Basic Chess Skills Test - Chess Training E-Book

Basic Chess Skills Test

Welcome to our "Basic Chess Skills" examination! We have prepared this test to give everyone the chance to estimate his current playing level at chess. Whether you're an experienced tournament player, or have never seen the inside of a chess club, this quiz will provide you with an approximate rating - a gauge by which to measure yourself. We all enjoy a challenge, and this test will check your understanding of various chess elements covering a wide range of practical and typical situations. From basic checkmates and endings, to King hunts and higher level tactics, this test will provide you with a clear idea of where you stand in the world of chess.

This test has been designed to take 30 minutes, divided among 30 questions. For some test questions you are allotted only 15 or 30 seconds; for others you get 75 or 90 seconds. The total time given for the test, however, amounts to 30 minutes. It is possible to earn 10 points per question, with a deduction for using "help" or a bonus for rapid answers. Immediately after you answer each question a screen appears (containing the "Continue" button) with your results for that question.

We recommend that you set aside half an hour when you won't be disturbed, then work your way through the test methodically from question 1 to 30. The very first question is a rather simple checkmate, so you might take a look at that example right now to get familiar with how the test works. Then close the database and start over when you're ready to begin. Don't look at anything else ahead of time!

Evaluating Your Results

There are 30 test questions valued at 10 points each. If you get the answer without "help" (see step 6 above) in less than half the allocated time you get an extra bonus of one third of the points for that question - 2 or 3 points, depending on how quickly you answer. Therefore, it is possible in that case to earn 390 points for the entire test. If you're not so fast, but still get all answers correct without using "help," then 300 points are possible. The great majority of us will earn something below that number!

No matter your playing strength, we hope you enjoy taking this test - and that you also discover something about yourself. Have fun, and...good luck!

NOTE: This interactive e-book is in ChessBase .cbv format. Requires ChessBase 6.0 or higher, Fritz, (any ChessBase engine software), or the free ChessBase Reader which can be downloaded at no cost.

System requirements, minimum: Pentium 1 GHz, 512 MB RAM, Windows Vista or Windows XP (Service Pack 2)