Chess is a game of strategy that has been enjoyed for centuries. With the rise of technology, the ability to learn and improve one’s skills has never been easier. Online chess courses have become a popular option for players looking to enhance their abilities from the comfort of their own home. In this article, we will explore some of the best online chess courses available, taking into consideration factors such as course content, instructor expertise, and user reviews. By the end, readers will have a better understanding of the various options available and can make an informed decision on which course aligns with their learning goals.
Here’s a look at the Best Chess Courses and Certifications Online and what they have to offer for you!
Chess Course Online Free In Video
Contents
- Chess Course Online Free In Video
- 1. Complete Chess Training by a Chess Grandmaster by Igor Smirnov (Udemy) (Our Best Pick)
- 2. Chess Tactics Essentials by Brendan J. Norman (Udemy)
- 3. Grandmaster Chess Training Plan for Rapid Chess Improvement by Igor Smirnov (Udemy)
- 4. Learn to Play Chess: from a Novice to a Fierce Competitor by Alex Davidovic (Udemy)
- 5. The Complete Guide to Chess Tactics by Tryfon Gavriel (Udemy)
- 6. Chess by Academy of Film Fashion and Design (Udemy)
- 7. Chess: From Beginner to Advanced at Warp Speed by Greg Vanderford (Udemy)
- 8. Chess For Everyone! by Robert Gumerlock (Udemy)
- 9. Understanding chess openings | How to play ANY opening well by Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko (Udemy)
- 10. Understanding chess tactics | How to calculate tactics well by Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko (Udemy)
1. Complete Chess Training by a Chess Grandmaster by Igor Smirnov (Udemy) (Our Best Pick)
The Complete Chess Training by a Chess Grandmaster course is instructed by Igor Smirnov and aims to explore the secrets of strong chess players. The course is designed to teach students how to think like a strong player and provide practical and powerful recommendations. By the end of the course, students will understand how to find strong moves during a game and how to implement these in their own game. The course covers key points such as To Take Is a Mistake and Offense is the Best Defense. The course addresses the common problem of chess players wanting to improve their skills, but struggling to find effective ways of training or a good coach. Igor Smirnov, the founder of Remote Chess Academy, has developed numerous chess video lessons, articles, webinars, and training courses to help students worldwide improve their chess results. The course is divided into two sections, a video lesson and a practical part. The video lesson covers the powerful techniques for finding strong chess moves, while the practical part provides an opportunity for students to apply these techniques in real gameplay. Overall, the course provides valuable insights for people who want to improve their chess game and think like strong players.
2. Chess Tactics Essentials by Brendan J. Norman (Udemy)
The Chess Tactics Essentials course, instructed by Brendan J. Norman, teaches chess players of all levels how to employ powerful tactics against their opponents. The course covers frequent and effective strategies and techniques to improve one’s game. The instructor is a professional chess coach with over 10 years of experience, who emphasizes his students’ results.
Each lecture in the course has a companion PDF in the supplementary materials section that is highly recommended for students to study alongside the lecture over-the-board. Students who use both the video lecture and its PDF companion will reap the best rewards in terms of their playing level and tactical ability. However, simply watching the lectures alone will still substantially boost a chess player’s tactical level and practical results.
The course features testimonials from satisfied students attesting to the effectiveness of the instructor’s teaching methods. To begin the course, students can click Take this course. The course is structured into six sections, including Introduction, Pins, Forks, Skewers, Discoveries, and Removing the Guard.
3. Grandmaster Chess Training Plan for Rapid Chess Improvement by Igor Smirnov (Udemy)
The Grandmaster Chess Training Plan for Rapid Chess Improvement course, instructed by Igor Smirnov, is designed to teach chess tactics, openings, strategy, and tools for effective learning and improvement. The course aims to answer frequently asked questions from RCA students, including how to create a schedule for an effective study plan, what to study, and how to study.
Students in the course will also learn about the number of hours to spend on each aspect of chess, how to train with only 1-2 free hours per week, how to make steady progress, and how to get the best out of chess books, software, playing online, and puzzles. Additionally, the course covers how to analyze one’s game and how to work best when alone without the aid of a coach.
Igor Smirnov, the founder of Remote Chess Academy, has helped thousands of students worldwide to improve their chess results through his video lessons, articles, webinars, and training courses. Some of his famous courses include The Grandmaster’s Secrets, The Grandmaster’s Positional Understanding, and Calculate Till Mate.
