How to master any chess opening with the ‘anti-memorisation’ method
The Opening Mastery Trainer teaches you 150+ chess openings through quick, hands-on practice. No books, no 40-hour courses, and no subscription.
Pick the openings you want to play. Follow a clear daily plan. Practice the moves on a real board until you can play them without thinking. It runs on your phone, tablet, or computer, even offline, and one payment makes it yours for life.
Chess Cheat Sheets has helped 5,000+ players in 20+ countries since 2021.
- Instant download
- One payment, no subscription
- Works offline
- 7-day guarantee
You’re not bad at chess. So why do you keep losing?
You sit down for a game. A few moves in, your opponent plays something you weren’t expecting, and that’s it. You’re guessing.
Ten moves later you’re a pawn down and your pieces are tangled. You can’t even point to the move where it went wrong.
You lose. Again. And you don’t really know why.
Sound familiar?
- You know the opening principles, but not what to actually play
- You learn an opening, then forget it the moment your opponent goes off-script
- Your rating has sat in the same place for months, maybe years
- You know you’re capable of more than your results show
- You played years ago, came back, and found so much information you don’t know where to start
- You’ve thought about quitting more than once
A lot of those games were decided in the first ten moves, before you ever got to play the chess you’re capable of.
It isn’t your memory.
It’s the way you’ve been told to learn.
Here’s what opening study looks like for most players.
You watch a 25-minute video on the Sicilian. It all makes sense. A week later you remember three moves of it.
Or you open a 300-page opening book. Then get instantly overwhelmed and bored by the contents and dread reading the first chapter.
Or you start a course with more variations than you’ll meet in a lifetime of games.
All of it was built for people with hours to study. You’ve got a job, a family, a life, and maybe twenty minutes.
And all of it shares one flaw. You watch, you read, you nod along, but you never practice pulling the moves out of your own head. So when the clock is running and nobody is showing you the answer, nothing comes.
Memory research has said the same thing for decades: you remember what you practice recalling, not what you re-read.
Watching feels like learning. Mostly, it isn’t.
So the problem was never you. Learning openings the usual way is overwhelming and, honestly, boring. It wasn’t built for how you live, or for how memory works.
So what are your options?
If you want to get better at openings, you’ve got five choices. You’ve probably tried most of them.
Free videos and articles
Great for ideas, and they cost nothing. But there’s no structure, no practice, and no way to check what stuck. You pay in hours instead of money, and most of it is gone by next week.
Opening books
Thorough, and written for people who enjoy 300 pages of variations. If that were you, you wouldn’t be reading this.
Courses and course platforms
Good teaching, but you’re locked into the author’s repertoire, taught the author’s way, in far more depth than most players need. You usually pay per opening, and some platforms add a subscription on top.
Just playing more games
Fun. But playing the same opening mistakes 500 times doesn’t fix them. It turns them into habits. Remember the popular definition of insanity?
A coach
It works. It also costs £20 an hour at the very least, every hour. Plus, you don’t get the flexibility to learn and play on your terms.
What’s been missing is something in between. Practical, like a coach. Cheap, like YouTube. Covering the openings you choose, not the ones somebody else chose for you. And short enough to fit into a real day.
Why pay when there’s so much free stuff out there?
Fair question. Free resources give you information. The trainer gives you a plan, then makes you practice it. Here’s how it compares, line by line.
Learn openings by doing, not by studying
The quickest way to remember a move is to be asked for it.
You see a position. You find the move. You get it right, or you get corrected. Then you do it again tomorrow.
That’s how a line stops being something you once read and becomes something your hand plays on its own.
Two kinds of practice do the heavy lifting.
Recall
You’re shown a random position from the line and asked for the next move, like a puzzle. It builds the instant recognition you need when you meet that position in a real game.
Reconstruct
You play the whole line from move one, one move at a time, exactly as you would at the board. It proves you know the line, not just pieces of it.
It doesn’t feel like studying. It feels like playing. And it takes about five minutes a day.
Meet the Opening Mastery Trainer
The Opening Mastery Trainer is an interactive app that turns chess openings into quick daily practice. It covers 150+ openings for White and Black, with both the official book moves and the moves people really play, taken from real games on Lichess.
