Chess Castles blog

How to improve, chess for kids, stories and chess history, in English, हिंदी and मराठी.

From 1500 to 2500 on Chess Castles: the plan, the numbers, the tools

Our practice account went from 1500 to 2520 in 37 sessions by following the roadmap. Here is the plan it followed, the numbers it produced, and the Chess Castles courses and tools it used, point by point.

Stuck at the same rating? 7 ways to break through

Every player hits a wall. Here is what strong players do when the rating will not move.

The Immortal Game: winning after giving away the queen and both rooks

In 1851, Adolf Anderssen gave up almost everything and still checkmated his opponent.

The legend of the rice on the chessboard

A famous legend about a clever inventor, a king and 64 squares, and a number too big to imagine.

Chess was born in India: the story of chaturanga

Long before the computer, chess started as an Indian war game with four parts of an army.

Viswanathan Anand: the Tiger of Madras who made India a chess country

India’s first Grandmaster, and a World Champion whose success lit the path for a new generation.

Gukesh: the youngest World Champion in history

At 18, a boy from Chennai beat the reigning champion and made chess history.

The day a computer beat the World Champion

In 1997, IBM’s Deep Blue beat Garry Kasparov in a match. What did it change?

7 tips for parents of a young chess player

How to support your child without pressure, from a coach’s point of view.

The 10-second habit that stops most blunders

Three questions before every move. Children who ask them lose far fewer pieces.

When your child loses and cries: what to say

Tears after a loss are normal. Here is how to turn them into growth.

A simple weekly chess plan for a child (about 2 hours)

Not sure how much to practise? Start with this week and adjust.

Scholar’s mate: the 4-move trap every beginner meets

How the quickest checkmate works, and three easy ways to stop it.

15 minutes a day beats 2 hours on Sunday

Why short daily puzzle practice makes children improve faster.

The night before and the morning of your child’s first tournament

A calm checklist so the child plays their best.

Judit Polgár: the girl who beat the world’s best

Trained at home by her father, she became a Grandmaster at 15 and defeated Kasparov.

Pragg and Vaishali: Grandmaster brother and sister from Chennai

Two siblings who made chess history together.