The course content and sections include a training plan and how to analyze one’s games. The Grandmaster Chess Training Plan for Rapid Chess Improvement course provides valuable insights and knowledge for anyone looking to improve their chess game.
4. Learn to Play Chess: from a Novice to a Fierce Competitor by Alex Davidovic (Udemy)
The course Learn to Play Chess: From a Novice to a Fierce Competitor is aimed at beginners who want to learn the fundamentals of chess and gain an upper hand from the start. The instructor, Dr. Alex Davidovic, is an International Chess Master and a coach with experience in programming teaching and adaptive systems. The course consists of training videos and exercises through the ‘Chess Mates Companion’ software, enabling learners to apply their new knowledge in practice immediately.
The course starts with the basics of how to move and capture chess pieces, and progresses to more advanced strategies such as developing forces efficiently, keeping the king safe, repelling the opponent’s attacks, obtaining an advantage early on, and checkmating opponents. With this course, learners can start playing chess in less than an hour and build their strength from there.
The course emphasizes the importance of practical application of theoretical knowledge through the ‘Chess Mates Companion’ software. It is an effective way to learn chess in the fastest way possible. However, this course is not suitable for seasoned chess players but is ideal for beginners who want to learn how to play chess confidently and quickly.
The course includes six sections: Introduction, How Pieces Move and Capture, How to Checkmate the King, Promoting Pawns, Starting the Game, and Bonus Materials. The course materials cover all the fundamentals and provide learners with a solid foundation to become fierce chess competitors.
5. The Complete Guide to Chess Tactics by Tryfon Gavriel (Udemy)
The Complete Guide to Chess Tactics course, instructed by Tryfon Gavriel and FIDE CM Kingscrusher, aims to enhance the calculation and pattern recognition skills of chess players. The goal of the course is to improve the ability to create winning combinations on the chessboard using a wide range of patterns and demonstrating exceptional calculation ability. The course is structured into two aspects – process and patterns. The process section focuses on the art of chess calculation, while the patterns segment is divided into Tactical Patterns, Mating Patterns, and Weakness of Position Patterns.
The process aspect pertains to the art of chess calculation, enabling players to create amazing tactics with the help of great calculation skills. Even without knowing the tactical patterns by name, players can still create beautiful chess combinations using an entire orchestra of tactical patterns. The patterns section aims to enhance the art of calculation, allowing players to name the key tactical patterns and practice them accordingly. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the software and content required to be an effective chess tactician.
Patterns help feed the process of calculation by creating a maximum differential between the strengths of a player’s position and the downsides of the opponent’s position. A trained intuition and eye for potential downsides are required to be aware of combinational solutions that might exist. The patterns section is divided into three key areas – Tactical Patterns, Mating Patterns, and Weakness of Position Patterns.
The Tactical Patterns section includes several key patterns, such as Absolute Pin, Annihilation of Defence, Attraction, Battery, Deflection, Double Attack, and more. The Mating Patterns section includes patterns like Anderssen’s mate, Boden’s mate, and Smothered mate. The Weakness of Position Patterns section helps players identify if a combination may exist in the position.
6. Chess by Academy of Film Fashion and Design (Udemy)
The Academy of Film Fashion and Design offers a Chess course entitled Chess – How to become a Chess Master. This course aims to teach individuals how to play chess by providing step by step instruction on basic and advanced topics. The course covers both tactical and strategic training to prepare students for casual games and chess tournaments. The course design guarantees rapid improvement, enabling students to appreciate the artistic and competitive aspects of the game. The video series concludes with suggestions on how to make further progress using internet sources or a chess coach.
The Chess Video Series is developed by Allyn Kahn and is divided into three sections: Beginner Chess, Post Beginner Chess, and Intermediate Chess. The course starts with the Beginner section, which provides the foundation of chess principles, including chessboard setup, piece placement, and basic moves. The Post Beginner section introduces more advanced topics, such as opening strategies, middle game tactics, and endgame principles. The Intermediate section covers more complex concepts, such as advanced chess tactics, pawn structures, and positional play.
The course is designed for individuals who want to learn to play chess or improve their skills. The course is suitable for beginners who have no prior knowledge of the game and intermediate players who want to improve their gameplay. The video series is intended for individuals who want to attain respectable results in casual games or tournaments. It is also suitable for individuals who want to help their child learn the game or beat their uncle.
Overall, the Chess Video Series by Allyn Kahn is an entertaining and effective way to learn the game of chess. The course provides a solid foundation of chess principles, while also introducing advanced concepts to prepare students for competitive play. The video series is highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn the game or improve their skills.