You don’t get taught what a teacher thinks you should know. You learn the openings you want, at your own pace.
Three steps, five minutes a day
Pick your openings
Take the short quiz to get openings that suit how you play, or browse the full library. Add them to your repertoire in a click.
Follow your daily plan
Open the app and it tells you what to practice today. Lines you haven’t mastered keep coming back. Lines you have mastered return now and then, so they stay sharp.
Play them for real
Sit down for your next game already knowing what to play.
Everything you need to learn an opening and keep it
- Recall modeRandom positions from your lines, one move to find each time
- Reconstruct modeRebuild a full line from move one, as you would in a game
- FlashcardsA quick look at the key positions when you only have a minute
- Master gamesSee how each opening plays out in real games, so the moves have a purpose
- Daily planA clear, short list of what to practice today. Train longer whenever you like
- Progress trackingSee which lines you’ve mastered and which need work
- Popular moves12 variations, 8 moves deep, for every opening, taken from real games on Lichess
- Book movesThe official book lines for each opening, in a tree you can explore
- Repertoire builderA short quiz at setup, and any time after, suggests openings for White and Black
One payment
App-quality training without the subscription.
Works offline
It’s a single file you open in your browser. No account, no login, and no internet needed.
Any device
Desktop, tablet, or phone.
Everything unlocked
All 150+ openings from day one.
Try it now
Play a few moves of the trainer right here. No sign-up needed.
The demo loads when you’re ready.
Players loved the single-opening trainers. This is all of them in one.
Before the Opening Mastery Trainer, we released trainers one opening at a time. Here’s what players say about our trainers and guides.
Those trainers are something else.
Personally, I have to say the functions you offer are amazing and I can see all the love and work you have given to the site. The product is done with a lot of love, and I can see it.
I love your program.
This is everything my father should have taught me when he first taught me Chess. The clarity and structure is just remarkable.
I really enjoy this product.
It’s brilliant so far.
Great stuff.
“Thank you, that was helpful!”
“Awesome Thanks for the rapid response! I wish I had these guides when I started playing 50+ years ago!!!”
“I think $5 is a very fair price for what you have created here. Very nicely done, my friend!! Your opening trainers are the pretty girl in the room and that is what has my attention right now. Again, thank you for your help and congrats on your quality trainers and other programs.”
“Great stuff.”
“Thanks for asking such a good question and the opportunity for me to think clearly about a rather weak part of my chess game.”
“I teach chess to elementary kids. These are a fantastic tool to show the strengths and weaknesses of openings without overwhelming beginners.”
“I've cut my learning curve in half. The comprehensive guides are a genuine shortcut to mastering openings. Seriously impressed with the quality.”
“It's brilliant so far.”
“Keep up the great work. ”
“Having reviewed the materials you provided, I must acknowledge that among the numerous websites I have encountered, yours stands out as one of the most refined and professional. I am certain that I will return as a customer in the future. Thank you so much!”
“I really enjoy this product”
“Chess Cheat Sheets are a total win! These guides have made learning chess openings a breeze. As a guy who’s always on the go, having this bundle is like having a chess coach in my pocket. The price is unbelievable for what you get. Highly recommend!”
“I will be a reoccurring customer. Thank you. ”
“This is everything my father should have taught me when he first taught me Chess. The clarity and structure is just remarkable.”
“I have learned a lot by following your sheets thus far. Thanks James for your Herculean effort in putting these altogether. Looking forward to using them one by one.”
“Great work! Very impressive. I appreciate all of the hard work to you have done on this project. I really like your products. I can see you have put a lot if time and effort into your designs. ”
“This is a very good material for beginner/intermediate level; concise, clear, it focuses on why making some moves and what general concepts players have to remember (and use). I find it extremely helpful for people who want to start taking chess seriously, and not just “play chess”.”
“I jumped from 1100 to 1750 ELO using these guides. The visual format clicked immediately. I finally understand why I'm making each move”
“Thanks for the helpful information”
“I can’t recommend the Complete Chess Openings Bundle enough! It’s been a revelation in my chess journey. The guides are clear and concise, saving me loads of time. The fact that Chess Cheat Sheets embraces inclusivity in both content and pricing makes it a standout in the chess world. A fantastic investment!”
