This intermediate chess course is designed for learners who already know how to play chess and are ready to sharpen their game. Spanning 20–30 hours, the course enhances tactical awareness, opening preparation, and strategic play. Students dive into real game situations with a focus on visualization, calculation, and competitive mindset. From mastering endgames to analyzing their own games, learners develop confidence for tournament-level performance.

Key Benefits:

Strengthens tactical and strategic skills
Builds a solid repertoire of opening systems
Enhances calculation and visualization abilities
Teaches essential endgames like rook and pawn endings
Prepares learners for competitive and online tournament play

What You’ll Learn:

Opening Principles & Systems

Revisiting fundamental principles (center control, development, king safety)
Systems: Italian Game, Sicilian Defense, Queen’s Gambit, London System
Opening traps and how to avoid them
Understanding concepts, not memorizing lines

Tactical Patterns & Combinations

Forks, pins, skewers, and discovered attacks
Double attacks, decoys, and removing the defender
Zwischenzug (in-between moves)
Daily tactical puzzle solving

Strategic Concepts

Evaluating piece activity vs. material
Identifying weak squares and strong outposts
Understanding pawn structure and open files
Prophylaxis: thinking ahead like a master
Building a plan in the middlegame

Endgame Essentials

King and pawn endgames (opposition, triangulation)
Lucena and Philidor rook endgames
Basic checkmates:
- King + Queen vs. King
- King + Rook vs. King
- Two Bishops vs. King (introductory level)

Calculation & Visualization

Step-by-step calculation techniques
Visualizing sequences 3–5 moves ahead
Evaluating positions based on threats and weaknesses

Practical Play & Game Analysis

Reviewing and annotating your own games
Learning from mistakes through self-analysis
Playing longer time controls to build deep thinking
Chess notation and digital tools for improvement