Free chess opening trainer
The repertoire you already play,
turned into training.
Enter your Chess.com or Lichess username. ChessNotes builds your repertoires from your own games, Stockfish finds the opening mistakes you keep repeating, and spaced repetition makes the right moves stick.
ChessNotesLondon SystemBishop out before e3. Against …c5, play c3 and keep the d4 pawn.
The problem
You know how to study.
But you forget.
You buy a Chessable course. You read a 400-page book. You annotate variations in PGN files scattered across folders you never reopen.
Then the game happens. Move 8. The position you studied three times, by heart. And the move — the right move — isn't there.
The problem isn't how much you study. It's how.
How it works
Build it, train it, check it against your games.
1. Build
Your repertoire is a tree you grow by playing moves.
Start from a popular opening, search Lichess studies by name, paste a study link or bring a PGN file. Each move is a node, transpositions merge into one, and any move can carry a note with the idea behind it.
New repertoireCaro-KannLichess studies- ImportCaro-Kann Defense: full repertoire~891 moves, 38 chapters
- ImportCaro-Kann: Advance Variation~120 moves, 6 chapters
- ImportThe Caro-Kann in ten minutesShort intro
2. Train
Review positions asks for the ones you're about to forget.
An FSRS spaced-repetition scheduler decides what comes back and when: due reviews first, then ten new positions a day. You play your side with your note in view, and when you miss, Stockfish answers your move on the board before you play the right one.
Review positionsReview 4 of 12White to move. Play your repertoire move.Correct4. c3Your noteAgainst …c5, play c3 and keep the d4 pawn.
Next position3. Check your games
See where your own games leave the tree.
Connect your Chess.com or Lichess username, or let ChessNotes build your repertoires from those games in the first place. For each repertoire it shows where you left your line, where an opponent played a move you haven't prepared, and which of your habits Stockfish says cost you. One click puts the fix in the tree and at the front of your next drill.
Your games vs this repertoireYour last 40 games as White in this opening
- 3… Bf5
At move 3 your opponents played Bf5 in 9 games: your repertoire has no answer yet.
4 won, 1 drawn, 4 lost
Add this move - 4. Nf3
At move 4 you left your repertoire in 5 games: you played Nf3, your move is c3.
2 won, 0 drawn, 3 lost
Add to next review
Also included
Six tools. One flow.
- Build by playing moves
- Your repertoire is a visual tree you grow by playing moves on a board — no manual node wiring. Lines that transpose merge into one node, so you map it once. Pan, zoom, fold what you do not need, and write a note on any move.
- Spaced repetition with FSRS-5
- A real FSRS-5 scheduler quizzes you only on the positions you're about to forget — not the ones you already know. Due reviews come first, new positions are paced at 10 a day, and if you keep two replies to a move it accepts either one.
- Stockfish 19 in the browser
- Stockfish 19 (NNUE) runs locally via WebAssembly — the full engine on computers, a lighter build on phones. No install, no server. It sits under "More tools" on the board and asks Lichess's deep cloud eval first, so known positions evaluate instantly.
- Import any Lichess study
- Search Lichess's most popular studies by name and turn any of them into a drillable tree in two clicks — every variation, comment and sideline intact. Paste a Lichess link or import a PGN file, or start from a blank board.
- Repertoires from your games
- Connect your Chess.com or Lichess username and ChessNotes groups your games by opening, colour and the named variations you play, then builds a repertoire of the moves you actually play. Stockfish marks your habitual opening mistakes, and they come first in your next review.
- Built to keep you coming back
- 28 trophies (including opening-specific ones like Najdorf Master), a day streak with automatic freezes to protect a hot run, and a daily goal you set yourself. Study becomes a daily habit.
ChessNotes vs Chessable
Chessable is built around other people's courses.
ChessNotes is built around the repertoire you write yourself. Free, with the right tools from day one. Chessable details checked on 1 October 2026 — sources on the comparison page.
Full comparison| Feature | ChessNotes | Chessable |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no paid plan today | Free account; paid courses and an optional PRO subscription |
| Review scheduling | FSRS-5 (open-source algorithm): stability and difficulty per position | MoveTrainer®: fixed levels, from 4 hours up to 6 months |
| Your own repertoire | A visual tree you grow by playing moves | Private courses you create yourself |
| Import | Lichess studies (search or link) and PGN files | PGN import into your own courses |
| Engine analysis | Stockfish 19 running in your browser (full build on computers, lite build on phones) | Stockfish 17.1 analysis board |
How do you build a chess opening repertoire?
A solid repertoire starts with a few main lines picked to match your style. On ChessNotes you build a visual tree: each branch is a variation, each node a move. Write a note on any move: the idea, the trap, the plan. If you already play online, start from what you play: ChessNotes can build a first repertoire from your Chess.com and Lichess games. The point isn't covering everything, it's knowing what you actually play cold. Aim for 3-4 openings with white and 2-3 systems with black, then expand only when the basics are solid.
How do you memorize chess openings effectively?
Passive repetition doesn't work. You need active spaced repetition: see the position, find the move, get feedback. ChessNotes uses FSRS-5, a modern open-source spaced repetition algorithm, to show you the right variations at the right time. A short daily session replaces hours of rereading. No paper flashcards, no manual Anki — everything in one flow.
Are there free alternatives to Chessable?
Yes — ChessNotes is free, with no credit card and no cap on variations. Chessable is a good product, but it is built around its course catalogue, and most of its courses are paid (a selection is free). ChessNotes was built for people who want to build and train their own repertoire, not follow someone else's. Import free Lichess studies, analyze with built-in Stockfish 19, and run FSRS-5 drills without a subscription.
How does spaced repetition work for chess?
Every time you answer a position, the algorithm estimates how hard that move is for you and schedules the next review. Miss it, and it comes back soon. Nail it with confidence, and you won't see it for days or weeks. The result: you memorize hundreds of moves with minimal effort. ChessNotes implements FSRS-5, the same algorithm used by serious study apps, tuned for the chess domain.
What is FSRS and why does it suit chess?
FSRS (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler) is an open-source scheduler that Anki offers as an alternative to its older SM-2 algorithm. Instead of a flat schedule, it estimates for each position how well you know it (stability and difficulty) and brings it back just before you are likely to forget it. For chess this matters: variations have very different difficulties. The aim: fewer pointless reviews and better long-term retention.
Build your repertoire tonight.
Free, no card.
Just an email and a password. Pick an opening and you're drilling in a couple of minutes.