Chess Maps

A visual guide to 3000 named opening variations for chess enthusiasts and theory learners

Knowing the many chess opening variations requires a lot of learning time. Chess Maps take you on the short route. They are your visual guide when you navigate the opening systems.

They consist of comprehensive chess tree diagrams. For all openings, they spread out the named variations and sub-variations right in front of you. A total of 3000 variations, clearly and coherently, including positional diagrams, on large-format folded sheets (right now you are looking at a digital preview).

Chess Maps are your visual guide to 3000 named opening variations

French defense, named variations

On each page, the logic-based graphic arrangement creates a fascinating geography. You will quickly spot some landmark variations, that you have already heard of. From there, you can begin to explore. For the first ten or more moves, you can compare variations, evaluate move options, and discover new lines for your own repertoire.

You will notice, how easy it is to find your way on a Chess Map. That’s your photographic memory at work, helping you to remember what you have seen, where that was, and how you got there. It teaches you the most important positions in opening theory.

Open games (except f4 and Nf3), named variations
Indian defenses (except e6 and g6), named openings

I am Raymond Staess, the author of this project. I am an information graphic designer and a PowerPoint addict, but also a natural scientist and a chess player. While I usually work on content visualization for consultants, I spent COVID lock-downs to get started with visualizing chess openings.

Will this work as a learning resource, what do you think?

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  1. Hey Chris, thanks, and yes, absolutely! Etsy shop will be ready in April, once formalities are done. I put you…

  2. Hi Raymond, is it possible to buy these from you? Such a valuable product and great idea as a poster!…

  3. This is exactly what I was looking for

  4. When do you think the maps will be available.? I like the idea.

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