7. Chess: From Beginner to Advanced at Warp Speed by Greg Vanderford (Udemy)
The Chess: From Beginner to Advanced at Warp Speed course is designed to help aspiring chess players who have a basic knowledge of chess and some experience with tactics such as forks and skewers but lack formal training. The course is taught by Greg Vanderford and promises to equip students with everything they need to know to beat strong chess players.
The course is structured in 16 lessons, each presented through easy-to-understand diagrams and chess positions. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including finding tactics over the board, making strategic plans, and setting up pieces for maximum effectiveness in the opening. The course aims to teach students to think like a master chess player.
Recent testimonials from students who have taken the course have praised its clear and concise explanations, slow-paced step-by-step analysis, and coverage of helpful nuances and theoretical concepts beyond the basics.
The course is geared towards improving the chess skills of students in as short a time as possible. Those who complete it can expect to have a better understanding of the fundamentals of chess and a stronger ability to beat strong players.
8. Chess For Everyone! by Robert Gumerlock (Udemy)
The course Chess For Everyone! is designed for beginner to intermediate players who want to learn and improve their chess skills. The course is divided into four sections: The Basics, What to do in the Opening, Tactics in the Middle Game, and Checkmate in the End Game.
In the first section, students will learn the fundamental rules and pieces of the game, as well as basic strategies for moving and controlling them. In the second section, the course focuses on the opening game, teaching students how to set up their pieces and make the most effective moves.
The third section covers tactics in the middle game, teaching players how to make strategic moves and plan ahead to gain an advantage. In the fourth and final section, students will learn how to finish the game by achieving checkmate in the end game.
By the end of the course, students will have a solid understanding of overarching chess strategies and the tactics required to implement them. This course is ideal for anyone looking to become fluent in chess tactics while having fun doing it.
9. Understanding chess openings | How to play ANY opening well by Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko (Udemy)
The course, Understanding Chess Openings | How to play ANY opening well, taught by Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko, is designed to help chess players properly start the game, and not feel lost or confused in the opening. The course focuses on teaching players what to do in the opening, how to do it, and why it is important. Students will learn to spot their opponent’s mistakes and learn how to benefit from them. The course is suitable for beginner to intermediate players and consists of 4 sections.Section 1 teaches three main rules of playing the opening, as well as the crucial detail about those rules. Students will learn where to put their pawns, pieces, and king, and will understand which squares are good and which ones are not so good. Section 2 provides a detailed analysis of four famous games where the losing side did not follow the first two rules of playing the opening. Section 3 analyzes four famous games where the losing side failed to castle the king. Section 4 gives the opening repertoire for both white and black and explains why these openings were chosen.Students will learn the value of the rules, ways to use their opponent’s mistakes, and how to avoid them. The course includes homework assignments to strengthen the knowledge learned in the course. The course content covers the introduction, main rules of playing the opening, famous games, reasons for epic failures for center and development, famous games, reasons for epic failures for castling, and the suggested opening repertoire.The course is suitable for beginner/hobby chess players who want to play better chess at the start of the game, chess enthusiasts who do not want to be confused from the first moves of the game, and anyone interested in what grandmasters are thinking in the opening. Sections 2 and 3 have detailed analysis of the games attached in pgn format. Section 4 includes the opening repertoire and homework attached.
10. Understanding chess tactics | How to calculate tactics well by Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko (Udemy)
The Understanding Chess Tactics | How to Calculate Tactics Well course is designed to enhance players’ understanding and sharpen their tactical vision. The course instructor, Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko, is a grandmaster who will teach participants how to efficiently find chess combinations, recognize the signs that trigger tactics, learn typical tactical patterns, and build their understanding of chess.
The course is suitable for beginner to intermediate chess players, although even grandmasters may find some examples interesting. The course comprises five sections, starting with an explanation of the four main questions to ask during a game and how they help to find chess tactics. The second section uses relatively simple puzzles to demonstrate how the instructor’s method works, while the third section shows how to apply the method to more challenging puzzles. The fourth section covers the most important tactical motifs and the signs that trigger them. The final section features grandmaster games and one tricky opening tactic that even high-level grandmasters may not know.
Each section of the course provides downloadable PDF and PGN files with previously analyzed positions. After completing the course, participants will be able to understand most chess combinations on a deeper level.
Overall, the course seeks to take away the mystery of chess tactics and replace it with logic. It aims to get participants’ calculation abilities to the next level and help them become better at chess in general, and in tactics specifically.