Step 3 is the core for our Advanced I Lessons. Ambitious students may work through more than one workbook simultaneously. Recommended for students USCF 1200-1400. Answers available here.
Step 3 Workbook introduces tactics and positional play. At this level, nearly all games are decided by tactics, so most of the attention is paid to common tactical patterns. This workbook contains 489 positions matching the lessons in the Step 3 Trainers Manual.
Subjects of Step 3 are:
Completing the opening
Discovered attack: double check
Attacking a pinned piece
Mate after gaining access
The square of the pawn
Eliminating the defense
Defending against a double attack
Mini-plans
Draws
X-ray
Defending against a pin
Mobility
Key squares
Pinned pieces
Threats
The rook pawn
The intermediate move
Vulnerability in the opening
Underpromotion
Development
Step 3 Extra extends our Advanced I Lessons. It repeats the subjects of Step 3 Workbook, but with new and unique puzzles so that students can practice recognizing these patterns in different contexts. Both faster and slower students benefit from reinforcing their skills with Step 3 Extra before moving to new and more difficult subjects in Step 3 Plus. Step 3 Extra contains approximately 500 positions.
Step 3 Mix extends our Advanced I 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 3 Mix contains over 700 puzzles.
Step 3 Plus is the final workbook in our Advanced I Curriculum. It contains exercises matching the plus lessons of Step 3 Manual. It is more difficult than the Step 3 Workbook, introducing broader subjects and covering previous topics in greater depth. Step 3 Plus contains approximately 500 positions.
If the student has completed the Step 3 Workbook and is ready for a bigger challenge, Step 3 Plus is the correct choice. If the student needs more practice on the skills from previous lessons before moving to Step 3 Plus, then Step 3 Extra or Step 3 Mix are appropriate ways of reinforcing what was covered in the Step 3 Workbook.
Step 3 Thinking Ahead forms the core of our Visualize 2 Special Topics Course. It is appropriate for students who have completed (or are at least well into) Step 3. Thinking Ahead exercises are completely different and more diverse than the other workbooks. For example:
Blindfold chess: Instead of a board with pieces, you will see an empty board with only notation of the position of each piece on the side.
Blindfold exercises: Similar to route planner, but visualizing every move.
If then exercises: The student has to visualize a possible move of the opponent, before solving the exercise. Sometimes multiple possible moves of the opponent are given for the same diagram.
Step 3 Trainers Manual is used in our Advanced I Lessons. The Step 3 Manual has lesson plans to accompany everything in the Step 3 Workbook and Step 3 Plus.
The Step 3 Manual is much more than lessons plans. It contains over 50 pages on chess pedagogy and learning theory, focusing in this case on the very different needs of the Intermediate student.
Recommended for coaches as well as self-coached students USCF 1200-1400. Combined with regular game analysis and practice games, the Step 3 series (Workbook, Extra, Mix, and Plus) can bring a student to a rating of USCF/NWSRS 1400.
Subjects of Step 3:
Completing the opening
Discovered attack: double check
Attacking a pinned piece
Mate after gaining access
The square of the pawn
Eliminating the defense
Defending against a double attack
Mini-plans
Draws
X-ray
Defending against a pin
Mobility
Key squares
Pinned pieces
Threats
The rook pawn
The intermediate move
Vulnerability in the opening
Underpromotion
Development
The manual contains articles about:
Thinking ahead
Knowledge and skills
Homework
Training games
Discussing a students game
Competitive formats
The Step 3 Trainers Manual accompanies the Step 3 Workbook and Step 3 Plus. Ideally, the coach should have a copy of the manual and workbook, and each student should have their own copy of the workbooks.
Step 3 is the core for our Advanced I Lessons. Ambitious students may work through more than one workbook simultaneously. Recommended for students USCF 1200-1400. Answers available here.
Step 3 Workbook introduces tactics and positional play. At this level, nearly all games are decided by tactics, so most of the attention is paid to common tactical patterns. This workbook contains 489 positions matching the lessons in the Step 3 Trainers Manual.
Subjects of Step 3 are:
Completing the opening
Discovered attack: double check
Attacking a pinned piece
Mate after gaining access
The square of the pawn
Eliminating the defense
Defending against a double attack
Mini-plans
Draws
X-ray
Defending against a pin
Mobility
Key squares
Pinned pieces
Threats
The rook pawn
The intermediate move
Vulnerability in the opening
Underpromotion
Development
Step 3 Extra extends our Advanced I Lessons. It repeats the subjects of Step 3 Workbook, but with new and unique puzzles so that students can practice recognizing these patterns in different contexts. Both faster and slower students benefit from reinforcing their skills with Step 3 Extra before moving to new and more difficult subjects in Step 3 Plus. Step 3 Extra contains approximately 500 positions.
Step 3 Mix extends our Advanced I 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 3 Mix contains over 700 puzzles.
Step 3 Plus is the final workbook in our Advanced I Curriculum. It contains exercises matching the plus lessons of Step 3 Manual. It is more difficult than the Step 3 Workbook, introducing broader subjects and covering previous topics in greater depth. Step 3 Plus contains approximately 500 positions.
If the student has completed the Step 3 Workbook and is ready for a bigger challenge, Step 3 Plus is the correct choice. If the student needs more practice on the skills from previous lessons before moving to Step 3 Plus, then Step 3 Extra or Step 3 Mix are appropriate ways of reinforcing what was covered in the Step 3 Workbook.
Step 3 Thinking Ahead forms the core of our Visualize 2 Special Topics Course. It is appropriate for students who have completed (or are at least well into) Step 3. Thinking Ahead exercises are completely different and more diverse than the other workbooks. For example:
Blindfold chess: Instead of a board with pieces, you will see an empty board with only notation of the position of each piece on the side.
Blindfold exercises: Similar to route planner, but visualizing every move.
If then exercises: The student has to visualize a possible move of the opponent, before solving the exercise. Sometimes multiple possible moves of the opponent are given for the same diagram.
Step 3 Trainers Manual is used in our Advanced I Lessons. The Step 3 Manual has lesson plans to accompany everything in the Step 3 Workbook and Step 3 Plus.
The Step 3 Manual is much more than lessons plans. It contains over 50 pages on chess pedagogy and learning theory, focusing in this case on the very different needs of the Intermediate student.
Recommended for coaches as well as self-coached students USCF 1200-1400. Combined with regular game analysis and practice games, the Step 3 series (Workbook, Extra, Mix, and Plus) can bring a student to a rating of USCF/NWSRS 1400.
Subjects of Step 3:
Completing the opening
Discovered attack: double check
Attacking a pinned piece
Mate after gaining access
The square of the pawn
Eliminating the defense
Defending against a double attack
Mini-plans
Draws
X-ray
Defending against a pin
Mobility
Key squares
Pinned pieces
Threats
The rook pawn
The intermediate move
Vulnerability in the opening
Underpromotion
Development
The manual contains articles about:
Thinking ahead
Knowledge and skills
Homework
Training games
Discussing a students game
Competitive formats
The Step 3 Trainers Manual accompanies the Step 3 Workbook and Step 3 Plus. Ideally, the coach should have a copy of the manual and workbook, and each student should have their own copy of the workbooks.
