About

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.

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 (Mar 2025)

The Alpha launch tested whether the concept could truly help players study, build, and improve their openings.

Beta Release (Apr 2025)

Guided by community feedback, the Beta focused on accessibility, training depth, and data-driven improvement. Mobile optimization, enhanced training analytics, and new practice modes made learning more personal and efficient.

Version 1.0 (Jul 2025)

The finalized platform introduced expanded analytics cards, a full Practice module, and major stability updates — marking the transition from prototype to production.

Version 1.1 (Sep 2025)

A significant feature milestone featuring the Puzzle module, Local Stockfish integration, Candidate Move Trainer, and additional analytics tools — further enriching the study and training ecosystem.