CLU

Learn the Basics

Your Chess Learning Path

Six interactive lessons — tap the board, play the moves, build habits that carry into real games.

Your progress0/6 lessons done

Interactive Lessons — Play on a Real Board

LESSON 1

~8 min

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Meet your army

Your first dance

▸How all 6 pieces move

▸The knight's unique L-shaped jump

▸Why the queen is the most powerful

The objective

The whole game in one moment

▸What checkmate looks like on a real board

▸The difference between check and checkmate

▸The move that ends every chess game

Your first opening

Three principles, every game

▸Why controlling the center wins games

▸Your first complete opening: the Italian Game

▸Development as a speed race

Spot tactics

Undefended pieces and double attacks decide many beginner games.

▸How to spot undefended (hanging) pieces

▸The knight fork — attack two at once

▸Winning free material every game

Principles, not memorization

A few ideas that keep paying off as you improve.

▸Why pawns can't go backward — ever

▸How pieces protect each other

▸The two-weakness principle

Take it to the board

You have the habits — now play a full game with coaching.

▸Apply everything in a real match

▸Meet your first AI opponent

▸Start receiving CLU coaching

Start lesson

Also Available — Theory Reference

Chess Basics: Quick Read

~5 min

Piece values, opening principles, key rules — all the theory in one visual walkthrough.

Openings, Coached

Every line taught move by move with the why attached, plus the traps that punish common mistakes. Free to walk through.

Italian Game Ruy Lopez Scotch Game Petrov Defense Vienna Game King's Gambit Sicilian Defense French Defense Caro-Kann Defense Scandinavian Defense Pirc Defense Queen's Gambit Declined Queen's Gambit Accepted King's Indian Defense London System English Opening Englund Gambit Danish Gambit Slav Defense Nimzo-Indian Defense Dutch Defense Latvian Gambit Four Knights Game Alekhine Defense Center Game Grünfeld Defense Modern Defense Elephant Gambit Bishop's Opening Philidor Defense Bird's Opening Benko Gambit Trompowsky Attack Benoni Defense Catalan Opening King's Indian Attack Réti Opening Colle-Zukertort System Queen's Indian Defense Bogo-Indian Defense Old Indian Defense Ponziani Opening Nimzowitsch Defense Owen Defense Three Knights Opening Tarrasch Defense Torre Attack Colle System Stonewall Attack Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Chigorin Defense Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack Hungarian Defense Polish Opening Grob Opening

Not sure where to start? How to learn openings without memorizing