Chess Coaching Lesson Library

For chess coaches · Pre-order open

The Chess Cheat Sheets Learning Library: every chess lesson you teach, already planned

The Learning Library is about 30 ready-made lesson packs for beginners and improving players. Each pack has a student guide, a coach handbook, and a printable homework pack. You teach. The planning is done.

It isn't finished yet, so it's available to pre-order at half price (£47 ($63) now, £97 ($130) when it's finished). You get every pack as it's released, and the first batch arrives within one month of your purchase. This page explains what's in it and exactly how the pre-order works.

Pre-order the Library for £47 ($63)
Half price until release. Full refund if it's never created.

Chess Cheat Sheets has helped 5,000+ players in 20+ countries since 2021.

The lesson is an hour. The planning isn't on the invoice.

You're a good coach. Students like you, parents trust you, and the hour you spend with them is the best part of your week.

Then it's Sunday night. Laptop open, a student's name at the top of a blank page, and the same question as last week: what am I teaching them next?

So you go looking. You find a position that shows the idea almost cleanly. You build a worksheet around it. You remember it didn't quite land last time, so you rework the plan. It's late, and you still haven't thought about the other six students.

None of that planning is on the invoice. It's the part nobody sees, and it's the part that decides whether you can keep doing this.

Sound familiar?

You plan every lesson from scratch, then plan the next one the night before
You're never quite sure what to teach next, so you follow whatever the last game showed
Every student gets a slightly different lesson because there's no time to build a proper order
Homework is whatever you can put together at the last minute, or nothing at all
Parents ask what the plan is for the term and you improvise an answer
You'd take on more students, or a club, but the planning won't stretch
You know you're a good teacher, and the lack of structure still makes you feel like you're winging it

You're not disorganised. You're doing the job of a curriculum designer and a teacher at the same time, and you only get paid for one of them.

It isn't your teaching. It's the blank page.

Some coaches follow the last game. Whatever the student got wrong becomes next week's lesson. It feels responsive, but no student ever gets a proper order, and the gaps stay hidden until they matter.

Some borrow from around the internet. A video here, a worksheet there. It works, but every lesson looks different, and you spend your time checking that the pieces fit together.

Some build everything themselves. Those lessons are usually the best, and they cost the most. Every new student and every new topic is more unpaid work.

All three share one flaw: the hard thinking happens again, every single week.

A curriculum is mostly decisions: what to teach, in what order, how long to spend on it, what to say, what to practice afterwards, and how to tell it has landed. Make those decisions once, properly, and they're made for every student you teach. That's what the Learning Library is.

Your options

If you want a proper curriculum behind your lessons, there are four routes. You've probably tried most of them.

	Learning Library	Build it yourself	Free lessons online	Books and workbooks
Planning time per lesson	Open the pack	Hours, for every topic	You still stitch it together	Low, but tied to the book
Order of topics	One deliberate order across five modules	Whatever you decide	Varies by source	The author's order
Notes for you as the teacher	A Coach Handbook in every pack	Only what you write	Rarely	Sometimes
Homework	A printable pack with answers for every topic	You make it	Rarely matches your lesson	Often included
Groups and clubs	Written for one-to-one or small groups	Only if you plan for it	Varies	Varies
Cost	£47 ($63) pre-order, then £97 ($130)	Free, but you pay in hours	Free, but you pay in hours	Pay per book

What's been missing is a curriculum that's already written, already in order, and made for the person standing at the board.

Five modules. About 30 lesson packs. One clear order.

The Learning Library is a complete beginner-to-improver chess curriculum, split into topics you can teach in a single lesson. Each topic is a pack, and the packs are ordered so every one builds on the last.

Module	Topics	Packs
1. Foundations	The Chessboard and Pieces, How the Pieces Move, Attacking and Capturing, The Pawn, Check and Getting Out of Check, Checkmate, Delivering Checkmate, Special Moves and Game Rules	8
2. Material and Defence	Winning Material, Defending Your Pieces, Exchanges, Activity of the Pieces	4
3. Tactics	Checks, Captures and Threats, Double Attacks, Pins, Discovered Attacks, Removing the Defender, Mating Patterns, Mate in Two	7
4. Positional Foundations	Developing Your Pieces, The Centre and Space, Pawn Structure, Passed Pawns, Pawn Breaks, Planning and Improving Your Position	6
5. Endgames	Introduction to Endgames, King and Pawn Endgames, Opposition, Pawn Races, Basic Rook Endgames	5

Openings aren't part of this release.

