DzealAIDzeal Chess: learn chess step by step, free
Dzeal Chess is a free chess course in your web browser. It teaches one small skill at a time through short quizzes, from the names of the pieces to finding the best move in real positions, and on towards playing without a board. Each level has Easy, Medium and Expert paths, and passing a level earns a bronze, silver or gold badge. There is nothing to install and no account needed to start.
The levels
The course is one connected path. Each level removes one support, until you can follow and play a game without looking at a board.
| Level | What you learn | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Vocabulary | The words chess players use: pieces, rank and file, check, checkmate, castling and more. | Available |
| 2. Squares | Naming squares from a1 to h8, and recognising areas of the board, quickly and without counting. | Available |
| 3. Piece movement | Writing the legal moves of each piece, including castling, en passant and promotion. | Available |
| 3.5. Read a game | Following a famous game from its written moves. | Coming soon |
| 4. Best move | Finding the strongest move in real positions, using puzzles from the Lichess puzzle database. Your answer is checked against the Stockfish chess engine. | Available |
| 5. Notation play | Playing full games against the computer by writing your moves. | Coming soon |
| 6. Blindfold | Playing without seeing the pieces, and finally without a board. | Coming soon |
See the full details on the app's own How to play page.
Easy, Medium and Expert paths
Every level can be taken on three paths. Passing a level opens the next level on the same path, so you can go all the way through on Easy. You never have to do Expert to keep going.
Easy · bronze
For complete beginners and children. Gentle questions and generous pass marks.
Medium · silver
For learners who want more practice and a firmer grip on each skill.
Expert · gold
For players who want the full challenge, and the gold badge.
Badges can be shared from the badge screen. Keeping a streak earns hint tokens, which you can spend when a question has you stuck.
How Level 4 (Best move) is scored
In Best move, you see a real position and choose a move. Dzeal Chess compares it with Stockfish's top five moves for that position and scores it:
| Your move is… | Points |
|---|---|
| Best | +3 |
| Good | +1 |
| Not good enough | 0 |
| A blunder | −2 |
This rewards good thinking even when you don't find the single best move. Exact pass marks are on the app's scoring and rules page.
Reading chess notation
From Level 3 onwards you write moves in algebraic notation: the piece's letter, then the square it moves to. Pawn moves have no letter.
| Written | Means |
|---|---|
K Q R B N | King, queen, rook, bishop, knight (N, because K is the king). |
e4 | A pawn moves to e4. |
Nf3 | A knight moves to f3. |
Bxc6 | A bishop captures (x) on c6. |
Nbd2 | The knight on the b-file moves to d2, when two knights could go there. |
O-O / O-O-O | Castling on the king's side / queen's side. |
e8=Q | A pawn reaches e8 and becomes a queen. |
+ / # | Check / checkmate. |
Dzeal Chess is forgiving about format: it also accepts 0-0 for castling, e8Q for promotion, and coordinate moves such as g1f3 or g1-f3, and check marks are optional.
Five habits that win more games
- Control the centre. Start by moving the pawns in front of your king and queen, so your pieces have room to come out.
- Develop knights and bishops early. Bring out a new piece on most moves in the opening rather than moving the same one again and again.
- Castle early. A king left in the middle is an easy target.
- Check every move for threats. Before you move, ask: what is my opponent attacking, and what does my move leave undefended?
- Look for checks, captures and threats first. These forcing moves are where most games are won and lost, and exactly what Level 4 trains.
New to the rules? The app's Chess basics page covers the board, how each piece moves, special moves and how a game ends, with a glossary of chess words.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dzeal Chess free?
Yes. The course is free, and you can learn as a guest without signing in.
Do I need an account?
No. As a guest, your progress, settings and hint tokens stay in that browser on that device. If you sign in with Google (optional), your progress is saved to your account and syncs across your devices.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Dzeal Chess runs in your web browser on a phone, tablet or computer. JavaScript must be turned on.
I have never played chess. Where should I start?
Start with Level 1, Vocabulary, on the Easy path, and work through the levels in order. If you want the rules first, read Chess basics in 5 minutes.
I already play. Do I have to start at Level 1?
No. Dzeal Chess has a placement test that can start you further along. See the app's scoring and rules page for how it works.
Which path should I choose: Easy, Medium or Expert?
Choose Easy if you are new to chess or learning with a child. Choose Medium for more practice, and Expert for the full challenge and the gold badge. Passing a level opens the next one on the same path, so Easy alone takes you all the way through.
Can I play a full game against the computer?
That is Level 5, Notation play, which is coming soon. You will play full games against the computer by writing your moves.
What is blindfold chess, and why learn it?
In blindfold chess you play without seeing the board, keeping the position in your head and giving moves in notation. Every step towards it, from naming squares to notation play, makes you better at seeing moves ahead in normal games. It is Level 6, coming soon.
Where do the puzzles come from?
Level 4 puzzles come from the Lichess puzzle database, and answers are checked with the Stockfish chess engine.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes. Questions are short, every answer comes with an explanation, mistakes come back as retries, and the Easy path has generous pass marks. Chess is widely used in schools to practise concentration, planning and patience.
Dzeal Chess has its own privacy policy and rules. Questions? Contact the Dzeal Chess team.