The Step Method in Chess

The Step Method in Chess is a chess improvement system that takes a player from beginner to a expert level.

About the Steps Method in Chess

The step-by-step method (or the Steps Method in Chess) has been developed by Rob Brunia and Cor van Wijgerden to teach children a Step-by-Step Chess Method to learn how to play chess for beginners. A large number of schools and chess clubs in the Netherlands and Belgium use this method for their chess lessons. The Step Method is intended to take students from the basics all the way to the chess level of an ELO rating of 1900 after the student has mastered step 5. The program can take a student up to a 2100 ELO rating once they master the self-directed 6th step.

This steps method consists of six steps.

Step 1

Rules of the game and basic skills are covered in step 1.

15 lessons:

1: Board and pieces
2: Moves of the pieces
3: Attacking and capturing
4: The pawn
5: Defending
6: Check and + getting out of check
7: Mate
8: Mate
9: Castling
10: Profitable exchange
11: Twofold attack
12: Draw
13: Mating with the queen
14: Taking ‘en passant’
15: The notation





Step 2

Tactics and a basic introduction to strategy is covered in step 2. Most exercises require 2-4 ply calculation. The student that has mastered step 2 can expect to attain an 1100-1200 rating.

1: Activity of pieces
2: Double attack: queen (1)
3: Double attack: queen (2)
4: The pin
5: Elimination of the defence
6: The 3 golden rules
7: Mate in two
8: Double attack: knight
9: Mating with the rook
10: Double attack: RBQK
11: Discovered attack
12: Defending against mate
13: The short notation

Step 3

Step 3 builds upon the first 2 steps. Strong focus on tactics and the pawn endgames are introduced. In this step supporting skills are introduced such as ‘thinking ahead’. Exercises in this level require 3-6 ply calculation. The student can expect to attain a chess rating of 1300-1400 after completion of this level.

Lessons:

1: Finishing the opening
2: Discovered and double check
3: Attack on a pinned piece
4: Mate in two (access)
5: The square of the pawn
6: Eliminating of the defense
7: Defending against the double attack
8: Mini plan
9: Draw
10: X-ray
11: The opening
12: Defending against the pin
13: Mobility
14: Key squares (1)
15: Pinned pieces
16: Threats
17: Key squares (2)

Step 4

The difficulty level rises in this step. More ply calculations are required to solve the exercises in this step. Most exercises in this level require 5-8 ply calculation

Strategic concepts are introduced via the endgame. This step contains lessons about material advantage and endgame strategy as well as weak pawn concepts.

The student can expect to attain a rating of 1500-1600 after completion of this level.

Lessons:

1: Advantage in the opening
2: Interfering
3: Luring
4: Blocking
5: Thinking ahead
6: Placing the front and back piece
7: The passed pawn
8: Eliminating of the defense
9: The magnet
10: Weak pawns
11: Material advantage
12: Chasing and aiming
13: King’s attack
14: Seventh rank (tactics)
15: Endgame strategy
16: Clearing
17: Queen against pawn

Step 5

For step 5 students the positional aspects begin to play more and more important role. There are lessons about pawn structure, the seventh rank, strong square and open file contain many strategic aspects. Exercises in this level require 7-10 ply calculation. Students can expect to attain a rating of 1700-1800 after completion of this level.

Playing according to a plan is important in chess, that is why it is discussed in some lessons about the endgame. They show how important the cooperation of the pieces is and how relative the value of the pieces can be. The lesson ‘Defense’ pays attention to some aspects which are almost by all the students insufficiently used.

Lessons:

1: Material and time
2: Mate
3: Breakthrough
4: Using pawns
5: Pawn race
6: Seventh rank
7: Discovered attack
8: Pin
9: The opening
10: Rook against pawn
11: Strong square
12: Defending
13: Rook ending
14: Attack on the king
15: Open file
16: Draw

Step 6

Exercises in this step require 9-13 ply calculation and the mastery of this step can leave the student at the 2000-2100 rating level.

It is not a manual for the chess trainer, but a self study book for everyone.

The difficulty level of the material goes up again. The solutions to the exercises are consequently one move deeper. A lot of attention is paid to strategy. This occurs to be and still remains a tough subject for everybody, especially the positions in the workbook. The endgame comes also back in some chapters. Studying it, is a good way to gain a higher playing strength. Tactics is treated in just one chapter.

1: The king in the middle
2: The passed pawn
3: Strategy
4: Mobility
5: Draw
6: The opening
7: Tactics
8: Pawn endings
9: Bishop or knight?
10: Attacking the king
11: Advantage in the ending
12: Bishops
13: Defending
14: Rook endings

Practical Application
So, how do you implement the steps method in your chess training? Well, you can buy the booklets from the official site or from Amazon you can also use the TASC chess training program. A word of warning about the program: it is from 1999, and while I have tested in Windows XP, I am not sure if it will work on Vista or Windows 7. There is a new version slated to come out in English in the very near future which you might probably want to wait for.

More info

Official Site
http://www.stappenmethode.nl/stepsmethod/index.html

General Information
http://www.scholastichess.com/stapplan.htm

Good practical info on using the method

http://chesstrainerphaedrus.blogspot.com/search?q=step

Exercises

http://www.stappenmethode.nl/stepsmethod/tekst_opgaven.htm