Free lesson plans, a curriculum guide, printable worksheets and practical teaching strategies for bringing chess into your classroom.
To use & download
Worksheets & lessons
Any age new to chess
To access
Material for planning and running a chess program
A 16-week beginner sequence with full 45-minute plans for key weeks and matching worksheets.
Engaging games, puzzles, and team exercises that make learning chess fun and interactive.
The teaching order for a beginner class, with weekly outlines and links to the full lesson plans.
Ready-to-print worksheets for practice, homework, and classroom exercises.
Our curriculum is written so any educator can teach it — no chess background needed — and each unit builds on the previous one for steady progress. Full lesson plans are available for Weeks 1, 2 and 11; the guide outlines the rest.
Board setup, piece names, basic movement rules
Individual piece strategies, captures, piece values
Forks, pins, skewers, and basic checkmate patterns
Opening principles, endgame basics, full game practice
The 16-week guide with weekly outlines, assessment ideas and classroom management tips.
Open the Curriculum GuideNo registration required
Try NGChess with one real class: students join with a code, you assign puzzles and see each student's progress.
Practice positions live in the chess lab library. Teaching in Texas or Alaska? Those guides cover what's available locally.