What is a chess course?

A chess course is a set of chess lessons for a group, week after week. You have the same coach and the same kids every time. Each lesson is about one thing, like a trap, a trick or a checkmate. Soon you spot moves you never saw before. Gukesh is world champion now, and he learned chess when he was seven. After that, he had lessons three times a week, for an hour each time.

What happens in a lesson?

• The coach shows the day's idea on a big demo board or a screen.
• You answer questions, ask your own, and suggest moves.
• You solve puzzles about that same idea.
• At the end of the lesson, you play games.

A course teaches you new ideas, and game nights and tournaments are where you try them out.

Who runs one, and where do you look?

Chess clubs run courses, and so do schools, libraries and chess coaches. Some meet in the evening, some after school and some on weekends. To find one, ask at school, at the nearest club or at the library. A grown-up who plays chess may know a coach too. Most courses sort kids into groups by age and level. That way, you sit with kids who play about as well as you.

Do I have to be good first?

No, because a beginner course starts with how the pieces move and then your first checkmates. If you know the moves already, ask for the next group up. Many places let you try one lesson before you sign up. In the lesson, sit near the front and put your hand up.

How you get the sticker

When the last lesson has ended, show your grown-up or coach your proof. That can be the course sheet, a certificate, or a photo from the last lesson. If there is no certificate, the coach of the course can tell them you finished it. Your grown-up or coach checks it and hands you the sticker. If you have no club, then your grown-up at home checks it. Did you finish a course before you had the passport? It still counts.