Play it back

When the game is over, the best part starts. Play the whole game again. Chess players call this a post-mortem, which means a look back after the game. The game is done, so now you can take your time over every move. Hunt for the one move that changed the game. Once you find it, you can spot it the next time.

How a review goes

• Stop at the big moments: a lost piece, a missed check, a trick that worked.
• Ask yourself what else you could play here, and try it on the board.
• Then let your partner tell you what they saw.
• Mark the moves like strong players do: ! for good, ? for a mistake. A very bad mistake is called a blunder, and it gets ??.

Two or three big moments are plenty, so pick one thing to do differently in your next game.

Who looks with you?

Your opponent is the best partner, because they saw the game from the other side. A friend from school is a good partner too. So is a parent at home, even one who does not play chess. They can still ask you why you made a move. At a club, the coach may sit down with you. If you played online, the site kept every move for you. You can replay it together on the kid-safe account your grown-up made. Lichess has a computer that can check your game, but always look with your own eyes first.

What if I blundered?

Everyone makes blunders sometimes. In 2006, world champion Vladimir Kramnik was playing a computer, and he did not see a checkmate coming. The computer checkmated him in one move. During a game you think alone, with no notes, no help and no second board. That is what the rules of chess say. After the game, you can look together, and two people find what one person missed.

How you get the sticker

Your grown-up or coach checks it and hands you the sticker. Show them your scoresheet with the ! and ? marks on it. Or tell them the move you found, and what you would play instead. If you have no club or coach, your grown-up at home checks it. Did you review a game before you had the passport? It still counts.