Welcome To Chess Cheat Sheets
Chess Cheat Sheets makes trainers, cheat sheets, and puzzles for players who want to get better without wading through 300-page books. Pick the line below that sounds most like you, and we'll point you to the right place.
Who's Behind This?
Hey, I'm James
I started Chess Cheat Sheets in 2020 because I wanted to learn chess and couldn't stand how it was taught. The books were tedious. The videos were gone from my head by the next day.
I also have aphantasia, which means I can't picture anything in my mind. When someone says “imagine the position”, I get nothing. Just blackness.
So I needed tools I could see and play with, and nothing like that existed. I made them myself. First cheat sheets, then trainers, and now one app with every opening in it.
If you learn by seeing and doing, you'll feel at home here.
Our Story | Chess Cheat Sheets
I'm mentally blind. So I built chess tools I could see
Here's the story behind Chess Cheat Sheets, from twelve basic PDFs to a trainer for 150+ openings.
It started with being annoyed
In 2020, I wanted to get better at chess. So I did what everyone does. I bought the books and watched the videos.
The books were tedious. The videos made sense while they were playing and were gone by the next day. And none of it was visual enough for me to hold on to.
That last part mattered more for me than it does for most people.
I can't picture a chessboard in my head
I have aphantasia. Put simply, I'm mentally blind. I can't picture anything in my head. When I close my eyes and try, I get just blackness.
A lot of chess teaching quietly assumes you can see the board in your mind. I can't. So I needed something else: a quick, visual way to look up an opening, without memorising pages of notation first.
Nothing existed that I could find, so I thought, f*ck it, I'll make it myself.
The First Twelve
The first guides were simple PDFs. There were about twelve of them, each covering the officially recognised variations of a popular opening. They had three to six variations each, about four moves deep.
Looking back, there was barely any information in them.
But people bought them, and people told me they were useful. That was enough to keep going. So I bundled them all together and started selling for £11.97, and made a modest few sales.
Going all-in
Through 2024 I kept improving the designs and trying things out, with some success and plenty of inconsistency.
In early 2025 I quit my job and went all-in. I remade every guide from scratch and kept building: puzzle packs, trackers, endgame guides, and cheat sheets for 150+ openings.
Not everything worked. I tried subscriptions, and they flopped. Fair enough. Nobody wants another monthly payment just to learn the Caro-Kann.
From seeing to knowing
The cheat sheets solved my first problem. I could finally see an opening.
But seeing a line isn't the same as knowing it at the board. For it to stick, you have to play it. So I started building trainers, one opening at a time, where you make the moves yourself and get corrected when you slip.
The obvious next step was to put all of them in one place.
That's the Opening Mastery Trainer. It's every opening in one app, with a short daily plan that tells you what to practice, for a single payment. It's the thing I wanted back in 2020. And if you'd rather train it in your browser with progress syncing across devices, the CCS Hub has got you covered. Find out more here →
Where things are now
Chess Cheat Sheets has helped 5,000+ players in 20+ countries. It's still me answering the emails. But now I'm expanding to help coaches, clubs, and more.
If you learn by seeing and doing, and you can't be bothered with anything boring, you'll feel at home here. I'm excited to help you improve!
Cheers,
James
Testimonials and Reviews
Real players. Real results. Here's what they say.
Don't just take it from us. Chess Cheat Sheets has helped 5,000+ players in 20+ countries since 2020. Here's what some of them told us.
You can find full video testimonials on a separate page, using the button below.
Chess cheat sheets - FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
What format are your products?
The Opening Mastery Trainer is an app. It's a single file you open in your web browser, with no account and no internet needed. The cheat sheets and guides are PDFs. Puzzles come as PDFs and as PGN files for your chess software.
What can I use them on?
A phone, tablet, or computer. The cheat sheets are designed to print well too, if you'd rather have paper next to the board.
Do I need to be good at chess to use this? What level are they for?
You don't need to be good! These are built for improving players, from beginners up to around 2000 Elo. If you're somewhere between 400 and 1600, you're exactly who we build for. Stronger players use them as a refresher.
How do I get my files after purchase?
You get instant access to the download on the order confirmation screen. You'll also get an email with a link you can use at any time.
Do you offer refunds?
The Opening Mastery Trainer comes with a 7-day guarantee. Use it for 7 days, and if it hasn't helped, email us within 14 days of buying with a screenshot of your progress screen for a full refund. Our other products are digital downloads, so we don't typically refund them. But if something isn't right, email James at info@chesscheatsheets.com and he'll make it right.
Can I try something for free first?
Yes! Take the free chess openings quiz and you'll get cheat sheets and a trainer for the opening we recommend.
You can find that here:
Do you cover both White and Black openings?
Yes, we have guides for every opening. Some are specialised for White, some for Black, but all guides have image perspectives for both Black and White, so you’re able to use them effectively no matter which side you’re playing!
Will this work for my favourite opening?
Probably – we cover all the major and minor openings. Chances are, if it’s a recognised chess opening, we’ve got a guide for it! If you’re unsure whether it will work for you, take our free quiz and we’ll recommend one.
I’m having trouble with my download – what should I do?
If you’re struggling to open or download the file, there’s no need to worry! Simply email James at info@chesscheatsheets.com and he’ll help you get things working.
Browse By Game Phase
What's Your Weakness?
Pick the part of your game that costs you the most points. For many players that's tactics or endgames, with openings coming after.
- Openings
Start Strong
Know your first ten moves and build a solid game plan
- Middlegames
Control The Board
Spot tactics faster and stop dropping pieces
- Endgames
Actually Win
Convert your winning positions and save half points
