Videos
Learn Piece Fundamentals - start here! Minigames are the best way for adult beginners to build chess confidence while having fun with a partner.
Ease Into A Full Game - if you already know how the pieces move, try practicing the king + rook checkmate or play progressive chess with a friend!
Develop Further Chess Understanding - to take things beyond friends and family, you want to find the right balance between playing games, solving puzzles, and learning from grandmasters.
How To Teach Your Child - the most fun, fast, effective way to introduce young ones to the game! No background required (for you or your little learner).
Books
How To Teach Your Child Chess. Don’t pay $50-150+ for an hour of coaching. You can read this book in less time, then have months or even years of quality interactions with your kid! ($18.95 + s/h, preview and order here)
How To Enjoy Chess for Adult Beginners. Become a chess insider, starting from scratch, while having a blast! (pre-order here $19.99 total)
Articles
Recommendations
- Lichess.org: the best chess website for playing online. Also has great learning resources.
- Chesstempo.com: the best tactics puzzle trainer. Great page on motifs.
- The Opera Game: excellent YouTube video by John Bartholomew walking through Morphy’s classic. One of the first things I will show kids who have successfully completed the minigame circuit.
- Zurich 1953: the best collection of grandmaster games for intermediate players (1200-1800) to play through, absorb, and make the leap to expert. After I spent a few months immersed in this book, I had a breakout performance.
- Acorn Chess: software platform for learning chess with minigames and endgames.
- ChessKid.com: minor-friendly website for playing and learning online.
- Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings, Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, and Fischer’s 60 Memorable Games.
Misc.
- Welcome To The Magical World Of Chess: bunch of fun links.
- Minigame reference doc.
- Diagram tool.
- My highest-rated tournament win.
About
Coach Andy is a chess expert who has taught hundreds of students to love the game (across all ages, backgrounds, and levels of reluctance). He believes you’re never to young nor too old to start enjoying chess!
Andy has developed curriculum on the teaching staff of the Saint Louis Chess Club and Scholastic Center, the Mechanics’ Institute in San Francisco, and e3 Civic High in San Diego. He holds a bachelor’s degree in math with computer science from MIT, where he cofounded the modern chess club and graduated in 3 years.
Private Lessons
I’m not accepting new students, except under extremely special circumstances. You are welcome to contact me.