You don't have to teach in order. Every handbook lists what a student should know first, so you can jump to the topic your student needs this week.

Three documents for every topic, so nothing is left for you to build

The Main Guide: the lesson

A short, clear lesson written for the student, with diagrams throughout. It opens with what they'll learn, then takes the ideas one at a time, with Try It Yourself boxes, positions to work through together, the mistakes beginners make most, a checklist of what they should be able to do, and a ten-point recap.

The Coach Handbook: your notes

Everything you'd otherwise write yourself. A lesson-at-a-glance page (level, recommended age, length, what students should know first, and the goals), a suggested lesson plan with timings, teaching notes, what to watch out for with green, yellow and red flags and a troubleshooting guide, answers to every homework exercise, a review checklist, and a page to record how the lesson went.

The Homework Pack: the practice

Key ideas, worked examples, then a set of scored exercises with a progress tracker and an answer key. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes and works two ways: alongside your lesson, or handed out on its own, because it teaches as well as tests.

Every document is a PDF. Print it and write on it, or fill it in on screen. Contents pages are clickable, so you can jump straight to the part you need mid-lesson. Nobody needs an account or login.

What a lesson looks like

No mock-ups. This is taken straight from the written packs.

From The Pawn, Coach Handbook: suggested lesson plan

Time	What happens
0 to 5 min	Recap: check piece movement quickly
5 to 15 min	Pawn movement: show forward movement and the double step
15 to 25 min	Pawn capture: show captures with the diagonal rule, and stress "forward, not straight"
25 to 35 min	Promotion: run a short race to see how many moves until the pawn promotes
35 to 45 min	Practice: Exercises 1 and 2 from the Homework Pack

Troubleshooting, from the same handbook: student captures straight ahead? Try this: say "pawns bite diagonally" and practise on a board. Student moves Black's pawns upward? Turn the board around to show Black's point of view.

Red flags, revisit before moving on: moves pawns backwards, can't say how pawns capture, doesn't know what promotion does.

From Pins, Homework Pack: four exercises scored out of 6, 6, 4 and 3 (Pinned or Not?, Use the Pin, Skewers, and Pin Questions), a progress tracker and an answer key.

What it would take to build this yourself

You could make all of this. Plenty of coaches have started. Here's what each topic involves:

Deciding what the lesson should and shouldn't cover
Finding or building clear positions for every idea
Writing the lesson in words a student can follow
Planning the hour, with timings
Working out what students usually get wrong, and how to fix it
Building a homework sheet, then checking every answer
Laying it out so it's printable and looks like you meant it

Say you gave each topic two hours. Thirty topics is 60 hours. That's before you've tried it on a real student, and before the next student with a different level.

The pre-order works out at under £1.60 ($2.15) a topic.

Who it's for

This is for you if

You coach chess one-to-one, in small groups, or run a club
Your students are beginners or improving players
You'd rather teach than plan
You want a clear order, so you always know what comes next
You'd like homework that matches the lesson without making it yourself
You want to give parents a proper plan for the term

It probably isn't if

You coach advanced players, as the Library goes as far as basic rook endgames
You want video lessons, as these are written and printable
You're looking for opening theory, as it's not in this release
You expect it to teach without you, as it's built for a coach to teach from
You need everything today, as packs arrive as they're finished

How the pre-order works

The Library isn't finished yet, and I'd rather say so plainly. The lessons are written. What's left is the final layout and checking every pack, and that's the work I'm doing now.

Pre-order at half price. Pay £47 ($63) once. That's half the £97 ($130) it will cost when it's finished.
We prioritise your packs. Every pre-order moves the first set of packs up the queue. The first batch is delivered within one month of your purchase.
Delivery by email. Each batch is sent to the billing email address on your order. To use a different address, email info@chesscheatsheets.com. I'm aiming to have the whole Library delivered within 3 to 6 months.
You get the full version on release. Nothing more to pay for the Library you ordered.

