Play it elsewhere
Chaalwise teaches each game well enough to play it, then sends you to play. Full games are where the ideas get tested. Play some, then come back to learn more and to review.
Chess
Before your first game, work through the first 21 chess lessons, from Name the squares to Play a real game: a few minutes each. Tactics, the middlegame and endgames come after, when you come back to learn more.
Online, free
- Lichess is free, with no ads and no paid tier, and you can play without an account. It is run by a non-profit and its code is open. Some of Chaalwise's own tools come from it.
- Choose at least 10 minutes each. Slower games give you time to use the blunder check; very fast games mostly test speed.
- Play against people near your level, or against the computer at a low level first. Losing many games early is normal.
Face to face
- A friend or family member with a board is the easiest start. Agree the rules first: touch-move, and what happens with a draw.
- Chess clubs welcome beginners, and many meet weekly at schools, colleges, libraries and community halls. Ask for a club near you, or a casual game night.
- Bring back the moments that cost you a game. They are the best things to look up in the reference.
Poker
Learn how a hand runs in your first hands here, with a coach at every decision and practice points that can never be bought, sold or cashed out. When you play elsewhere, keep it the same way.
- Play at home with friends or family, for points written on paper, or for matchsticks or counters that are worth nothing.
- Never play for money, and never on sites or apps that take money. Chaalwise does not link to any.
- Afterwards, talk about one decision each: was it good, whatever the cards did?