Why You Shouldn’t Move the Same Piece Twice
Tempo in the opening and why fast development wins games.
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Browse every guide on Pawn & Plan — practical, plain-English lessons for players from complete beginner to 1200.
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Chess Basics
Everything a brand-new player needs — the pieces, the rules, and the habits that make chess click.
Category →Openings & Strategy
Start your games well and know what to do next, from opening moves to middlegame plans.
Category →Tactics & Endgames
Win material and finish games with the patterns and technique behind most beginner wins.
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The 3 Golden Rules of the Opening
Develop your pieces, control the center, and get your king safe.
Read the guide →Why You Keep Hanging Pieces
The number-one beginner blunder and a simple routine to stop it.
Read the guide →5 Mistakes Almost Every Beginner Makes
The habits that quietly lose games, and the easy fixes for each.
Read the guide →Chess Etiquette: Touch-Move and Good Manners
The unwritten rules that keep games friendly, online and over the board.
Read the guide →How to Play Chess Online for the First Time
Choosing a site, picking a time control, and what all the buttons mean.
Read the guide →The Three Phases of a Chess Game
What the opening, middlegame, and endgame are each for.
Read the guide →What Is a Draw by Repetition?
Threefold repetition and the 50-move rule, explained without jargon.
Read the guide →All the Ways a Chess Game Can End
Checkmate, resignation, and the five different kinds of draw.
Read the guide →When a Knight Beats a Rook
Piece values are a guide, not a rule; here's when they flip.
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