English

The chess app for kids

Your next clever move.

Learn chess with poems, exercises and games, for children aged about 5 and up. No ads, no tracking, and no internet needed.

Coming soon toGoogle Play Coming soon to theApp Store

Coming soon for Android, iPhone and iPad.

Home screen of the WarumSchach app with the courses

The WarumSchach app at a glance

Name
WarumSchach App, the chess app for kids
Age
For children aged about 5 and up; younger ones with an adult
Devices
Android, iPhone and iPad, coming soon to Google Play and the App Store
Content
2 diplomas (Pawn Diploma, Knight Diploma) · 28 chapters · 470+ exercises · 18 games · 11 paint-by-numbers pictures · quotes from 18 world champions
Languages
German, English and Spanish; the poems are read aloud in all three languages
Pricing
The first five chapters of the Pawn Diploma are free; further diplomas can be bought one by one or all at once, no subscription. Anyone who buys everything also gets all upcoming diplomas and extra exercise packs in the app at no extra cost.
Privacy
No ads, no tracking, no accounts; learning, playing and painting work without internet
Publisher
WarumSchach, Alexander Frenkel, Munich, Germany

Read · Listen · Practise

Learn chess step by step to your next clever move.

The chapters lead from a piece or a rule to a poem, and from there to practice at the board.

  • Read

    Every chapter comes with a poem to read along.

  • Listen

    The poems are read aloud, in German, English and Spanish. The word being spoken lights up in the text, and the reading speed can be adjusted.

  • Practise

    Then children practise at the board what they have just learned.

Chapter with a poem to read along in the WarumSchach app
Exercise at the chessboard in the WarumSchach app
Cover of the Pawn Diploma booklet

Diploma 1

Pawn Diploma

16 chapters · 260+ exercises

In the Pawn Diploma your child gets to know the chessboard, the setup and how each piece moves, plus the special rules of promotion, en passant and castling. It ends with check, checkmate and stalemate: everything needed for a first proper game. Every chapter has a poem to read along and listen to.

The 16 chapters

  1. 1Introductionfree
  2. 2The Legend of the Wheat Grainsfree
  3. 3The Chessboardfree
  4. 4The Setupfree
  5. 5The Knightfree
  6. 6The Bishop
  7. 7The Rook
  8. 8The Queen
  9. 9The King
  10. 10The Pawn
  11. 11The Pawn’s Promotion
  12. 12En Passant
  13. 13Check
  14. 14Checkmate
  15. 15Stalemate
  16. 16The Castling
Cover of the Knight Diploma booklet

Diploma 2

Knight Diploma

12 chapters · 200+ exercises

The Knight Diploma builds on the Pawn Diploma: writing down moves (notation), judging the value of the pieces, then the most important tactics (pin, fork, skewer, discovered attack and counter-attack) and finally first checkmate patterns such as the lawnmower mate and the mate with the queen.

The 12 chapters

  1. 1Notation
  2. 2The Value of the Pieces
  3. 3Introduction - Ghosts on the Chessboard
  4. 4Targets on the Chessboard
  5. 5The Pin
  6. 6Fork
  7. 7Skewer and X-ray Check
  8. 8Discovered Attack, Discovered Check and Double Check
  9. 9Counter-Attack
  10. 10The Lawnmower Mate
  11. 11Mate with the Queen
  12. 12Preparing for the Test

Learning by playing

18 chess games for kids

Some games to try out; a purchase unlocks them all.

  • Games overview of the WarumSchach app
    Games overview
  • Knight Race game
    Knight Race
  • Great Journey game with the mountain in the middle
    Great Journey
  • Chess-Lines game with a line of same-coloured pieces
    Chess-Lines
  • Chessman game
    Chessman

All games at a glance

  • Setup Starting Position Put all the pieces on their starting squares.
  • Knight Race Only knights move; whoever captures all the opposing pieces first wins.
  • Knight Billiards Use knight moves to get a ball into the corner.
  • Knight Puzzle Use knight moves to go from letter to letter and read a saying.
  • Knight's Tour Visit every square exactly once, on boards from 4×5 to 8×8.
  • Labyrinth A bishop or a rook finds the way.
  • Great Journey The pieces walk clockwise around a mountain and back to the start.
  • Berry Picking Two kings collect pawns.
  • Capture All Pieces Plan a chain of captures.
  • 3 Pawns vs Bishop Get a pawn to promotion.
  • Knight vs 3 Pawns The knight stops the pawns.
  • Rook vs 5 Pawns One rook against five pawns.
  • 8 vs 8 Pawns Pawn advances and promotion.
  • Chess-Lines Like Connect Four, but with chess pieces: they move by chess rules, and four or more of the same colour in a line are cleared.
  • Chessman Like Pac-Man: the piece moves by chess rules.
  • Paint by Numbers Trace and colour in chess pieces and knight pictures dot by dot and square by square.
  • Antichess Forced captures: whoever loses all their pieces first wins.
  • reSetup960 Find the starting position from a shuffled back rank.

