Overview
Master Chess Basics: Understand the chessboard, piece movements, rules of play, and game outcomes to establish a clear foundation., Use Chess Notation: Accurately read, write, and communicate chess moves with standard notation for effective learning and game review., Think Strategically: Apply the Game Tree method to evaluate moves systematically, plan ahead, and make sound strategic choices., Learn Patterns: Execute essential checkmates and endgame techniques, including basic mating patterns and pawn endings, to convert advantages into victories., Improve Through Analysis: Apply fundamental opening principles and analyze games critically to identify mistakes, refine strategies, and enhance performance.
Total beginners, Players stuck at beginner or intermediate level, Experienced players seeking a fresh, computational perspective
No prior knowledge of chess is required. This course is designed for complete beginners., Learners need an openness to an academic-style course and the ability to pay attention to details., Access to a computer (preferably), tablet, or smartphone with internet is recommended for practicing on free online chess platforms.
“This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.”
Between 2008 and 2013, I actively pursued chess and represented the Iranian youth national team twice (2010 and 2012), with our team finishing third in the Asian blitz section in 2012. That same year, my teammates and I also won the Iranian Premier League. Like most competitive chess players, I participated in and won many individual tournaments. Although I haven’t competed in official tournaments for several years, at the time of creating this course my online play placed me among the top 1% of players worldwide, according to a Lichess profile I created specifically for this course.
Having devoted much of my youth to chess and later trained in computational sciences, I now see an opportunity to combine my scientific perspective with my understanding of chess. That’s why I created this Introduction to Chess course: designed specifically for beginners, it provides a clear, solid foundation while showing the game through a computational and scientific lens. No prior chess knowledge is required—just an openness to an academic-style approach and attention to detail.
The course is divided into two parts:
Part 1 (S1–S5) covers the essential chess rules and notation in just over one hour.
Part 2 (S6–end) focuses on improving gameplay and developing strategic thinking in under two hours.
Taha Rostami
I was a competitive chess player from 2008 to 2013, representing the Iranian Youth National Team. During this time, I achieved top placements in numerous individual and team events, including the Iranian Premier League and the Asian Youth Championship.
Since 2014, I have pursued studies and professional work in computer science, and as of 2025 I am a PhD student in Computer Science at the University of Luxembourg.
The people I have worked with in chess have gone on to win the Iranian Youth Championship, while my computer science students have secured their first positions as data scientists in well-recognized companies.