Beginner Cheat Sheets
3 printable sheets with everything you need to stop blundering and start winning. Print them and keep them next to your board.
Opening Playbook
3 systems to get you through the first 10 moves
Your Opening Systems
1.d4 2.Bf4 3.e3 4.Nf3 5.Bd3
Same setup every game. Solid pawn structure, bishop gets out early, and you castle fast.
1...e5 2...Nf6 3...Nc6 4...Bc5 5...O-O
Control the center, get your knights and bishop out, castle by move 5. Simple and effective.
1...d5 2...Nf6 3...e6 4...Bd6 5...O-O
Mirror the center control. Knights before bishops, castle early. No fancy theory needed.
4 Opening Rules
Get your personalized stats after 10 games
The SCAN: Move Checklist
Ask these 4 questions before every move
Is my piece safe here?
Before you let go, count attackers vs defenders. If more pieces attack your square than defend it, your piece is hanging.
Hanging pieces are the #1 way beginners lose material. One quick count saves you.
Can I capture anything?
Look for undefended enemy pieces. Free captures are the easiest way to win material at this level.
Check every enemy piece that just moved. Did it leave something unprotected?
Am I being attacked?
Before you play your move, ask what your opponent just threatened. If you skip this, you'll walk into a trap.
Always ask: what did their last move do? What square does it aim at?
What's my next move?
Don't just react. Have a 1-move plan: develop a piece, control a square, or set up a threat.
Even a simple plan beats no plan. Pick one goal per move.
Play 10 games and we'll show you exactly where you're losing pieces
Endgame Essentials
Pre-move checks and 3 checkmate patterns every beginner needs
Step Zero: Before Every Endgame Move
Am I about to stalemate?
If your opponent's king has no legal moves and isn't in check, it's a draw. Before you push for mate, make sure you leave them a square to move to until you're ready to deliver checkmate.
Is my back rank safe?
A rook or queen on the last rank is lethal if your king has no escape square. Give your king an air hole (push h3 or g3) before it's too late.
Can I checkmate right now?
Scan the board for forced mate. Beginners miss mate-in-1 and mate-in-2 constantly. Slow down and look before making a "safe" move.
Checkmate Patterns to Learn
Queen + King Mate
Push the enemy king to the edge with your queen, then bring your king in close to deliver checkmate. The most common endgame you'll play.
Two Rooks (Ladder Mate)
Rooks take turns cutting off ranks, pushing the king to the edge one row at a time. Mechanical and hard to mess up once you see the pattern.
Back Rank Mate
A rook or queen delivers checkmate on the last rank when the king is trapped behind its own pawns. Recognizing this saves you from losing to it, too.
After 10 games, we'll show you which mates you're missing
Getting Started
Create a free Chess.com account
Chess.com is free. You don't need a paid membership. Just sign up and you're good to go.
Play Rapid games (10+ min per side)
Not Blitz, not Bullet. You need time to think and apply what you learned from the cheat sheets. Rapid gives you that breathing room.
Come back after 10 games
We'll run Stockfish on every move and build you a personalized coaching plan. Your cheat sheets will show your actual stats, not generic advice.
5 Mistakes Every Beginner Makes
Moving the same piece twice in the opening
Every wasted move is a piece that stays on its starting square. Get all your pieces into the game before shuffling one around.
Not castling
Your king in the center is a sitting target. Castle before move 10, every single game. Make it a reflex.
Bringing the queen out early
Your queen is powerful but fragile in the opening. Every time your opponent attacks it, you lose a move retreating. Develop minor pieces first.
Not looking at what your opponent just did
Before you touch a piece, ask: what did their last move threaten? This one habit fixes half the blunders at this level.
Playing on tilt (3+ bad moves in a row)
After a blunder, the next 2 moves are where the game falls apart. Take a breath. Slow down. Play the position in front of you, not the one you wish you had.
Ready for personalized coaching?
These cheat sheets work for any beginner. But after 10 games, we can build ones that target your specific weaknesses. $4.99, one-time purchase.
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