Week 1 ♟
Checks, Captures, Threats!
Scan every forcing move before choosing one: the CCT habit.
Puzzle type"Find all the checks" scan puzzles
Block 1 · Weeks 1–4
Tactical Awakenings & Checkmate Patterns
Players learn to see forcing moves and finish games with checkmate instead of stalling.
Week 2 ♞
The Fork Awakens
Knight and pawn forks: one piece attacking two at once.
Puzzle typeSpot-the-fork puzzles, 1 move
Week 3 ♝
Pinned to the Wall
Pins and skewers along files, ranks and diagonals.
Puzzle typeWin-material puzzles, 1–2 moves
Week 4 ♚
Checkmate Bootcamp
Back-rank mate, queen-and-king mate and the rook "ladder" mate.
Puzzle typeMate-in-1 and mate-in-2
Boss level
The Tactics Gauntlet: 10 puzzles mixing all four themes. Score 7/10 or more to earn a certificate.
Block 2 · Weeks 5–8
Opening Principles & Piece Activity
Players start every game with a plan: pieces out quickly, centre controlled, king safe.
Week 5 ♟
Race to the Centre
Control the centre with pawns (e4, d4) and pieces.
Puzzle type"Best first move" choice puzzles
Week 6 ♞
Wake Up Your Army
Develop knights and bishops before moving any piece twice.
Puzzle type"Which move develops?" puzzles
Week 7 ♜
Castle Quest
Castle early and keep the queen at home until the army is ready.
Puzzle typePunish-the-early-queen puzzles
Week 8 ♛
Opening Traps & Tricks
Recognise and avoid traps like Scholar's Mate, Légal's Mate and Fried Liver ideas.
Puzzle typeTrap or safe? Defend-the-trap puzzles
Boss level
Ten Moves to Glory: each player plays the first 10 moves against the coach, scoring points for development, castling and centre control.
Block 3 · Weeks 9–12
Simple Endgames & Avoiding Blunders
Players turn winning positions into wins and stop giving pieces away.
Week 9 ♟
Pawn Power-Up
King and pawn vs king: the opposition and the "square of the pawn".
Puzzle typeCan-the-king-catch-it? race puzzles
Week 10 ♜
Rook Rescue Mission
Rooks behind passed pawns, and cutting off the enemy king.
Puzzle typePlay-it-out positions vs coach or partner
Week 11 ♝
The Blunder Detective
Before every move: what does their last move threaten, and is my piece safe?
Puzzle typeFind-the-blunder game positions
Week 12 ♚
Grandmaster Graduation
Tactics, openings, endgames and blunder-checking, all together.
Puzzle typeMixed-theme puzzle rush + tournament
Boss level
A graduation tournament. Parents are invited to watch the final round and certificates are presented.
Every session
The same 60-minute rhythm
- 10 minWarm-up. A quick puzzle from last week's theme.
- 15 minMini-lesson. Today's idea on the demo board, with players guessing moves.
- 15 minGuided puzzles. Solved in pairs, then shared with the group.
- 15 minThemed game. A game that rewards today's idea, like bonus points for a fork.
- 5 minReflection. Each player names one thing they learned.
For parents
Tracking progress
- A puzzle score recorded every week, so improvement is visible.
- A short progress note at the end of each block.
- Optional online rating on Lichess or Chess.com between sessions.
How you can help
- Encourage 10 minutes of puzzles, 3–4 times a week.
- Ask "What tactic did you learn today?" rather than "Did you win?"
- Play a friendly game at home and let your child explain their moves.
Ready to start?
Any block is a starting point.
Each block stands on its own, so new players can join at week 1, 5 or 9. Book a trial session to find the right starting block for your child.