian Defense changed how I play as Black. Here's a practical breakdown of how it works and why it wins more games than passive alternatives.
Read more →Chess Endgame Basics — King and Pawn Endings Explained
Most players skip endgame study and pay for it constantly. Here's what you need to know about king and pawn endings — opposition, pawn promotion, zugzwang.
Read more →How to Analyze Your Chess Games (And Actually Improve)
Most players click 'analyze' and watch arrows. That's not real analysis. Here's how to learn from your games and fix the patterns that keep costing you points.
Read more →Chess Elo Rating Explained — What Your Number Means
Your chess Elo rating predicts results against any opponent. Here's how it actually works, why Lichess and Chess.com numbers differ, and how to climb.
Read more →Why I Play the London System — The Most Hated Chess Opening
The London System gets hate from chess snobs, but it quietly wins games. Here’s why I switched, the key ideas you need, and how to train it fast.
Read more →Best Chess Apps in 2026 — I Tested 7 So You Don't Have To
I spent three weeks testing every major chess app. Here's my honest ranking — including one free app most players haven't tried.
Read more →Great Openings, Still Losing? The Fix
You prep openings for hours, then lose by move 25 anyway. I spent six weeks fixing my middlegame and gained 200 rating points. Here's exactly how.
Read more →50 Chess Puzzles a Day for 30 Days
My blunder rate dropped 60% and my rating jumped 150 points in one month. Here's the exact daily routine and what surprised me most.
Read more →Best Chess Openings for Beginners (2026)
Stop losing in the first 10 moves. These 5 beginner openings (2 for white, 3 for black) are easy to learn and actually win games at every level.
Read more →Stop Blundering in Chess — 5 Real Tips
I went from 2 blunders per game to less than 1 in 3 months. These 5 practical fixes actually work — no generic advice, just what changed my games.
Read more →Stop Memorizing Openings — Train Instead
Memorizing opening lines isn't working. Here's a practical training method that builds real opening knowledge you'll actually remember in your games.
Read more →Chess.com vs Lichess — 8 Year Verdict
One costs $100/year, the other is 100% free. After 8 years on both, here's my honest verdict on which is actually better for YOUR rating.
Read more →Untold: Chess Mates — Carlsen vs Niemann
The trailer for Netflix's Carlsen-Niemann cheating scandal documentary just dropped. Here's what we know, what the trailer reveals, and why opinions are split.
Read more →Chess.com Open 2026 — How to Play
The Chess.com Open 2026 kicked off March 14 with a $250K prize pool. Here's how qualifiers work, who's already in the playoffs, and how you can enter.
Read more →What Happened to Gukesh in 2026?
World Champion Gukesh has dropped to world No. 20 after losing game after game in 2026. Here's what's going wrong and whether he can bounce back.
Read more →Candidates Tournament 2026: Players, Schedule & Predictions
Full 2026 Candidates Tournament guide — all 8 players, round-by-round schedule, pairings, and predictions for who challenges Gukesh in Cyprus.
Read more →Queen of Chess — Judit Polgar True Story
Netflix's Queen of Chess tells Judit Polgar's story, but how much is accurate? Here's what the documentary nails and what it leaves out.
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