The course
- about 5 min
1. The board and the pieces
How to place the board, what the squares are called and where the pieces stand.
- about 5 min
2. The rook
Straight forward, backward and sideways, as far as it likes.
- about 5 min
3. The bishop
Along the diagonals, as far as it likes, always on the same color.
- about 5 min
4. The queen
Straight and diagonally, as far as she likes. The strongest on the board.
- about 6 min
5. The knight
The knight (the horse) jumps in an L, over anything in its way.
- about 6 min
6. The pawn
Straight ahead, two squares from the start, and captures diagonally.
- about 7 min
7. The king and check
One square in any direction, and three ways out of check.
- about 8 min
8. Checkmate
Your first checkmates: the back rank, the ladder mate and the queen with the king.
- about 7 min
9. Castling
The king to safety and the rook into play, in a single move.
- about 6 min
10. En passant and promotion
The pawn's two special moves: the capture in passing and the new queen.
- about 5 min
11. Stalemate and draws
When nobody wins: stalemate, too little material and other kinds of draws.
- about 8 min
12. Your first game
Three rules of thumb for the opening, Scholar's Mate, and then a real game.
Who is the course for?
Anyone who wants to learn chess from the very beginning: children who have just discovered the pieces, grown-ups who never got around to it, and grandparents who want to play with their grandchildren. The lessons are written so that an eight-year-old and an eighty-year-old can both follow along. If you already know the rules, you can jump straight to checkmate or your first game.
How long does it take?
A lesson takes about five to ten minutes, and the whole course around 75 minutes. That's 60 small steps in all. Take one or two lessons a day. It sticks better that way, and it's more fun.
How a lesson works
- Lavi says something short about a piece or a rule, and gives you a task.
- You solve it on the board: reach the star, capture all the pawns, give check, give mate or pick the right answer.
- Lavi tells you at once if you got it right, and why not if you didn't. If you need help, there's a hint.
- When you have finished a lesson, it gets a check mark above.
- What you got wrong comes back after a while, under Review with Lavi, until it sticks.
For parents and teachers
You can take the course entirely on your own, but it's even better together. Read Lavi's lines aloud, let the child move, and talk about why. There's more about how children learn chess on the page chess for kids, and all the rules are in the rules of chess, to read at your own pace.
When you know the rules
Keep going with tactics, the tricks that win pieces and games, and the endgames, where won games have to be won. Or try the daily puzzle, the same for everyone, new every day.
And when you want to go deeper, there's Endgames with Lavi: twelve lessons on the positions that decide games, from the king's role to mate with bishop and knight. The first lesson is free. The rest are part of LaviChess Plus.
Frequently asked questions
Does the course cost anything?
No. The course is free and you don't need an account. Everything happens right in your browser.
Is my progress saved?
Yes, in this browser: the lessons you've finished are saved on your own device. If you have a profile, they follow you to your other devices too. Otherwise the check marks disappear if you switch devices or clear your browser, but you can always go straight to any lesson you like.
How old do you have to be?
There's no age limit. If you can read short sentences and click on the board, you can take the course. Younger children do fine with a grown-up beside them reading aloud.
Do I have to take the lessons in order?
No, but they build on each other. If you already know how the pieces move, start with lesson 7, about the king and check.
Who is Lavi?
Lavi is the strongest player in the house, a lion we made up. His name means just that, lion, in Hebrew. In the lessons he's your coach: he explains, gives you a hint when you get stuck and is happy when you succeed. You can play against him too, but beating him is almost impossible.
Why do old tasks come back?
A task you got wrong comes back here after a day, under Review with Lavi. If you get it right, it comes back again after a few days, and once you've gotten it right twice in a row, it's done. If you get it wrong, it comes back the next day. That way, what was hard sticks.
Updated November 6, 2026