Beginner - Learn to Play Chess

The Chess Drum,  |  How to Play Chess  |  Well of Knowledge  |
The Magic Theatre (How to Play Chess - Animated!),  http://www.chessdryad.com/
About.com,  http://chess.about.com
Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess (review), http://www.thechessdrum.net/MAshleyCD.html
Internet Chess Club (ICC), http://www.chessclub.com/rules/
Chess is Fun! - Jon Edwards, http://www.princeton.edu/~jedwards/cif/intro.html
United States Chess Federation (USCF), http://www.uschess.org/beginners/letsplay.html

Intermediate - Got Strategy?

The Chess Drum's Well of Knowledge -  This segment provides advice for beginning and intermediate players on many of the common questions about chess matters (e.g., learning methods, principles of play, recommended books, time pressure, achieving Master status, etc.) .

The 64 Commandments of Chess - Sixty-four useful tips for a developing player out of Bruce Pandolfini's book, ABCs of Chess.

A Collection of Chess Wisdom - The page has a comprehensive list of tips for players at all levels. Chessville.com has certainly done a great service and is one of the most comprehensive chess sites in the world!

United States Chess Federation - Comprehensive list of resources for the scholastic player. Included is an impressive array of studies done on the positive impact chess has had on players in a variety of areas.

Dr. David Canon's Educational Games of Chess - An excellent resource for practically every motif or example for strategic play. There are countless classic games demonstrating  such concepts as tactics, opening traps, attacking play, positional themes, and endings. An indispensable reference!

ChessLab.com - An indispensable tool for searching openings and analyzing a position of choice. Has a database of over 2 million games from 1485-present!

Scholastic Stories

• Challenging Heads reaches 400 Philly Youth! (2 July 2006)
  
• Trinidad's RJ Nelson Going for Glory (20 June 2006)
  
• Darrian Robinson set for World Under-13! (11 May 2006)
  
• Kayin Barclay wins Illinois Denker again! (2 May 2006)
  
• BeSomeone sparks enthusiasm at Project Destiny (1 March 2006)
  
• Barclay wins 'Friendship Match' in a fierce battle! (4 February 2006)
  
• "RJ" Nelson making his mark in Trinidad (16 October 2005)
  
• Chevannes wins UK Girls' for 3rd year in a row! (29 August  2005)
  
• Wamala wins U.S. Open Class 'C' Prize (25 August 2005)
  
• Brianna Conley stars at Polgar Invitational (20 August 2005)
  
• Jessica Wamala to compete in Girls Invitational (3 August 2005)
  
• Kenya's Weru chases Dreams! (27 July 2005)
  
• Parrilla in France for World Youth Championships (25 July 2005)
  
• 'Friendship Match' ends in exciting 1-1 deadlock! (24 July 2005)
  
• A Chess Star is Born in Botswana! (22 June 2005)
  
• Trinidad's Ronnie Nelson at HB Global Tourney (1 June 2005)
  
• Kayin Barclay wins Illinois H.S. Championship! (30 March 2005)
  
• Video: DeKalb salutes Jordan Chappell! (18 February 2005)
  
• Jayel Taylor stars in Chicago tourney! (22 January 2005)
  
• Video:  TBS Pathfinder honors Orrin Hudson (2 January 2005)
  
• Video: Olympic Chess Foundation makes a difference!   (17 November 2004)
  
• ChessBase.com does feature on Jayel Taylor! (15 September 2004)
  
• Video: Orrin Hudson blazing the "BeSomeone" trail! (14 June 2004)
  
• Jacob Wamala: Rising Star in the East  (24 May 2004)
  
• 4-year old Jayel Taylor featured on CBS (25 March 2004)
  
• Disney to make "I Choose to Stay" into a movie! (6 February 2004)
  
• New Star from Cape Town, South Africa! (14 January 2004)
  
• Girl Power: Ballom and Parrilla on the rise! (6 November 2003)
  
• Former Vaux Students Making the Grade (22 July 2003)
  
• Barbados' Elson takes Junior Crown! (19 July 2003)
  
• Bennett speaks on "Turning Kids into Kings and Queens" (21 June 2003)
  
• Book on Chess Triumph has "Staying Power (14 June 2003)
  
• At 15, Yvonne Saina is poised as Zambia's next star! (4 June 2003)
  
• 12-year old Kayin Barclay shines at the Chicago Open! (29 May 2003)
  
• Tennessee's Oakhaven wins National Crown! (14 May 2003)
  
• DC's Moten Center to vie for Scholastic Titles! (7 May 2003)
  
• Tallahassee's Pineview hosts "Chess Challenge (16 May 2003)
  
• Kaleem Washington: A Star on the U.S. Horizon (23 April 2003)
  
• Benteen Elementary wins Fall Kickoff Championship! (29 November 2002)
  

Drum Lesson

This lesson highlights a very exciting game and an important one for GM Maurice Ashley. This pivotal game was played in 1997 in Bad Wiessee, Germany against Polish GM Robert Kempinski. Going into the 6th round, both players were tied for 1st place at 5-0. Ashley went into this game with a chance at his 2nd Grandmaster norm. He would be successful in this quest and finally earned the title the next year.

Below are three lessons which entail you examining the Ashley-Kempinski at various levels of analysis. This is a self-study exercise and you can go through the game at whichever level is appropriate.   If you are a "beginner," or new to chess, make sure you can score 80% on exercises #1, #2 and #3 before taking the lesson. If you can't, go here for a refresher.

Improve Your Chess Skills!

Board Vision - Challenging exercises without the use of a board. These exercises are important in order to sharpen your cognitive skills and ability to retain the mental image of chess positions.

• Test #1 (4 sections, 55 questions)
  
• Test #2 (4 sections, 50 questions)
  
• Test #3 (4 sections, 50 questions)
  

Tactics - Tactical alertness is a key component to chess success. Spotting tactical patterns can allow one to take advantage of an opponent's carelessness, or avoid a quick and devastating defeat. Because tactics are such an integral part of warfare, it's important to practice these themes since they occur frequently during a given chess match.

• Test #1 (20 problems)
  
• Test #2 (20 problems)
  
• Test #3 (25 problems)
  

Endings - Understanding of basic endings can certainly add a ton of points to your tournament performance. GMs understand intricacies in endings and strive for advantageous setups without extensive analysis. This insight can result in a win from a drawn position, or a draw from a lost position. These exercises may help you in your understanding of endgame themes.

• Lab #1 (I.A. Horowitz, Irving Chernev, BCE collection-- 25 key positions)
  
• Lab #2 (I.A. Horowitz, Irving Chernev, BCE collection-- 25 key positions)
  
• Lab #3 (Various Composers, and Players-- 25 key positions)
  

"It should be noted that current opening variations come and go, and the evaluation of certain positions change. But the value of knowing how to play endgames well remains constant."

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