Get an introduction to the rules and principles of the game of chess from one of its elite players, as Grandmaster Sam Shankland guides you through this beginner-friendly course

Move at your own pace, reviewing rules and lessons as often as you need to retain them, and skipping over any foundational elements you already know - yes, intermediate players are welcome, too!
Learn key elements of both chess strategy and chess tactics, including fundamental ideas of when to how to develop, when to trade, and how to seize opportunities that emerge throughout the game.
Explore the fundamentals of the chess endgame, learning how to deliver checkmate with as little as a rook and king, and convert even a lone pawn into a decisive advantage.
Take the first steps on your chess journey with the guidance of a former U.S. Champion, and one of the strongest players in the world!

Gain A Foundational Understanding Of The Rules And Principles Of Chess From One Of The World’s Elite Grandmasters!

Check Out The Trailer!

What Will You Learn?

Sam Shankland is what is called a super-grandmaster, one of the world’s elite players and a fixture in top-level events. Not yet 30 years old, the California native has already had an incredible chess career, winning the 2018 U.S. Championship atop a stacked field, representing the nation as it won its first team gold in forty years at the 2016 Chess Olympiad, and ranking consistently among the world’s top 50 players by rating. But his chess journey, like any other, began with a foundational knowledge of the game’s rules and key principles, and now he wants to share that foundation with you.

Laying the Foundation with Sam Shankland is a course designed to give you all the essential tools you need to get your chess adventure underway. Unlike much chess content effectively restricted to intermediate or advanced players, Laying the Foundation is accessible to even complete beginners, as Grandmaster Shankland begins by walking through board setup, rules and features of the chess pieces, and how to play the game.

From there, GM Shankland proceeds to showcase the key skills required to convert advantages in the game of chess. He will show you how to finish the game with as little as a rook, or even just a single extra pawn! He will also show you how to spot and seize crucial tactical opportunities, delivering the forks, pins, skewers, discoveries, and traps that so often make the difference in competitive games. And yes, you can skip ahead to this part if you already know the rules!

Finally, your grandmaster guide will break down the essentials of chess strategy and positional play. In the last part of the course, GM Shankland will explain why you need to start the game fighting for the center, what a difference castling makes to the tactical future of a game, how to best divide your time and ensure your pieces’ effective development, and what key weaknesses and structures to watch out for. By the end of the course, you will be able to make informed, critical decisions in your own games starting from move one.

The game of chess offers infinite possibility when it comes to exploration, discovery, and expansion of the mind’s strength and ability. But the journey through the chess world must begin with a fundamental comprehension of how that world works, and from what essential components it is made. Just as self-improvement and mastery in any martial art begin with an understanding of key techniques, concepts, and forms for the student progressing through the early belts, so too does the rewarding, powerful journey of chess exploration begin with an understanding of the game’s essential concepts, principles, and techniques. With elite grandmaster and U.S. Champion Sam Shankland as your guide, that is a journey you can begin today.

So, What Exactly Do You Get?

PART 1

INTRODUCTION

SETTING UP THE BOARD

PAWNS

KNIGHTS

BISHOPS AND ROOKS

QUEEN AND KING

SPECIAL RULES

PART 2

END OF THE GAME

MATING WITH A QUEEN

MATING WITH A ROOK

KING AND PAWN ENDGAME 1

KING AND PAWN ENDGAME 2

PAWN ENDGAME 3

PART 3

MATERIAL VALUES

FORKS

PINS

SKEWERS

DISCOVERED ATTACKS

TRAPPED PIECES

PART 4

FIGHT FOR THE CENTER

CASTLE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

DON'T MOVE THE SAME PIECE TWICE

DON'T BRING OUT THE QUEEN TOO EARLY

DON'T TOUCH THE F-PAWN

DON'T MAKE TOO MANY PAWN MOVES

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