Our Curriculum
A Complete Chess Journey
Four progressive stages designed to grow with your child — from playful storytelling at age 3 to tournament-ready teens.
01
Chess Story Time
“Where chess feels like a fairytale”
Ages 3–5First contact with chess through storytelling. Kids meet the pieces as characters in a kingdom — the brave Knight, the wise Bishop, the playful Pawn. Sessions are short, magical, and built around token rewards so motivation stays high. No pressure, just play.
What they'll learn
- ✓Names and movements of all pieces
- ✓Recognising patterns on the board
- ✓First experiences of giving and receiving check
- ✓Confidence and love for the game
02
Chess Foundations
“From rules to real games”
Ages 6–8Students move from learning the pieces to playing complete chess games. Coaches focus on patience, visualisation, and the rules every player must know — castling, en passant, check, checkmate, and stalemate. Many kids play their first proper games at this stage.
What they'll learn
- ✓Castling, en passant, and the full rules
- ✓Check, checkmate, and stalemate recognition
- ✓Opening principles (control the centre, develop pieces)
- ✓Classic back-rank and scholar's-mate patterns
03
Tactical Chess
“Outsmart, outplan, outplay”
Ages 8–12The tactical phase. Students develop their eye for forks, pins, skewers, and discovered attacks — the patterns that decide most games at every level. They start building an opening repertoire, learn endgame technique, and most enter their first tournaments at this stage.
What they'll learn
- ✓Tactical motifs — forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks
- ✓Opening repertoire — Italian, Sicilian, French basics
- ✓Basic endgames — K+Q, K+R, K+P
- ✓Tournament etiquette and clock handling
04
Strategic Mastery
“Think like a champion”
Ages 12+Advanced students go deep into strategy — pawn structures, positional play, complex endgames, time management. This is where consistent tournament performers are made. Many of our top finishers in Bangkok junior tournaments came up through this stage.
What they'll learn
- ✓Strategic planning and prophylaxis
- ✓Complex tactical combinations
- ✓Advanced endgame theory
- ✓Tournament consistency and time management
- ✓Chess culture, history, and great players
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Want the full skill-by-skill breakdown?
The four stages above show the journey by age. For the complete map of every chess skill we teach — broken into 8 element-themed Armor levels, from Snow to Shadow — head over to the Armor curriculum page.
See the 8 Armor levels →
Ready to start your chess journey?
Book a free trial and we'll match your child with the perfect stage.