Do I need a paid ChessAtlas account to create a course?

No. Course creation is available on the free tier. Premium adds benefits like larger line counts, advanced filtering, and extended automatic sync with Lichess/Chess.com, but the core course-building workflow — repertoire, chapters, FSRS drilling — is free.

Can I import an existing Chessable course into ChessAtlas?

Partially. Chessable courses can be exported as PGN (for courses you've purchased and where export is permitted by the license). Import that PGN into your ChessAtlas repertoire and then organize it into a course. You won't keep Chessable's per-move annotations or video content, but the move tree transfers. Respect course licenses when exporting.

Should I create one big course or multiple small ones?

Multiple small ones, organized by opening and color. "Italian Game for White" and "Caro-Kann for Black" as separate courses beats one mega-course covering everything. Smaller courses are easier to update, easier to share, and easier to drill in focused sessions.

How often should I update my course?

Monthly for core lines, immediately after finding a gap in a rated game. Set a recurring 1-hour slot each month to review the last 20 games and add any deviations. The Deviation Finder automates finding where your games left the course — you just decide whether to add the line or let it go.

Can I share my ChessAtlas course with others?

Yes — ChessAtlas supports sharing courses via link. You can share privately with a study partner or coach, or (if the feature is enabled on your account tier) publish to the Course Library where other ChessAtlas users can subscribe. Private sharing works from day one on the free tier.

How to Create Your Own Opening Course on ChessAtlas

Note: ChessAtlas is our product. This tutorial walks through building a personal opening course directly in the ChessAtlas platform.

Most players forget newly-studied openings within days. A structured course with spaced-repetition drills fixes that. This guide walks through building your own opening course on ChessAtlas from scratch in 30–60 minutes: import your lines, organize into chapters, drill with FSRS, refine based on your real games.

If you do not yet have a repertoire, read our beginner's repertoire guide and the repertoire framework pillar before creating a course.

What You'll Need

A free ChessAtlas account
Basic familiarity with one opening you want to teach (e.g., Italian Game, Caro-Kann, Queen's Gambit)
Optional: a PGN file with your chosen lines, or a Lichess/Chess.com account for auto-import
30–60 minutes for initial setup

Step 1: Build the Repertoire First

Before creating the course shell, build the underlying repertoire. In ChessAtlas, open the Repertoire section and add the lines three ways:

Manual board entry: play moves on the interactive board, starting from 1.e4 or 1.d4 depending on your side
PGN import: drag a .pgn file into the import area; ChessAtlas parses lines and annotations automatically
Account sync: connect your Lichess or Chess.com account; ChessAtlas pulls recent games and extracts opening lines you have actually played

Organize the repertoire by color (White / Black vs 1.e4 / Black vs 1.d4) before building chapter structure. For depth targets, see how deep to study by rating.

Step 2: Create the Course Shell

In the Course Library section, click "Create Course". Give it a clear name that includes:

The opening (e.g., "Italian Game", "Caro-Kann Defense")
The color ("for White" / "for Black")
The level ("Club", "Intermediate", "Advanced")

Example: "Caro-Kann Defense: Complete Repertoire for Club Players". Good naming helps when you create multiple courses or share with others.

Step 3: Plan Your Chapters

Chapter structure should mirror how a student learns, not how theory textbooks organize material. Four proven approaches:

By opponent response: "White plays 3.e5 (Advance)", "White plays 3.Nc3 (Classical)", "White plays 3.exd5 (Exchange)"
By theme: "Core Pawn Structure", "Piece Placement", "Typical Tactics", "Endgame Conversion"
By move depth: "Moves 1-5 (Principles)", "Moves 6-10 (Critical Decisions)", "Moves 11-15 (Middlegame Plans)"
By priority: "Essential Main Lines", "Common Sidelines", "Anti-System Weapons", "Advanced Deviations"

For most players, "by opponent response" is the most intuitive. Match the order to what you face most often at your rating.

Step 4: Add Lines to Chapters

Assign repertoire lines to chapters via drag-and-drop or checkbox selection. Each line keeps its interactive board, move history, and annotations from the repertoire level.

Keep depth consistent within a chapter: if "Chapter 1: Main Lines" goes 12 moves deep, the other chapters should match that depth for core lines, then shallower for sidelines.

Step 5: Annotate Critical Positions

Moves alone are skeleton. Add a one-to-three-sentence note at every major branching point:

The plan: "White aims for Ne5 and Bxh7+ attack"
The opponent's idea: "Black plans ...c5 and ...Qb6 targeting b2 and d4"
The tactical motif: "If Black plays ...Nxe4, respond with Re1 and Rxe4 regaining material with a better structure"
The mistake to avoid: "Do not play h3 too early; it weakens g3 and concedes ...Bg4 without compensation"

Short annotations beat long ones. If you write paragraphs, students skip them. See how to memorize chess openings and actually remember them for why plans-with-moves beats moves-alone.

Step 6: Enable FSRS Training

ChessAtlas uses FSRS (see why FSRS beats SM-2) for spaced-repetition drilling. On the course settings:

Enable spaced repetition
Set target retention (85–95%; higher for tournament-critical lines)
Decide whether to drill from both sides or only your side (usually only your side at first)
Turn on instant feedback on wrong moves

Start drilling 10–15 minutes daily. FSRS schedules reviews automatically: positions you miss resurface the next day, positions you master stretch out to weeks or months.

Step 7: Test Like a Student

Wait 24–48 hours after building, then drill your own course as if you did not create it. You will find:

Moves that feel "obvious" when creating but need an annotation
Chapter transitions that lack context
Missing sidelines that your repertoire covers but the course chapter doesn't
Over-detailed annotations you can cut for clarity

Fix these before the course goes into regular rotation. Better yet: ask a friend at the target rating to drill it and report confusion points.

Step 8: Update From Real Games (Ongoing)

Import your rated games regularly. The Deviation Finder flags the exact move where your games left the course. Add those deviations to the relevant chapters. See the deviation detection workflow.

Set a monthly cadence: 1 hour to review the last 20 games, add new branches, prune unused ones. The course becomes a living document.

Common Mistakes

Importing every sub-variation from PGN

PGN files often contain alternative lines in parentheses. Importing everything floods the course with branches you never intended to teach. Import selectively, or prune immediately after import.

Organizing chapters after adding lines

Creating chapters after all lines are in produces a mess of drag-and-drop reshuffling. Create the empty chapter structure first, then add lines to each chapter as you build the repertoire.

Writing too much annotation

Three-paragraph explanations get skipped. One-sentence plans get read. Keep it tight.

Not testing from the student's perspective

You know the material; your students do not. Drill your own course fresh after 24 hours. Ask a peer to drill it. Blind spots are where courses fail.

Your Micro-Action Today

Set a 30-minute timer. Add 5 core lines of your main opening to your ChessAtlas repertoire. Create one chapter. Write a one-sentence plan note at each branching point. Drill for 10 minutes. You now have a working course.

Create a free ChessAtlas account to start.