About Chessboard Magic

The Chessboard Magic Repertoire Builder is a passion project created by Toan Hoang, born from a desire to combine a lifelong love of technology with a newly discovered passion for chess.

What began as a personal project to build tools that would make studying chess more intuitive and engaging quickly grew into something larger — a platform designed to help players of all levels understand their openings, improve efficiently, and enjoy the process of learning.

Philosophy

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”<ref>Often attributed to Confucius, but inspired by the ancient Chinese philosopher Xunzi's ideas on learning through action.</ref>

When I began playing chess in 2020 during the COVID lockdowns, I immersed myself in countless courses and videos. But I quickly realized I was only memorizing moves — not truly understanding them.

To fix this, I started transcribing lines into Lichess studies, which helped for a while, but it soon became clear that many of the moves I was entering were ones I couldn’t fully explain.

The Chessboard Magic Repertoire Builder grew out of that realization. It embodies a design philosophy that bridges the gap between memorization and understanding — helping players learn not just what to play, but why.

You can use built-in wizards to kick-start your repertoire, then refine or prune it using world-class analytics, Stockfish evaluations, and database insights. Training modules, puzzles, and practice modes reinforce knowledge through active learning — doing, not just seeing.

By describing and reflecting on why a move belongs in your repertoire, you strengthen recall and deepen comprehension — turning rote memory into lasting mastery. This approach isn’t just for beginners; it scales naturally for players at any level, building intuitive, adaptable skills that truly stick.

Mission

Chessboard Magic Repertoire Builder is guided by a simple mission: to make advanced chess preparation tools accessible, insightful, and free for everyone.

It’s about empowering players — not just with data, but with understanding. Every feature, from the analytics cards to the training modules, is built to help you think critically, explore creatively, and grow as a player.