Brainiac Chess Academy

Advanced Beginner Course (Level 2)

♟️ Brainiac Chess Academy – Advanced Beginner Course (Level 2)

Activating Your Pieces with Purpose
The Queen’s Power: Double Attack – Part 1
The Queen’s Power: Double Attack – Part 2
The Pin: Freezing Your Opponent’s Pieces
Breaking the Defence: How to Remove Protectors
The 3 Golden Rules of Strong Play

Solving Checkmate in Two Moves
The Knight’s Trick: Double Attack Patterns
Winning with the Rook
Team Attacks: Rook, Bishop, Queen, and King
The Discovered Attack: Hidden Strikes
How to Defend Against Checkmate Threats

1. Chess Development of a Child

At the Advanced Beginner stage, a child moves from simply knowing the rules to using them creatively. They begin to understand tactics like pins, forks, and removing the defender. This stage is crucial for developing pattern recognition — spotting threats and opportunities faster Through Level 2 training, children learn to plan a few moves ahead, gaining not only stronger chess skills but also sharper problem-solving abilities in everyday life.

2. Characteristic Features of Children’s Play

Children at this stage often show enthusiasm but inconsistency. They enjoy attacking but may overlook defense. Their play is imaginative, but sometimes reckless. Common traits include:

Preferring flashy checkmates over quiet strong moves.
Missing their opponent’s threats while focusing on their own.
Repeating favorite tactics (like double attacks) without checking if they work. By guiding children patiently, we help balance their creativity with discipline, turning raw talent into structured play.

3. Sequence of the Teaching Material

For Level 2, teaching must follow a clear tactical progression:

Double attacks with queen, knight, and other pieces.
Pins and discovered attacks.
Eliminating defenders and basic combinations.
Mate in two puzzles for logical training.
Defensive ideas: spotting threats and saving positions. This sequence helps children not just learn tactics, but also apply them correctly in real games.

4. Teaching

The teaching approach in Level 2 shifts from pure instruction → guided discovery

Coaches present a tactical idea
Students are encouraged to solve examples themselves.
Mistakes are discussed openly — not as failures, but as learning tools. Storytelling still works, but now we emphasize critical questions like: “What happens if the opponent moves here?”
The goal is to make children think more independently, while still feeling supported.

5. Discussing the Games of the Children

Reviewing games is one of the most powerful teaching tools at this stage. By going over their own games:

Children see their strengths (a good attack or tactic).
They recognize missed opportunities (a mate in two overlooked, or a hanging piece).
Discussion should be interactive: instead of giving the correct move immediately, coaches should ask guiding questions that lead students to discover better ideas. This way, children build a habit of self-analysis — a skill that stays with them as they grow in chess.