Finding a free, legal PGN (Portable Game Notation) version of a copyrighted book like 1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners
by Franco Masetti and Roberto Messa can be tricky. Most official versions are paid products on platforms like
However, there are legal community-made resources and alternative collections of 1000+ beginner puzzles available for free in PGN format. Recommended Free PGN Resources Lichess Interactive Studies
: Users have recreated portions of the book for free practice. You can find these by searching " 1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners Lichess Studies Part 1 (Mates in One)
You can download these as PGNs by clicking the "Share" button at the bottom of the Lichess study and selecting "Download PGN." Lichess Open Database
: For a massive collection of free puzzles, you can download the Lichess Puzzle Database
. It contains millions of positions that you can filter by rating (e.g., 600–1200 for beginners) or theme. Bill Wall’s PGN Collections
: A legendary source for free chess PGNs, including thousands of tactical miniatures and puzzles suitable for beginners, available at Bill Wall's Chess Page Chess for Beginners Downloads : The site BeginChess
offers PGN downloads for several classic public domain books, such as 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations Lichess.org How to "Generate Your Own Paper"
If you want to print these exercises on paper like a workbook, follow these steps: Download the PGN : Use one of the links above to get a Open in a GUI : Load the file into a free chess program like Scid vs. PC Tarrasch Chess GUI Export to PDF 1001 chess exercises for beginners pgn free
: Most GUIs allow you to "Print to PDF" or export diagrams. You can select "Diagrams only" or "Exercise mode" to create a clean sheet of chess boards without the solutions shown on the same page. specific tactical theme (like forks or pins) to focus on for your exercises? 1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners
Finding a free PGN for 1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners by Franco Masetti and Roberto Messa often involves navigating community-shared resources or digital training platforms. This guide explains how to access these exercises and the best ways to use them for improvement. Where to Find PGN Files
While the book itself is a commercial product by New In Chess, several community-driven platforms provide access to the exercises in digital format:
Lichess Studies: Many users have manually converted the book's chapters into public studies. For example, Lichess Study: Part 1 covers initial chapters like "Mates in One".
PGN Mentor: While primarily known for game databases, sites like PGN Mentor offer a vast collection of free PGN files for various historical books, though the specific 1001 Beginners book may not always be available there.
Chessable: For a highly interactive experience, you can purchase the official 1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners course on Chessable. It uses spaced repetition to help you memorize the tactical patterns.
Google Drive/Scribd: Unofficial PGN collections or PDFs are sometimes shared on document sites like Scribd or through community-managed Google Drive folders. Guide to Book Content
The exercises are structured to build foundational skills progressively. The book typically includes the following tactical motifs: Description 1 Mate in One Simple one-move finishes to train visual recognition. 2 Mate in Two Deeper calculation involving setup and execution. 3 Missing Piece
Exercises to find which piece is missing to create a tactic. 4 Double Attack Forcing moves that target two pieces simultaneously. 5-7 Discovered Attacks Unmasking one piece's attack by moving another. 8-9 Pins & Skewers Finding a free, legal PGN (Portable Game Notation)
Restricting enemy pieces or forcing high-value targets to move. Tips for Effective Study
Solve Without a Board: Try to solve the simpler "Mate in One" and "Mate in Two" puzzles in your head to improve your visualization skills.
Use a PGN Viewer: If using raw PGN files, use software like PGN Mentor or Lichess Analysis to play through variations and see why alternative moves fail.
Spaced Repetition: If you miss an exercise, mark it and return to it a few days later. This is the core benefit of using the Chessable version.
Analyze Mistakes: Don't just look for the correct move; use a chess engine (like Stockfish on Lichess) to understand exactly why your "almost right" move was a blunder. 1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners
1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners. MoveTrainer® Tactics course by WIM. Fiona Steil-Antoni. Buy for $24.99. Buy with video $99.98. 1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners - PART 1 - Lichess.org
View the solution. this is chapter 1(Mates in one) of 1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners. Mates in one from page 7 to 12 (1-57) -- Lichess.org
1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners , written by Franco Masetti and Roberto Messa, is a highly regarded workbook designed to help novice players master fundamental tactical patterns. While the official digital versions are typically paid products available through publishers or platforms like
, the chess community has created several free resources to help you study these exercises in PGN (Portable Game Notation) format. Lichess.org Where to Find 1001 Chess Exercises (PGN & Interactive) On Desktop (ChessBase / SCID vs
If you are looking for free ways to practice these exercises digitally, the following community-driven platforms often host them: Lichess Studies
: This is the most popular free alternative for interactive PGN practice. Users frequently recreate the book's chapters as "studies." You can often find them by searching for "1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners" on the Lichess Study Search PGN Mentor : While it may not always have this specific title, PGN Mentor
is a massive repository of free PGN files for various chess books and player collections. Internet Archive
: You can sometimes find older tactical collections or similar beginner workbooks, such as 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations
, available for free borrowing or download in various formats. Content Highlights of the Book
This workbook is structured to guide a beginner from basic checkmates to complex tactical combinations. Key themes include: 1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners - Chessable
If you are a chess beginner looking to level up your tactical vision, you have likely come across the book "1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners" by Franco Masetti and Roberto Messa. It is widely considered one of the "holy grails" of beginner training.
But in the age of online chess and digital boards, carrying a physical book can feel outdated. You want to solve these puzzles on your phone, your tablet, or your favorite chess GUI (like ChessBase or Arena). You want them in PGN format.
In this post, we will guide you on how to find these exercises in PGN format for free, how to use them, and why this specific collection is so vital for your improvement.