“Thank you James! Love your content. ”
“It's like having a chess library at your fingertips. The visual guides make learning openings a breeze. Best value for money in chess, period.”
“Wow! This sounds fantastic! Thank you so much.”
“I have purchased a few of your products in the past; however, today I took your Openings Quiz and received your free resources. This is my first look (I think) at your opening trainer. I am impressed by how good it really is. I find it most helpful. Thank you for that.”
“Personally, I have to say the functions you offer are amazing and I can see all the love and work you have given to the site. The product is done with a lot of love, and I can see it.”
“Sounds like an interesting, possibly very helpful, approach.”
“Thanks, I appreciate your honesty. I'm looking forward to the new products and I admire your drive. ”
“The information I received has been very helpful in my endeavors, please keep up the great work and updated on more resources.”
“Wonderful- thank you kindly!”
“As a busy professional, time is everything. These guides saved me hours of studying. A chess coach in my pocket at this price is unreal.”
“Really appreciate it and love the sheets!”
“So far I think it’s great! Keep up the good work.”
“Awesome, thanks!”
“Thank you, that was helpful!”
“Awesome Thanks for the rapid response! I wish I had these guides when I started playing 50+ years ago!!!”
“I think $5 is a very fair price for what you have created here. Very nicely done, my friend!! Your opening trainers are the pretty girl in the room and that is what has my attention right now. Again, thank you for your help and congrats on your quality trainers and other programs.”
“Great stuff.”
“Thanks for asking such a good question and the opportunity for me to think clearly about a rather weak part of my chess game.”
“I teach chess to elementary kids. These are a fantastic tool to show the strengths and weaknesses of openings without overwhelming beginners.”
“I've cut my learning curve in half. The comprehensive guides are a genuine shortcut to mastering openings. Seriously impressed with the quality.”
“It's brilliant so far.”
“Keep up the great work. ”
“Having reviewed the materials you provided, I must acknowledge that among the numerous websites I have encountered, yours stands out as one of the most refined and professional. I am certain that I will return as a customer in the future. Thank you so much!”
“I really enjoy this product”
“Chess Cheat Sheets are a total win! These guides have made learning chess openings a breeze. As a guy who’s always on the go, having this bundle is like having a chess coach in my pocket. The price is unbelievable for what you get. Highly recommend!”
“I will be a reoccurring customer. Thank you. ”
“This is everything my father should have taught me when he first taught me Chess. The clarity and structure is just remarkable.”
“I have learned a lot by following your sheets thus far. Thanks James for your Herculean effort in putting these altogether. Looking forward to using them one by one.”
“Great work! Very impressive. I appreciate all of the hard work to you have done on this project. I really like your products. I can see you have put a lot if time and effort into your designs. ”
“This is a very good material for beginner/intermediate level; concise, clear, it focuses on why making some moves and what general concepts players have to remember (and use). I find it extremely helpful for people who want to start taking chess seriously, and not just “play chess”.”
“I jumped from 1100 to 1750 ELO using these guides. The visual format clicked immediately. I finally understand why I'm making each move”
“Thanks for the helpful information”
“I can’t recommend the Complete Chess Openings Bundle enough! It’s been a revelation in my chess journey. The guides are clear and concise, saving me loads of time. The fact that Chess Cheat Sheets embraces inclusivity in both content and pricing makes it a standout in the chess world. A fantastic investment!”
“Thank you James! Love your content. ”
“It's like having a chess library at your fingertips. The visual guides make learning openings a breeze. Best value for money in chess, period.”
“Wow! This sounds fantastic! Thank you so much.”
“I have purchased a few of your products in the past; however, today I took your Openings Quiz and received your free resources. This is my first look (I think) at your opening trainer. I am impressed by how good it really is. I find it most helpful. Thank you for that.”
“Personally, I have to say the functions you offer are amazing and I can see all the love and work you have given to the site. The product is done with a lot of love, and I can see it.”
“Sounds like an interesting, possibly very helpful, approach.”
“Thanks, I appreciate your honesty. I'm looking forward to the new products and I admire your drive. ”
“The information I received has been very helpful in my endeavors, please keep up the great work and updated on more resources.”
