The Case Files
How to Castle in Chess (and When You Shouldn't)
To castle, move your king two squares toward an unmoved rook, then hop the rook to the square the king crossed. Legal only if neither piece has moved,…
En Passant Explained: The Rule Nobody Believes Is Real
En passant lets a pawn capture an enemy pawn that just moved two squares past it, as if it had only moved one. It is legal, it is old, and yes, your o…
Why Do I Keep Blundering in Chess?
You keep blundering because of four fixable habits: moving too fast, tunnel vision on your own plan, tilt after a mistake, and playing tired. Each one…
How to Stop Hanging Pieces in Chess
You stop hanging pieces by adding one habit: before every move, check what your opponent can capture or attack in reply. This page turns that habit in…
The Scholar's Mate: How to Spot It and Stop It
Scholar's Mate is the four move checkmate targeting f7 with a queen and bishop. Here is exactly how to see it coming and the two easy defenses that sh…
Signs You Have Chessitis (Chess Obsession Symptoms)
Chessitis is the medically unrecognized but very real condition of thinking about chess when you should be doing literally anything else. Symptoms, st…
What Is a Fork in Chess? The Tactic That Wins Material
A fork is a single move that attacks two or more enemy pieces at the same time, so your opponent can only save one. It is the most common material-win…