Opening principles, opening traps, active pieces, pawn structure, rooks on open files and planning.
- Yellow square: the piece to move (the "glowing piece" in the question).
- Stars: squares you could move to; only one is right.
- Letters A, B, C on squares: the options to choose from.
- Arrow: the last move, or a move the question gives you.
- Red square: a piece under attack.
- Blue square: a piece or square to watch.
Opening principles
Pawns in the centre, knights and bishops out early, castle, and finish developing before attacking.
The pawn on e4 is already in the center. Only one star brings another pawn to the middle. Pick it!
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Answer: d4
Why: Two white pawns both aim at the center.
The glowing pieces are still at home. Pick the best move!
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Answer: A (♖c1) · 1.♖c1 h6 2.♗h4 c5
Why: Your pieces are coming into the game quickly and safely.
Opening traps and mistakes
Common early-game mistakes and how to punish them.
The glowing piece is the bishop. Pin the white queen to its king!
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Answer: 1…♗c5 2.♘b3 ♗xd4+
Why: The bishop goes to c5 and pins the white queen to the king. The queen can't move away: the bishop takes the queen with check.
The glowing queen moves first. White's back row has a weak spot. Find it!
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Answer: 1…♕xf1+ 2.♗g1 ♕f3#
Why: The queen takes the knight on f1 with check, the bishop has to block on g1, then the queen goes to f3 for checkmate. The white king has no room to breathe.
Active pieces and targets
Put pieces on squares where they do the most, and find weak enemy pieces to aim at.
There are three stars. One square is very open but can be captured by Black. Pick a square that's both open and safe!
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Answer: ♗c2
Why: There the bishop reaches 9 squares without being captured.
Which black piece is trapped with no squares to run to? Tap that piece!
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Answer: A (h7) · 1.♖f7 ♖ae8 2.♖xh7
Why: The bishop on h7 is blocked in by the pawn on f5 and Black's own pawn on h5. The white rook goes to f7 to attack the bishop, and Black can't save it.
Pawn structure and outposts
Weak and isolated pawns, using pawns at the right time and outposts for knights.
Which black pawn is the weak one, standing all alone? Tap it!
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Answer: A (h7)
Why: The pawn on h7 has no black pawn on the g-file. It stands all alone: it's a weak pawn.
The glowing pawn moves first. Use your pawn!
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Answer: 1.d6 ♕f2 2.♘d5
Why: The pawn on d6 moves close to the promotion row, then the knight goes to d5 to guard it. A passed pawn gets stronger the farther it goes.
Rooks on open files and the seventh rank
Put rooks on files with no pawns and get them to the opponent's seventh rank.
White to move. Where should the rook go? You choose!
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Answer: B (♖g7) · 1.♖g7 ♕xg7+ 2.hxg7+
Why: The rook goes to the seventh rank on g7, threatening the queen and threatening checkmate. The black queen has to take the rook, and the pawn on h6 takes back with check and is about to promote.
Two rooks are glowing. Choose the best rook move!
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Answer: C (♖a1) · 1.♖a1 ♕xa1 2.♖xa1 ♖xa1+ 3.♕xa1
Why: The rook moves to the open a-file and attacks the black queen directly. The queen can't hide safely, so black has to give the queen for the rook.
Planning and strategy
Trade when ahead, open the position, bishop or knight, good and bad bishops, choosing a plan.
White is a pawn ahead. Trade rooks or keep your rook? You choose!
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Answer: B (♖xb6) · 1.♖xb6 ♔xb6 2.♔d6 ♔a5 3.e6 ♔a4
Why: Trade rooks: the black king has to take back on b6, far from the pawn. The white king leads the e-pawn to the end.
The white queen is already on f7, right next to the black king. Of the three moves, which is the best plan?
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Answer: A (♖b7) · 1.♖b7 ♕e4+ 2.♘f3 ♕xb7 3.♕xb7
Why: The rook goes to the seventh rank, behind the queen. Now White threatens queen takes the bishop on g7, checkmate, because the rook guards g7.
Keep practising in the Karotto app
Each theme above is a lesson in the app's chess course, with a voice that reads every question, hints when your child is stuck, and a replay of the opponent's answer after a wrong move.