Paint by numbers

Paint by numbers: 11 pictures and your own designs

Trace and colour in chess pieces and knight pictures dot by dot and square by square. Create and share your own pictures, up to 20 per profile.

With a parent's permission, your own pictures can be submitted. A selection appears in the app's gallery.

Drawings are submitted directly from the app, with a parent's permission.

Paint by numbers with a partly coloured picture

More than chess

More than chess: reading, painting, languages.

WarumSchach teaches children chess, and quite a bit more along the way.

Reading, karaoke style.

Every poem is read aloud at an adjustable speed, and the word being spoken lights up in the text. This helps children connect sound and writing, and soon they dare to read along themselves. On request, a typeface for beginning readers shows the poems and exercises especially clearly.

Painting and imagination.

Trace and colour in chess pieces and knight pictures dot by dot and square by square, and create and share your own pictures. With a parent's permission they can be submitted and may appear in the app's gallery.

First steps in a new language.

One tap in the settings, and the app speaks English or Spanish. The same poems exist in all three languages, read aloud and ready to read along. A playful first encounter with a foreign language. More languages are in preparation.

Quotes and chess wisdom.

Between the chapters, great chess players have their say: quotes from the 18 world champions from Steinitz to Gukesh, each with a portrait. To think about, talk about and share.

Chess connects everything. The rules are the same all over the world: a language every child understands.

For parents

Learn chess without ads and without a subscription

No ads, no tracking

No accounts, no advertising IDs, no analytics services.

Parental gate

The way to submit your own pictures leads through a maths question for adults.

Works offline

Learning, playing and painting run on the device, without internet.

Several players, one device

Separate profiles, each with its own progress: for siblings and parents, a small chess group or coaches with individual pupils. In some games two players compete on the same device; without a partner, your child plays against the app.

No subscription: each diploma separately or everything at once, including upcoming diplomas and exercise packs in the app.

Read the privacy policy (German)

About the app

The booklets that go with the app

Both diplomas are also available as a printed booklet, which can be ordered online (shipping within Germany only). The printed booklets are in German. The app works without the booklet.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about the chess app for kids

From what age can children learn chess with the app?

For children aged about 5 and up. Younger ones with an adult.

Does the app also help with reading?

Yes, as a side effect: every poem is read aloud at an adjustable speed, and the word being spoken lights up in the text. This can help children connect sound and writing. On request, a typeface for beginning readers shows the poems and exercises especially clearly. Still, the app is first and foremost a chess app.

How much does the WarumSchach app cost?

The first five chapters of the Pawn Diploma with poem, audio and exercises are free, plus a few games to try out. Further diplomas can be bought one by one or all at once, and a purchase unlocks all games. Anyone who buys everything at once pays less than for the individual purchases combined and also gets all upcoming diplomas and extra exercise packs in the app at no extra cost. Not included are opening courses, tournament training and offers of the WarumSchach Academy. There is no subscription and there are no ads. The store shows the prices.

Does the app work without internet?

Yes, learning, playing and painting work without internet. The app only contacts our server for the leaderboard, for verifying a purchase and for retrieving the picture gallery.

In which languages is the app available?

The app is available in German, English and Spanish, and the poems are read aloud in all three languages. The language can be changed in the settings. More languages are in preparation.

Do I need the booklet for the app?

No, the app works without the booklet. If you like, you can order the printed booklet for either diploma online; shipping is only possible within Germany, and the booklets are in German.

Are there ads, and does the app collect data?

No, the app has no ads, no advertising IDs and no analytics or tracking services, and there are no accounts. Progress, settings and profiles stay on the device. The app only contacts our server for the leaderboard, for verifying a purchase and for retrieving the picture gallery. All details are in the privacy policy, which is available in German only.

Which devices is the app available for?

For Android devices as well as iPhone and iPad. The app is coming soon to Google Play and the App Store.

What is the Pawn Diploma?

The Pawn Diploma is the first course of the WarumSchach app: 16 chapters with 260+ exercises, from the chessboard and the pieces through the special rules to check, checkmate and stalemate. It is also available as a printed booklet in German.

Can several children use the app on one device?

Yes. You can create several player profiles on one device, each with its own progress. That works for siblings and parents, a small chess group, or a coach teaching several children one by one. In some games two players compete on the same device; without a partner, your child plays against the app.

Schools & clubs

Learning chess at school and in the club

School and club licences are in preparation. You can already create several player profiles on one device, which is handy when a coach teaches several children one by one. If you would like to use the app in class or in training, please write to us.

Enquire via the contact form (German)

For coaches, the booklets are also available as 10-packs (German-language):