Winter Term Chess and Strategy: 6 Weeks

Winter is the perfect season to sit down at the chessboard, and this six-week term gives young players a clear path from knowing how the pieces move to actually playing with a plan. The course is built for kids who know the rules but often lose track of what to do after the first few moves.

Each week focuses on one big idea. Learners start with opening principles such as controlling the center, developing pieces and castling early. They then spend two weeks on tactics, spotting forks, pins, skewers and discovered attacks in short puzzles before using them in real games. Week four turns to middlegame planning, and week five covers the endgame skills that convert an advantage into checkmate.

The teacher explains every idea on a shared digital board, thinking out loud so learners hear how a strong player weighs each move. Learners then solve guided puzzles together and play short practice games against classmates, with the teacher pausing to discuss key moments.

The term ends with a friendly winter mini tournament and a group game review, where learners talk through their best moves and the turning points of their games. This is a discussion and practice course, so there is no project to hand in, just better chess and sharper thinking.

How classes work

Each 50-minute class opens with a quick warm-up puzzle, followed by a short lesson on the shared board. Learners then solve themed puzzles together and play practice games on Lichess, finishing with a brief review of what they noticed.

What we'll cover

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  Week 1: Opening Principles – Control the center, develop pieces quickly and castle early.

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  Week 2: Tactics: Forks and Pins – Spot double attacks and pinned pieces in puzzles and games.

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  Week 3: Tactics: Skewers and Discovered Attacks – Find hidden attacks and line up winning combinations.

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  Week 4: Planning in the Middlegame – Find weak squares, activate pieces and choose a plan.

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  Week 5: Endgame Essentials – Use the king, promote pawns and deliver basic checkmates.

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  Week 6: Winter Tournament and Game Review – Play a friendly mini tournament and review the key moments together.

Learners should know how all the pieces move and the basic rules of check and checkmate. No tournament experience is needed.