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How do Lessons work on Chess.com?

Learn how to navigate through the different Lessons on Chess.com and improve your game with this incredible resource!

Updated over a week ago

Lessons

Chess.com’s interactive lessons are a great way to build your skills and test your knowledge with practice challenges in each lesson. To access Lessons, click 'Learn' in the left menu on any Chess.com page.

Premium members get unlimited access to all lessons*, while Basic members have unlimited access to the 'New to Chess' category in the Guide section and can try one lesson per week in other categories or sections.

Lessons page on Chess.com

Want more Lessons? Learn how to upgrade your plan here: How can I update my membership?

*If you purchased your plan before September 1, 2022, you’re on the previous lesson plan: Gold members get 3 lessons per week, Platinum members get 5 per week, and Diamond members have unlimited access.

How can I go through the Lessons?

You can complete Lessons in two ways:

  1. Using the path: Follow each course and lesson in order for a smooth, engaging experience.

  2. Using the Lesson Library: Browse and pick any lesson you want directly from the Lesson Library.

Learn screen on Chess.com

  • Path

The path celebrates your progress through the Guide lessons in our Lesson Library, and makes learning more engaging along the way!

The path is divided into four main skill levels: New to Chess, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. The Courses and Lessons within each level match what you’d find in the Guide in our Lessons Library.

Each level has a different color, making it easy to see where you are in the path.

Learn Path on Chess.com

Courses and Lessons

Each level includes different courses, and each course has multiple lessons and challenges to complete.

Graduation cap icons mark the end of a course. As you scroll through the path, you’ll see the course name above the 'Next Lesson' button. Your Coach will also give you a quick overview of what the course covers. Once you complete a course, the graduation cap icon will match the color of the skill level it's in.

Learn Path on Chess.com

Each Lesson within a course is represented by a tile. Hover over any unlocked tile to get a short explanation from your Coach about what the lesson includes.

Learn Path on Chess.com

You can tell whether a lesson is locked, available, or completed based on how its tile appears. Use the guide and screenshot below to understand the differences:

  1. Locked: The tile appears dark, and shows a lock icon when clicked.

  2. Available: The tile appears bright, and the icon in the center is solid white. Hover over it to get a quick overview from the Coach.

  3. Completed: The tile is brighter than a locked one, but the icon in the center has a slight tint matching the color of the skill section. You can revisit completed lessons anytime.

Learn Path on Chess.com

You can access the Lesson Library by clicking on the hamburger menu next to 'Next Lesson' and selecting 'Lesson Library' from the options.


  • Lessons Library

If you’d rather not follow the Path in order, you can jump straight to the Lesson Library instead. To find it, click 'Learn' in the left menu on any Chess.com page, then select 'Lesson Library' on the Learn screen.

The Lesson Library has two sections: the Guide and the full Lesson Library. Use the tabs at the top of the Lessons page to switch between them and choose what you’d like to study.

Lessons screen on Chess.com

Guide

The Guide is divided into four categories (refer to the table below), each with a series of lessons designed for players from complete beginners up to around a 1200 rating.

Every lesson includes instructional videos and challenges to help you practice what you’ve learned.

Category

Details

New to Chess

These lessons cover how to move the pieces and the rules of the game, including lesser-known rules like castling and en passant. If you are completely new to chess, this is the best place to start!

Beginner

These videos and challenges cover the beginnings of strategy, how to find checkmate, and basic openings.

Intermediate

These lessons start to get into more challenging aspects of chess, such as endgames and full board strategies, and making your pieces work together.

Advanced

These lessons go even further in-depth on the endgame, opening, and various tactics.

Full Library

Once you’ve completed the lessons in the Guide, or if you’re looking for something specific, you can explore the full Lesson Library! Just click the ‘Lesson Library’ tab on the Lessons screen.

In the full Library, you can browse lessons on openings, strategy, tactics, endgames, and master games by using the icons at the top of the page.

You can also filter lessons by skill level, theme, or instructor using the dropdown menus under the search bar, or simply type in keywords to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Lessons screen on Chess.com

FAQs

  • Do I have to follow the path in order?

    You can move through the path step by step using the 'Next Lesson button,' or skip ahead to any lesson that’s unlocked. If you want to jump to a different course, just click the first lesson tile of that course — it’s always unlocked. If you try to skip ahead within a course, you’ll see a prompt asking you to confirm.

  • Can I avoid the path and choose lessons myself?

    Yes! Click the hamburger menu icon on the path and select 'Lesson Library' to browse and choose lessons or courses manually.

  • Why can't I see the path on mobile?

    The path is currently only available on the web, but it will be available on mobile soon!

  • When does the Lesson count restart?

    Lesson counts reset each week on Sunday at midnight. Repeating a lesson does NOT count toward your total for the week.

  • How can I mute the Coach?

    You can mute the Coach at any point by clicking on the speaker icon at the top right corner of your screen.

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