“Wonderful- thank you kindly!”
“As a busy professional, time is everything. These guides saved me hours of studying. A chess coach in my pocket at this price is unreal.”
“Really appreciate it and love the sheets!”
“So far I think it’s great! Keep up the good work.”
“Awesome, thanks!”
Why we built this
Chess Cheat Sheets started in 2021 with one belief: nobody can be bothered to learn something unless it’s practical and engaging. And learning chess openings was neither.
A solid repertoire matters. But every route to one looked like too much effort or too much money. Thick books. Long courses. Another subscription that wants to teach you a mountain of theory, when all you want is what you need for your own games.
So we made cheat sheets: every opening laid out move by move, so you could get the information without having to study. They worked, and thousands of players have used them.
But seeing a line isn’t the same as knowing it at the board. For an opening to stick, you have to practice it. And nothing out there let you do that at your own pace, in a way you’d look forward to, without signing up for someone else’s syllabus.
So we built it.
Look, we know learning chess can be a slog. We all play this game anyway, because we love it, and we want to get better at it. That takes some learning. We’ve made that learning as easy, quick, and engaging as we can, and we’ve left the choices to you. We won’t hold your hand, but we’re an email away if you need us.
James, Chess Cheat Sheets
The complete Opening Mastery package
One payment. Instant download. No subscription.
The Opening Mastery Trainer
The full app: 150+ openings, every training mode, the daily plan, progress tracking, and the repertoire builder. Yours for life.
Plus two free bonuses
Blunder and Best Move Checklists
Interactive and printable step-by-step checklists that help you avoid blunders and find the best move.
Included freeThe Opening Mastery Pack
A 60+ page practical guide to opening theory and fundamentals.
Included freeOur single-opening trainers sell for £5 each. Buying all 150 that way would cost £750.
The Opening Mastery Trainer has every one of them in a single app, plus the book-move data, the repertoire builder, and the improved daily plan.
It costs £27. Once.
No subscription. No renewal. No paying again to unlock more openings.
A coach charges £20 an hour at the very least. For about the price of one lesson, you get something you can use every day for the rest of your chess life.
Your order
Instant download after checkout
The full trainer with 150+ openings, plus both bonuses.
Instant download. One payment. 7-day guarantee.
The 7-Day “Give It a Proper Go” Guarantee
Use the trainer for 7 days. Follow the daily plan. Give it a proper go.
If it hasn’t helped, and you don’t feel more confident in the lines you practiced, email us within 14 days of buying. Send a screenshot of your progress screen showing you used it, and we’ll refund you in full.
You keep the trainer and both bonuses either way.
The only thing we ask is that you actually try it. Five minutes a day for a week is enough to know.
This probably isn’t for you if...
- You’d rather read a 100-page opening book than practice on a board
- You want a coach to tell you exactly what to play and why
- You’re not willing to spend five minutes a day on your openings
- You’re already a titled player. You could use it, but you’ll get less from it than a player under 2000
Questions, answered
Why would I pay when there’s so much free chess content?
I don’t have much time. Will this still work?
Does it actually work?
What exactly am I buying?
What level is it for?
I haven’t played seriously in years. Is it right for me?
My memory isn’t what it used to be. Can I still learn openings?
Which openings are included?
What does it run on? Do I need the internet?
Does my progress sync between devices?
I already use Chess.com or a course platform. Do I need this?
Is it a subscription?
How do I get it?
What if I get stuck?
Two ways your next game can go
One
Your opponent plays something unexpected on move four. You guess. Ten moves later you’re worse, and you still don’t know why.
Two
You recognise the position, because you played it on your phone yesterday. You make your move without burning your clock, and you get to play the chess you’re capable of.
The difference between those two games is about five minutes a day.
There’s no countdown timer here. The only deadline is the one you’re already living with: every week spent “learning” the old way is another week of the same games and the same rating.
Get the Opening Mastery Trainer for £27- 150+ openings
- One payment, yours for life
- Works offline on any device
- 7-day guarantee
P.S. It’s £27, once. Spread over a year, that’s about 7p a day. Even if you only used it for a month, it’s 90p a day. And if you give it a proper go for a week and it doesn’t help, you get the lot back.
