I enjoy the game of chess. It allows me to maintain some shred of competitive edge when playing against an opponent, but also forces me continuously improve. I appreciate it more as I get older, as I do with a lot of other slower-paced, more cerebral endeavors. But, being a merely a casual player (at best), where do I turn to hone my skills and begin to learn the plethora of techniques and strategies involved?

Chesscademy caught my eye. It offers videos and courses similar to online tech edu-companies like Treehouse or Code School, which I am already familiar. You can track progress and earn points on completed practice tactics and training. It’s also one of the few chess-related things I’ve seen that look like they’ve been designed in the current century (Tall Chess for iOS fits into this category as well).

I’m still new to Chesscademy, so we’ll see how well it sticks, but so far I think it’s great. Earning points for correctly played tactics may prove to be more fun than participating in an actual match—There’s no waiting for your opponent. “Check” it out (so, so sorry) chesscademy.com.