About

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.

— Confucius

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

The Chessboard Magic Repertoire Builder is driven by a simple mission: to make advanced chess preparation tools accessible, insightful, and free for everyone. It’s built on the belief that true improvement comes not just from studying data, but from understanding it—and every feature, from analytics cards to training modules, is designed to help you think critically, explore creatively, and grow as a player with purpose and confidence.

Application Timeline

• + Initial Idea Conception
  December 2024
  The idea for the Chessboard Magic Repertoire Builder was born — to merge technology and chess into a platform focused on understanding rather than memorization.
• + Alpha Release
  March 2025
  The Alpha launch tested whether the concept could truly help players study, build, and improve their openings. It introduced the core Repertoire Builder, PGN import tools, Stockfish analysis, and early training modules.
• + Beta Release
  April 2025
  Guided by community feedback, the Beta focused on accessibility, deeper training, and data-driven learning — adding mobile optimization, enhanced analytics, and new practice modes.
• + Version 1.0
  July 2025
  The finalized platform launched with expanded analytics cards, a full Practice module, and major stability updates — marking the transition from prototype to production.
• + Version 1.1
  September 2025
  A major milestone introducing the Puzzle module, Local Stockfish integration, Candidate Move Trainer, and new analytics tools — alongside a full data infrastructure rewrite for enhanced performance and heavy browser caching.

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