Meet the chess armies and find out about the battlefield
Note: pawns can move one or two squares forward on their first move, then one square at a time after that.

Watch a quick introduction to the chess pieces
Instead of an army, think of each piece as a different kind of athlete.

Try online challenges to capture all the black enemy pieces
See pages 26-27 of your book for a handy reminder of how each piece moves.

Play a puzzle game - a fun way to learn the knight's L-shaped moves
Can you collect all the jewels? You can only visit each square once! (This activity uses Flash and may not work on all browsers.)

Tips on how to play chess

Some videos mention the names of the squares on the board. Click on the links in the topic "Writing down chess moves" to find out more.

Websites to visit

Tips on how to make your first moves in a chess game

Watch a video lesson about how to castle
Castling allows your king to move two squares towards a corner for better protection.

How to put a king in check - and how to escape

Check or checkmate?

A short lesson about pins
NB You do not need to purchase a membership to this site. The video provides a good explanation about pins.

Watch young players show moves to control the centre

More video lessons with tips on how to play chess
NB You do not need to purchase a membership to this site to watch the videos. Click on "Beginner" or type a chess term into the search box on the right. .

Writing down chess moves

Websites to visit

Each square on a chess board has a "name"
To follow a lesson and try a quiz, click on "The Chessboard: Lesson".

Find out how to write down your moves during a chess game
Scroll down for simple quizzes to test your understanding. Ask an adult for help if you get stuck.

More online puzzles

Websites to visit

Can you checkmate the enemy king?
Click on "2 Rooks + King v. king" or "Queen + King v. king". See page 33 of your book and follow the "Checklist" to help you decide the best moves to make. Also see pages 34-35 for more about checkmates.

Solve puzzles designed to build your chess skills
Puzzles include checkmates, forks, skewers and pins. (NB This activity uses Flash and may not work on all browsers.)

You're white - can you figure out the next move?
Don't worry if you make a wrong move. If you see "Try Again", click on the right arrow below this message to see the next move or click "Answer!" to watch all the moves.

Time to play a game of chess!

Websites to visit

Play chess against a computer

Try an online chess game you can play with a friend
To play with a friend click on "Human" for the black player in the drop down menu. To try a different move, click on "Undo" at the top of the board.

See how to set up the black and white armies on a chess board

Learn how to play chess and play against children around the world
You need to sign up (it's free) to access these activities. Children - please ask an adult first.

Make a chess board and players out of Lego™

Important!

Internet safety

Children, make sure you follow these three simple rules when using the internet:

Always ask an adult's permission before using the internet.
Never give out personal information, such as your name, address, school or telephone number.
If a website asks you to type in your name or email address, check with an adult first.

For more tips, see Internet safety for children.

Adults - we recommend that children are supervised while on the internet. The content of a website may change at any time and Usborne Publishing is not responsible for content on sites other than its own.

For more on internet safety, see Internet advice for adults.

Using a tablet or smartphone?

Websites with interactive content may not work on your tablet or smartphone, but you can view them on a computer. Find out more…

About this book

Chess guides
My first chess book

Learn how to command a chess army in this friendly introduction, with entertaining illustrations on how the pieces move, and tons of tips on attacking, defending and winning. A perfect starting point for young children – and a handy refresher for parents and grandparents! With links to specially selected websites with puzzles and more information.

View sample pages from this book.

Katie Daynes

Katie Daynes has written oodles of books for Usborne, from lifting the flaps on germs and poo, through things to spot in the sea and at school, to the life stories of Nelson Mandela and Marie Antoinette. She wrote My First Chess Book after being taught by her son, Joe Birks, who became the British Under 9 Chess Champion in 2017. She now lives in Yorkshire with her architect husband, two inquisitive children and a hamster called Toffee. When she’s not writing books, Katie likes walking on the blustery moors, meeting friends for coffee and playing competitive board games.

Help with links

Problem with a link?

Websites do occasionally experience problems. If a link isn't working we recommend leaving it a while and trying again. If the site is still down the following day please report the problem using our contact form. We will fix the problem as soon as possible, or find an alternative link.

Can't see any links?

If this is the first time you have used Usborne Quicklinks and you can't see ANY links, you may need to adjust your web browser settings. To find out how to do this, see Help & Advice.

Missing link?

The links in Usborne Quicklinks may vary slightly from those described in your book because when a website closes down, or we find a better site, we update the links in Quicklinks. (If we remove any of your favourite sites let us know!)

PDF links

To view and print out files in .pdf format, you need the free Adobe Reader software. Download Adobe Reader.

Sound files

Sound files should play on a computer, tablet or smartphone. If you have difficulty, make sure you have the most up-to-date version of your web browser, or on a desktop computer, download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player (see Technical help).

Midi files

To hear midi files, you need a free program such as Windows Media Player, Real Player or Quicktime. Make sure your speakers are switched on! For more about these programs, see Technical help.