Dashboard
Month 01 · Foundation
Tactical Vision & Calculation Foundation
See the board. Force the line. Prevent the blunder.
- Weeks
- 4
- Days on the syllabus
- 28
- Written exercises
- 10
- Study time
- ~42h
Builds on
Only the rules. This is the entry point.
Prepares you for
Calculation: you cannot calculate a line you never noticed.
Why this month exists
Month 1 builds the eye that wins games before strategy begins. You will learn what a tactic is, how to scan with CCT, and the core motifs — forks, pins, skewers, discoveries, deflection, decoy, overload, and zwischenzug — with complete boards, worked examples, classical games, and graded exercises.
What you will develop
- Scan every position with Checks, Captures, Threats before choosing a plan
- Recognize and execute the core tactical motifs
- Calculate short forcing lines while asking for the opponent's best defense
- Prevent blunders by reading loose pieces and king safety cues
- Annotate five serious games for every critical tactical moment
Weekly structure
Week 01 · What Is a Tactic?
Week overview- Day 01Tactics vs StrategyDefine tactics as forcing operations that change the evaluation immediately.75 min
- Day 02Checks, Captures, ThreatsUse CCT as a non-negotiable first scan.90 min
- Day 03Loose PiecesSpot undefended units as tactical fuel.80 min
- Day 04Tactical TriggersRecognize geometric and safety cues that announce tactics.90 min
- Day 05King Safety & Open LinesConnect open lines to mating and material tactics.90 min
- Day 06Integration TrainingMix CCT, loose pieces, and king safety under time.100 min
- Day 07Weekly Review & TestReviewMeasure scanning reliability and classify mistakes.90 min
Week 02 · Forks
Week overview- Day 08Knight ForksMaster the L-shaped double attack, including royal forks.90 min
- Day 09Pawn & Bishop ForksSee short-range and diagonal double attacks.80 min
- Day 10Rook & Queen ForksUse major pieces for horizontal and vertical double attacks.85 min
- Day 11Creating ForksForce the geometry instead of waiting for it.95 min
- Day 12Avoiding ForksProphylaxis against opponent fork geometry.80 min
- Day 13Fork BootcampSpeed recognition across all fork types.100 min
- Day 14Week 2 ReviewReviewCertify fork mastery for Month 1 standards.90 min
Week 03 · Pins, Skewers & Discoveries
Week overview- Day 15Absolute & Relative PinsDistinguish illegal moves from pressure pins.90 min
- Day 16Exploiting & Breaking PinsAttack the pinned piece; unpin safely.85 min
- Day 17SkewersAttack through a valuable piece to win the one behind.80 min
- Day 18Discovered AttacksOpen a battery so the rear piece suddenly attacks.95 min
- Day 19Double Attacks CombinedBlend forks, pins, and discoveries into one scan.90 min
- Day 20Line-Tactic BootcampTimed accuracy on pins, skewers, discoveries.100 min
- Day 21Week 3 ReviewReviewCertify line-tactic competence.90 min
Week 04 · Advanced Motifs & Calculation Hygiene
Week overview- Day 22Deflection & DecoyPull a defender away or lure a piece onto a bad square.95 min
- Day 23Removal of Defender & OverloadEliminate or overwork the key guardian.90 min
- Day 24Interference, Clearance, ZwischenzugInsert tempo moves that change the evaluation.95 min
- Day 25Candidate Moves & Best DefenseGenerate candidates; always answer with the strongest reply.100 min
- Day 26Visualization & Blunder PreventionSee the board two to three moves ahead without moving pieces.90 min
- Day 27Month 1 Mixed Exam PrepFull motif mix under exam timing.110 min
- Day 28Month 1 Examination & ProjectPass Month 1 standards and submit the tactical autopsy.120 min
Monthly challenge
Analyze five serious games (your own or master games). For each critical tactical moment, write: the motif, the forcing line, the best defense that was missed, and one rule you will reuse.