Skip to content
Spark & Whetstonethe grown-up commons

← Learn

Great Games of Chess History

Four short lessons on what famous old games teach: getting your pieces out, opening lines, a sacrifice that pays, and calm in the endgame — with games to replay.

For grown-ups, from what GambitTales teaches children at Spark & Anvil.

  1. Lesson 1Get your pieces out
  2. Lesson 2The power of open lines
  3. Lesson 3A sacrifice that pays
  4. Lesson 4Calm in the endgame
At the table · 2, any ages

The replay table

You'll need: A chessboard, or the Great Games page on one device.

  1. Open a Great Game (the Opera game is a good start) and set up the board.
  2. Play through it slowly, one move at a time. Before each move, both guess what comes next.
  3. At the end, each person names the one move they would remember.
  4. Play a game of your own and try to use that idea once.

Print the guidebook (all lessons + the table activity) →