Straight after you order, you'll get your Shopify order confirmation, plus a READ ME file you can download that confirms your purchase and repeats all of this.

The pre-order promise

If the Library is never created, you get a full refund
Packs arrive as they're finished, and each batch is emailed to you
Bug fixes and minor tweaks to the packs you ordered are included
Later expansions, such as extra modules or new features, may be free or may cost extra. That's decided at the time, depending on how big they are
I'm likely to add a guarantee of some kind once the Library is released, but I can't promise one yet. For now, the refund above is the only guarantee

Pre-order the Library for £47 ($63)

Licence and co-branding

One copy of the Library is licensed to one coach, to use with their own students, one-to-one or in groups. You can send the files to your students, print them, and use them in lessons.

You can't resell the Library, modify it, post it publicly, or share it with other coaches. Clubs and schools with more than one coach need to buy one copy per coach.

Co-branded versions with your name and logo are available for a fee. Email info@chesscheatsheets.com and I'll quote you.

Why I built this

I'm not a chess coach, and I won't pretend I can teach your students better than you can.

What I'm good at is turning a messy job into a system. And coaching looks like two jobs. There's the teaching, which only you can do, and the planning behind it, which just takes time.

I can't picture a chessboard in my head (it's called aphantasia), so everything I make leans on things you can see: diagrams, positions, and clear steps. That suits lessons well.

The Library is the planning, done, and it's made to be taught from, not to replace you. You do the teaching. I'll do the planning.

James, Chess Cheat Sheets

Frequently asked questions

When will I get it?

The first batch of packs is delivered within one month of your purchase, and the rest follow as they're finished. I'm aiming to have the whole Library delivered within 3 to 6 months.

What happens straight after I order?

You'll get your Shopify order confirmation and a READ ME file to download that confirms your purchase and explains the process. Your order also tells me to prioritise developing the first set of packs, so the first batch is on its way to you within a month.

Where is it delivered?

By email, to the billing email address on your order. If you'd like it sent somewhere else, email info@chesscheatsheets.com.

What if it's never created?

You get a full refund.

Who can I share it with?

Every student you teach, whether that's one-to-one or in a group. You can send them the files, print the PDFs, and use them in lessons. You can't resell it, modify it, post it publicly, or give it to other coaches.

Can a club or school with several coaches share one copy?

No. The licence is for one coach to use with their own students, so each coach needs their own copy.

Can I get a version with my name and logo?

Yes. Co-branded versions are available for a fee. Email info@chesscheatsheets.com for a quote.

What level is it for?

Beginners through to improving players. It starts with the board and the pieces and finishes with basic rook endgames. Each handbook lists the level, the recommended age, and what the student should know first.

Do I have to teach in order?

No. The order is designed to build, but every pack says what a student should know first, so you can jump to the topic you need.

Can students use the packs without me?

The Homework Pack, yes. It teaches the idea and then practises it, so it works as a handout. The Main Guide and Coach Handbook are written for you to teach from.

What format are the files?

PDFs. Print them and write on them, or fill them in on screen. Contents pages are clickable, and nobody needs an account.

Does it cover openings?

Not in this release.

Is it a video course?

No. It's written lessons, ready to print and teach from. It doesn't include coaching.

Will I get updates after release?

You'll get the full version of the Library on release, including bug fixes and minor tweaks. If I add bigger expansions later, such as new modules or features, they may be free or may cost extra. That's decided at the time, depending on the scale of the work.

How does it fit with Chess Tactics Mastery?

The Library teaches the topic in your lesson. Chess Tactics Mastery: Coach Edition gives students 25 puzzles a day between lessons. They work well together, and you don't need one to use the other.

Is it a subscription?

No. It's £47 ($63) once, and it's yours to keep.

What if I get stuck?

Email me at info@chesscheatsheets.com and I'll help.

Ready to stop planning from scratch?

It's £47 ($63) now and £97 ($130) when the Library is finished. You get everything as it's released, you pay once, and if it's never created you get a full refund.