FROM IDEA TO BOARD
What to study in chess when you do not know where to start
A large library can leave you with the same question you had before opening it: what should I do today? To choose, think of a decision that still troubles you during a game. Your rating can guide you, but it does not say whether you understand stalemate or recognise a knight fork. Those questions can be your starting point.
If the rules are still uncertain, start there
Can you explain how a black pawn captures, which options get you out of check, and why a position is stalemate? If an answer is unclear, choose first steps. You do not need to repeat everything: solve a position on that topic, explain the rule, and try a different one. Getting it right by elimination does not replace that explanation.
In RookHabit you can select your level and what you want to improve to receive a first practice recommendation. If it feels too easy or difficult, change your preferences. The initial four-week path is flexible: a week is a block of work, not a deadline or a promise of reaching a particular rating by the end.
If you know the rules, try a two-step decision
Look at this guide’s example: White has a knight on b5, while Black has a king on e8 and a rook on f5. White moves. Find a jump attacking two targets and, before moving, consider which one the opponent must deal with first. Naming the square is not enough: explain what you will do after the reply.
Nd6+ attacks the king and rook. In the exercise continuation, the king goes to d7 and Nxf5 captures the rook. If you saw the check but forgot the next capture, practise forks with an opposing reply. If the knight’s jump still feels difficult, return to movement and captures. Both choices are useful; this example is not a judgement of your worth as a player.
Use the opening to practise decisions
For your first openings, aim to develop knights and bishops, contest the centre, and make your king safe. These ideas help you choose when the opponent leaves a familiar line. Check threats before developing a piece: a general principle does not let you ignore check or abandon an attacked queen.
Turn a game into your next task
If you already play regularly, import a game and review a moment you did not understand. Choose a small question: why a capture lost material, how you could answer a check, or which piece was left out of play. Then find related practice. Studying everything that went wrong at once can leave you without a task you can remember while playing.
Finish the session by writing one decision for your next game. For example: “Before moving my queen, I will check knight attacks.” At your next review, look for an opportunity to apply it. Completing a course records your progress through exercises; checking the habit requires returning to your actual decisions. You can alternate practice, games, and review without finishing the whole catalogue first.
White to move
Try the first position
Check and rook at once
Find the knight fork; after the king moves, capture the rook.
Solve this positionTake it into your next game
Choose a decision you find difficult, practise it, and look for a chance to apply it in your next game.
Choose my first practice →References and practice
An original RookHabit guide. References expand on the concepts; the tracking described reflects the app’s features.