Chess puzzles give kids a position and a specific challenge. In CHEZZIES, children practise five tactical ideas: checkmate, forks, pins, double attacks and defense.

What is checkmate?

Checkmate is a check with no legal escape. Try looking for a move that attacks the king while covering its escape squares.

What is a chess fork?

A fork is one piece attacking two or more enemy pieces at once. A knight can fork a king and a rook, forcing a response to check while leaving the rook under attack.

What is a pin?

A pin restricts a piece because moving it would expose a piece behind it. If the piece behind is its king, moving out of that line is illegal. A pin against a queen can be costly to break, but is not automatically illegal.

What is a double attack?

A double attack creates two threats with one move. A fork is one type; another is moving a piece to create a threat while uncovering an attack from a different piece.

How do you practise defense?

First identify the threat. You might move the attacked piece, capture the attacker, block a line or add protection. If your king is in check, your move must remove the check.

Are chess puzzles useful for beginners?

A focused position lets a beginner examine one idea without managing a whole game. Use hints when needed, then explain why the move works. CHEZZIES combines these positions with opportunities to play full games.

Small chess puzzles. Big discoveries.