The Knight's Notebook See plans

Chess puzzles for kids.
On paper.

Paper keeps children focused: no notifications, no videos one tap away, just a pencil and the position in front of them. Sixty printed chess puzzles a month, graded to their level.

Pick your child's level

For a child who plays whole games but still leaves pieces hanging — roughly 600–1000 Elo. If you are not sure, start here.

For a child who plays at a club or online and already spots a fork when looking for one — roughly 1000–1400 Elo.

For a child who plays tournaments and wants harder combinations — roughly 1400–1800 Elo.

See the plans — from €39 See inside the book
Free shippingAnswers in the backChange level any time
Cover of Beginner Book No. 1, First Patterns: sixty positions to solve, 600–1000 Elo Cover of Intermediate Book No. 1, Tactical Patterns: sixty positions to solve, 1000–1400 Elo Cover of Advanced Book No. 1, Combinations: sixty positions to solve, 1400–1800 Elo
For parents

A quiet half hour, away from the screen.

We won't promise a rating. What the book gives your child is the repeated practice that pattern recognition is made of: ten forks in a row, then ten pins, until the shapes start turning up in their own games.

No screen, no streak

It comes through the letterbox. Nothing to log into, no notifications, nothing to keep alive — just the book, a pencil and a position on the page.

They commit to a move

Ruled lines beside every diagram. Your child writes a move down before turning the page, which is where the thinking happens.

You don't need to play

Every answer is worked out in the back of the book, so you can check a solution without knowing the game.

One idea at a time

Ten positions on the same idea in a row, so the pattern is still fresh when they reach the tenth.

Graded, and checked

Every position is rated, the chapters go from plain to tricky, and every solution is checked by an engine.

It opens flat

Stapled, not glued, so it stays open on the table while they think.

Book No. 1 · Beginner

First Patterns

The six shapes that decide almost every game at this level. One pattern per chapter, ten positions each, and nothing that needs more than two moves of calculation.

Sixty positions · 610–997 Elo

01 Mate in oneSeeing the finishing square 610–989 Elo
02 The piece left hangingLook before you build 714–985 Elo
03 The forkOne piece, two targets 757–997 Elo
04 The pinThe piece that cannot move 781–993 Elo
05 The skewerA pin turned inside out 670–986 Elo
06 Mate in twoForce it, then finish it 610–991 Elo
Book No. 1 · Intermediate

Tactical Patterns

The patterns stop being single moves and start being combinations. Two ideas chained together, and defences to answer before committing.

Sixty positions · 1001–1380 Elo

01 The forkOne piece, two targets 1012–1380 Elo
02 The discovered attackThe move behind the move 1011–1364 Elo
03 The skewerA pin turned inside out 1010–1365 Elo
04 DeflectionPull the defender away 1004–1358 Elo
05 The back rankTrapped by his own pawns 1001–1329 Elo
06 Mate in twoForce it, then finish it 1011–1347 Elo
Book No. 1 · Advanced

Combinations

Sacrifices that look like blunders, defenders pulled off their squares, and the quiet moves that finish the job. These are the positions strong players miss too.

Sixty positions · 1401–1782 Elo

01 DeflectionPull the defender away 1401–1749 Elo
02 AttractionDrag the king somewhere worse 1401–1707 Elo
03 The sacrificeMaterial is not the point 1427–1782 Elo
04 InterferenceCut the line 1403–1742 Elo
05 The quiet moveNo check, no capture 1401–1777 Elo
06 Mate in threeThree moves, no escape 1419–1755 Elo
Plans

Pay once. Solve for months.

One payment, then the books arrive three at a time — one to solve each month. Nothing renews on its own and there is no account to manage.

6 months
€59one payment
€9.83 per book · save 24%
  • Six books, 360 positions
  • Free shipping
  • Cloth bookmark with the notation key
Take six months — €59
Best value
12 months
€99one payment
€8.25 per book · save 36%
  • Twelve books, 720 positions
  • Free shipping
  • Cloth bookmark with the notation key
  • PDF of every book, to print or travel with
Take the year — €99

At checkout you confirm which edition to send · change level any time, just tell us before the next parcel.

Questions

What parents ask us.

Which level should I choose?

It depends on your child's chess more than their age. If they know how the pieces move and play whole games, start with Beginner. If they play online, their rating there is a good guide to the band. And if the first book turns out too easy or too hard, email us and we'll switch before the next parcel, at no charge.

Do I need to know chess to help?

No. Every answer is worked out in the back of the book, so you can check a solution without playing yourself.

How does my child write the answers?

On the ruled lines beside each diagram, in chess notation — the letters and numbers printed around every board. The six- and twelve-month plans come with a cloth bookmark that explains the notation.

Is it in English?

Yes. Each position comes with one line of instructions, such as “White to play and win material”, and the diagram does the rest.

Can I send it as a gift?

Yes. Enter the recipient's address at checkout and the books go straight to them.

Why do three books arrive at once?

Postage. Sending one 73-gram book a month costs more than printing three. Shipping them together is what keeps the price where it is — your child still solves one a month.