LeaveMatch focus
The Busted Minds learning trail

Learn chess in levels.

60 short lessons move from board basics to tournament mastery. Play each idea on the board, pass the quick check, unlock the next lesson, and earn Busted Bucks once for every saved completion.

Busted Bucks

Overall journey

0%0 of 60

The complete path contains 9,420 earnable Busted Bucks, including level bonuses.

Your course map

10 zones. One clear next move.

Sign in to earn Busted Bucks
Zone1

Board Explorer

0/6 lessons

See the whole board, keep the king safe, and finish a complete game with a plan.

0/6 lessons
+100
  1. 1Lesson 1Read the Board4 min · rules25
  2. Lesson 2Count Before You Capture5 min · rules25
  3. Lesson 3Check Is a Question5 min · rules25
  4. Lesson 4The Opening’s Three Jobs6 min · opening30
  5. Lesson 5Close the Box7 min · endgame30
  6. Lesson 6The Three-Second Scan6 min · tactics35
Zone2

Pattern Hunter

0/6 lessons

Recognize forcing patterns quickly and calculate the opponent’s best defense.

0/6 lessons
+150
  1. Lesson 1One Piece, Two Targets6 min · tactics35
  2. Lesson 2Pieces on a Line6 min · tactics35
  3. Lesson 3Reveal the Second Attack7 min · tactics40
  4. Lesson 4Cut the Safety Rope7 min · tactics40
  5. Lesson 5No Flight Squares8 min · tactics45
  6. Lesson 6Candidate, Reply, Compare8 min · tactics45
Zone3

Position Builder

0/6 lessons

Improve pieces, understand pawn structures, and choose plans when no tactic is ready.

0/6 lessons
+200
  1. Lesson 1Pawns Draw the Map7 min · strategy45
  2. Lesson 2Give the Rook a Road7 min · strategy45
  3. Lesson 3A Square That Cannot Be Chased7 min · strategy50
  4. Lesson 4Free the Bishop7 min · strategy50
  5. Lesson 5Room to Maneuver8 min · strategy55
  6. Lesson 6See Past the Recapture8 min · strategy55
Zone4

Endgame Engineer

0/6 lessons

Activate the king, calculate pawn races, and master the positions that decide close games.

0/6 lessons
+250
  1. Lesson 1Hold the Opposition8 min · endgame55
  2. Lesson 2Race Without Guessing8 min · endgame55
  3. Lesson 3Activity Before Pawns9 min · endgame60
  4. Lesson 4Bridge or Barrier10 min · endgame65
  5. Lesson 5Bishop or Knight?9 min · endgame65
  6. Lesson 6One Check Changes Everything10 min · endgame70
Zone5

Competitive Navigator

0/6 lessons

Join opening ideas, calculation, clock use, defense, conversion, and review into a repeatable game process.

0/6 lessons
+350
  1. Lesson 1An Opening Compass9 min · opening70
  2. Lesson 2Search Without Drifting9 min · strategy70
  3. Lesson 3The Clock Is a Piece8 min · strategy75
  4. Lesson 4Stay Difficult to Beat9 min · strategy75
  5. Lesson 5Make Winning Simple9 min · strategy80
  6. Lesson 6The Game After the Game10 min · strategy90
Zone6

Tactical Architect

0/6 lessons

Control move order, redirect defenders, and make tactical geometry work in your favor.

0/6 lessons
+450
  1. Lesson 1Move the Guard9 min · tactics90
  2. Lesson 2Clear the Runway9 min · tactics90
  3. Lesson 3Cut the Connection10 min · tactics95
  4. Lesson 4Not So Fast10 min · tactics95
  5. Lesson 5Two Jobs, One Piece10 min · tactics100
  6. Lesson 6One Step from a New Piece10 min · tactics105
Zone7

Calculation Builder

0/6 lessons

Build reliable calculation trees, compare candidates, and stay accurate through longer forcing lines.

0/6 lessons
+550
  1. Lesson 1Order Changes Everything10 min · tactics100
  2. Lesson 2Make Every Candidate Earn It10 min · tactics105
  3. Lesson 3See the Finish, Find the Start10 min · tactics105
  4. Lesson 4The Threat You Cannot Hear11 min · tactics110
  5. Lesson 5Calculate the Escape Route11 min · strategy110
  6. Lesson 6Do Not Lose the Thread12 min · tactics115
Zone8

Strategic Planner

0/6 lessons

Coordinate pieces, create favorable transformations, and turn small advantages into durable plans.

0/6 lessons
+650
  1. Lesson 1Invite the Last Piece11 min · strategy110
  2. Lesson 2The Seventh-Rank Office11 min · strategy110
  3. Lesson 3The King Joins the Game11 min · endgame115
  4. Lesson 4Build a Runner11 min · endgame115
  5. Lesson 5Make the Board Feel Wider12 min · strategy120
  6. Lesson 6Less Material, More Control12 min · strategy125
Zone9

Endgame Specialist

0/6 lessons

Handle active rooks, advanced passers, tactical alignments, and precise defensive resources.

0/6 lessons
+750
  1. Lesson 1Check from Far Enough Away12 min · endgame120
  2. Lesson 2Rooks Keep the Tactics Alive12 min · endgame120
  3. Lesson 3Escort the Passer12 min · endgame125
  4. Lesson 4Nothing Hides in an Empty Board12 min · endgame125
  5. Lesson 5Build the Smallest Cage13 min · endgame130
  6. Lesson 6Defend from Behind13 min · endgame135
Zone10

Tournament Master

0/6 lessons

Combine opening awareness, deep calculation, practical sacrifices, and disciplined conversion.

0/6 lessons
+900
  1. Lesson 1Theory Ends, Chess Begins12 min · opening130
  2. Lesson 2Make the Pin Pay Rent12 min · tactics135
  3. Lesson 3Two Pieces, One Tempo13 min · tactics140
  4. Lesson 4Spend the Rook Wisely13 min · strategy145
  5. Lesson 5Close Every Branch14 min · tactics150
  6. Lesson 6Win the Position More Than Once15 min · strategy160

Puzzle journey

Build tactical vision across twelve chapters and sixty progressively unlocked challenges. 0 of 60 are solved. Sign in to sync progress across devices.

View all puzzle levels

Nova’s note

Learn the idea, play it on the board, then explain why it works.

Nova, your chess coach

© Busted Minds. All rights reserved.