Step 1 Books

Recommended for brand new students through USCF 800. Students aged 6 or younger may want to begin with Stepping Stones. You can download the answers here.

Step 1 Workbook is the core of our Beginner Lessons. It explains all the rules and skills necessary to play chess. Upon completion, students progress through Step 1 Plus, Step 1 Extra, and Step 1 Mix. Ambitious students may work through more than one workbook simultaneously. Step 1 Basic Workbook contains 486 positions matching the lessons of Step 1 Trainers Manual. Steps 1 Workbook covers:

1. Board layout (ranks, files, diagonals, squares)

2. Piece movement

3. Attack and capture

4. Pawn moves

5. Defending

6. Check and getting out of check

7. Mate

8. Castling

9. Exchange and winning the exchange

10. Twofold attack

11. Draw

12. Pawn moves 2

13. Chess notation

Step 1 Extra extends our Beginner Curriculum. It repeats the subjects of Step 1 Workbook, but with new and unique puzzles so that students can practice recognizing these patterns in different contexts. Many students benefit from reinforcing their skills with Step 1 Extra before moving to new and more difficult subjects in Step 1 Plus. Step 1 Extra contains approximately 500 positions.

Step 1 Mix extends our Beginner Curriculum by presenting challenges that most accurately reflect real games. The puzzles are not grouped by theme or subject. You simply have to find the best move. What is going on? Which targets can I exploit? What is my opponent threatening? Is it time to draw? The Mix Workbooks are perfect to use as a test to see with what kind of positions and subjects a student is still struggling. Step 1 Mix contains over 700 puzzles.

Step 1 Plus completes our Beginner Curriculum. It contains exercises matching the plus lessons of Step 1 Manual. It is more difficult than the Step 1 Workbook, introducing broader subjects and covering previous topics in greater depth. Step 1 Plus contains approximately 500 positions grouped into eight lessons matching the lessons of Step 1 Trainers Manual.Step 1 Plus contains approximately 500 positions grouped under 8 topics:

1. Winning material

2. Defending

3. Mate

4. Board vision

5. Defending against mate

6. Draws

7. Creating mate

8. The passed pawn

Step 1 Trainers Manual is a quietly revolutionary book ideal for anyone interested in supporting chess students. It is much more than a list of lesson plans and puzzle answers. The book opens with nearly 50 pages on chess pedagogy and learning theory, explaining why many of the most common ways of teaching chess are inconsistent with learning science. For instance, the book makes a strong case for focusing on material before space, skills rather than knowledge, and proficiency through repetition rather than an endless stream of new “content.”

Combined with regular game analysis and practice games, the Step 1 series (Workbook, Extra, Mix, and Plus) can bring a student from complete beginner to a rating of USCF/NWSRS 800.

Recommended for coaches as well as self-coached students. An adult who wants to give a child a strong foundation might start with the Step 1 Trainers Manual, Step 1 Workbook, and Step 1 Plus.

Step 1 Trainers Manual Topics:

• Organization

• Motivation

• Teaching

• Sequence of teaching material

• Asking questions

• Giving assistance

• The workbooks

• Games

• Information on how to use the Stepping Stones and Step 1 Workbooks

• Answers and explanations for Step 1 Workbook and Step 1 Plus

Lesson Plans:

• Attacking

• Capturing

• Defending

  • Moving away

  • Protecting

  • Capturing the attacker

  • Interposing

• Check and getting out of check

• Mate in 1

• Defending against mate

• Tactics for winning material

  • Capturing an unprotected piece

  • Profitable exchange

  • Twofold attack

• The passed pawn

• Stalemate

The Step 1 Trainers Manual accompanies the Step 1 Workbook and Step 1 Plus. Ideally, the coach should have a copy of the manual and workbook, and each student should have their own copy of the workbooks.