Elliott's Chess School was developed by National Master Elliott Neff to fill the need for a consistent, solid teaching system in chess study (from basics to advanced levels). Through his numerous years of coaching, Elliott noticed that while there were many teaching tools available, very few offered a clear path that laid a solid foundation.

NM Elliott focuses on understanding chess and how to think so that you can figure out the best moves in any position, not just by memorizing patterns. His program also helps students avoid acquiring bad habits that are difficult to correct.

Elliott's Chess School is a proven training system with multiple national champion students. When you learn from Elliott's Chess School, you learn from the best!

NM Elliott spent hundreds of hours answering the following question:
"Assuming I had a new student who knew nothing about chess but was motivated to learn, what would I teach and in what order so as to avoid bad habits? What would lay the strongest foundation possible and do so in the most effective way?"

The answer and solution is Elliott's Chess School

The core of Elliott's Chess School contains the following:

• Six primary levels of skill and knowledge: Pawn, Knight, Bishop, Rook, Queen, and King.
• Each level builds upon the previous material and consists of elements that are most important to master at that point in development.
• All lessons are put together with the long-term goal in mind — to UNDERSTAND chess, not to use "short-term" traps and quick fixes.
• Lessons incorporate audio/visualpresentations, practice positions, and test positions. Workbooks are available to complement the lessons.

National Chess Master Elliott Neff has more than 18 years of experience in coaching and teaching chess. He has coached some of the highest ranked students in the US — with multiple students who have become individual and/or team US National Champions, and dozens more who rank in the top 100 in the US.

NM Elliott has defeated Grandmasters in competition, and is proficient at blindfold chess (having played 12 players blindfolded simultaneously). He is also the founder/director of Chess4Life — a chess teaching company in Washington state which serves thousands of students by offereing afterschool classes, camps, and tournaments.

Mr. Neff's love for children and for chess can be summed up by his mission — Teaching Life Skills Through Chess. Elliott's Chess School training system is being developed to provide tools for students around the world.

This level is designed for students who are just learning how the pieces move and takes them all the way through mastering the most important strategies to begin and play a good game of chess. The level includes learning basic terminology such as 'files' and 'ranks'. Students learn piece values, how to name squares with letters & numbers, how pieces move and capture, as well as the best strategies for each type of piece. Classes emphasize the essential TEAM concepts that are crucial when playing chess.

In this level, all tactics should learn to be recognized and students should be able to find all one-move-tactics as well as knowing tactic names. Students also learn not to play the very first tactic that they see, but always take time to look for a better move (maybe there's a checkmate instead of winning the queen!). Students should become quick to recognize targets, including unprotected pieces, pawns and the king or queen. Evaluating your opponent’s moves is taught along with the importance of asking vital questions such as, "Why did my opponent move there?" or, "What is the threat?" Students should begin to think ahead and see what their opponent will do in response to their own move. This level also teaches important checkmate and endgame strategies.

All tactics should be able to be found by students in this level up to two moves deep (much more difficult than the one-move tactics in the Knight level). This level includes important king and pawn endgames along with other essential strategies for winning and finishing off a game.

In the Rook level, three-move tactics and visualization are taught. Students learn game planning (not just tactics) and more advanced endgames. The importance of learning to look for three choices before making a move is shown along with learning to understand imbalances and how to evaluate a position.

Advanced planning is taught in this level (especially the understanding of pawn structures). Students learn efficient analysis of positions and visualization techniques.

Many advanced topics are covered in this level. Opening repertoires are tied into understanding the middlegame plans. In-depth calculation and development of combinational ability is covered in class. Students learn advanced endgame strategies as well as focus on understanding the middlegame positions better. Other concepts include: advanced tactical understanding and development of a quick eye for tactics.