ABOUT

BELIEF #1

The beauty of chess can be learned by anyone

BELIEF #2

It's never too late to start learning

BELIEF #3

The journey of learning is more enjoyable together

NICKY LAW

I've been playing chess for over 30 years. During my youth I've been training as part of the Dutch National Youth selection for 10+ years, reaching Candidate Master level (2200+ ELO) at age 19. Nowadays I am a senior consultant, with an engineering background, having graduated in serious game design.

In 2024 I started thinking about how I would pass down chess skills to my kids. I've never been a fan of the results-driven classical school of chess, which just focusses on tactics and openings first. This gets new players quick wins, without really understanding the game. This seems ironic to me since chess is generally considered to be this deep strategic game.

So I used my knowledge and skills to find a way to teach the foundations of the game, and gain real understanding of chess right a way, without first spending years on tactics and openings. The result is the Pawn Islands program.

PAWN ISLANDS

Pawn Islands reflects the journey of learning chess. Traditional chess schools teach a seemingly endless amount of "important concepts", that can seem as disconnected as islands in the sea. Our mission is to show you the bigger picture.