Zen Chess

Zen Chess teaches chess as a practice of attention. Master Kū guides you from your first move to strong club play, one calm step at a time. THE PATH Eight stages, in the order the great teaching books follow: the rules, basic mates and opening principles, tactics, endgames, positional play, calculation, openings as ideas, and finally strategy and competitive calm. Each stage has short lessons written for the app, puzzles checked by the chess engine, a practice for the mind, and a trial game. Win the trial to earn the stage's seal. PLAY Eight opponents run on your iPhone, from a gentle beginner of about 400 to a master of about 2200. The lower levels make human slips, so you can learn from winning as well as losing. After each of your moves the engine judges it, and the master tells you, briefly and kindly, when something was missed and what was better. Ask for a hint, take a move back,…