Chess Studio
A Portland studio program for beginners learning through mini-games, puzzles, coached play, and scaffolded strategy work.
View the programChess at The Number Garden
Small games. Real strategy.
Our chess work starts with tiny, carefully chosen games that make the board easier to read and the ideas easier to discuss.
Programs & Curriculum
A steady home for our chess work.
This page is the durable landing place for families who find us through a printed playbook, a class, or a shared link. As our chess offerings grow, this is where they will live.
Beginner Chess
The online version of our small-games curriculum, built around pawn races, piece challenges, and strategic reflection.
Explore the curriculumPrintable Playbooks
Printable materials are being developed alongside the online curriculum for families, classes, and small groups.
Ask about print materialsChess Updates
Join the list for new chess pages, program openings, and curriculum updates from The Number Garden.
Join chess updatesHow We Teach
Chess as a language for thinking.
Start with fewer pieces
Small positions let students finish games, compare strategies, and notice why one side might be better.
Make claims
Students learn to say what they think, test it on the board, and revise their ideas when the position surprises them.
Build toward full chess
Piece movement, tactics, planning, notation, and endgame ideas emerge through games that beginners can actually hold in mind.
Chess Updates
Keep in touch as the curriculum grows.
Get updates about chess programs, new curriculum pages, and printable materials from The Number Garden.