The Certificate of Excellence has been designed by chess professionals, and is a progressive chess course for everyone starting chess or interested in improving their expertise in chess
Who is the Certificate of Excellence suitable for?
The Certificate of Excellence is ideal for everyone – schools, parents, juniors and club/ congress players.
How do I enter the Certificate of Excellence scheme?
There are four different levels – Bronze and Silver each cost £5 per test (including one retest if required), Gold and Diamond cost £10 per test (including one retest if required).
Information
The majority of entry level players start with the Bronze Certificate. When you have mastered the quizzes, you can apply to take the exam via the online entry form.
The Silver exam covers a number of skill areas beyond bronze including notation, openings, a wider range of tactics, and simple endgames. Again you should look through the silver skills sheets to make sure you are ready before applying to take the exam.
The Gold exam is more involved again, and is intended for club players with a rating between 1400 and 1700 – 1800 Elo. The exam covers more advanced tactics, a range of positional ideas to test your ability to assess positions and come up with a plan, and a range of basic endgames. The exam will require explanations of your moves and your reasoning with variations.
The top level Diamond exam is suitable for advanced club players with a rating between 1700 and 2000-2100 elo covering a number of more advanced concepts including opening theory and traps, advanced tactics and combinations, attacking techniques and a thorough understanding of positional play. Diamond level requires the ability to assess key features of a position, together with accurate calculation of variations up to 7 ply and higher in different types of positions, and studies.
All exams are made up of fifteen multiple choice questions, which should take no more than 45 – 60 minutes to complete.
The pass mark for all exams is 12 out of 15 (80%). If you don’t pass on your first attempt you will be provided with some feedback on what you need to look at again and will then be provided with an alternative paper for a resit once you are ready.
When you pass any of the exam you receive a Certificate of Achievement by email.
| CoE online entry |
The sections below include more details of the different levels together with learning resources and references.
Coaches/teachers
Ifyou have a large group of students please contact the office in the first instance, as there may be discounts available depending on the size of the group.
Please contact the ECF Office Email: office@englishchess.org.uk with any questions that you have about the CoE.
Chess Booklets
Chess Booklet One | Chess Booklet Two
These booklets, which you are able to download as PDFs or read online in your browser, are suitable for players and potential players rated up to 1200 Elo) and provide helpful background for the bronze and silver exams. They were designed for children, but there is no reason at all why adults wishing to learn the basics of chess may not use them. The booklets were first published in 2009, and the second edition has benefitted from a complete redesign. This has been a joint project between the ECF and St Catherine’s School in Bramley, sponsor of the ECF National Schools Competitions and a strong advocate of chess among children. We do hope that you enjoy these booklets and find them useful.
— Andrew Martin, FIDE Senior Trainer, ECF Manager of Coaches
Bronze Certificate of Excellence
The bronze level is ideal for those who are just starting chess and also those who wish to learn more about the most beautiful of games. The puzzles cover –
- How the pieces move
- Position evaluation
- Captures and checks
- Basic checkmates
- Stalemate
The Bronze certificate comes with a large number of puzzle sheets, which test your basic chess knowledge in preparation for your Bronze exam. These puzzle sheets are excellent practice and are available here for you to print off and complete.
Bronze puzzle sheets and answer sheets
These puzzle sheets cover basic chess knowledge. When you can answer ALL of these questions correctly, you are ready for the Bronze Certificate of Excellence exam.
Silver Certificate of Excellence
The silver level is the perfect follow-on from the bronze. It includes skills such as –
- Notation and writing your moves down
- Special pawn moves: under-promotion and en-passant
- Development and basic openings
- Checkmate in one and two move puzzles
- Some essential checkmates
- Discovered and double checks
- Forks, Pins and Skewers
- Outposts
The Silver Certificate comes with associated skill sheets, which can also be downloaded here
Silver Skill Sheets
| 1 – Language |
| 2 – Forks |
| 3 – Double Attacks |
| 4 – Skewers |
| 5 – Pin |
| 6 – Discovered Attacks |
| 7 – Removing the Guard |
| 8 – Rook & Queen checkmates |
Gold Certificate of Excellence
The gold level certificate is for club players with Elo between 1400 and 1700 – 1800. It includes skills such as —
Openings
Familiar with and can name 50% of openings with a good understanding of opening principles and strategy and an in depth knowledge of specific repertoire openings
Tactics
Good understanding of different tactical themes and ability to find intermediate level combinations including accurate calculation of variations up to around 5 ply
Positional Play
Understanding of basic positional ideas pawn structures, outposts, space, quality of minor pieces, king safety etc and able to formulate a plan based on the position on the board
Endgames
Understanding of basic theoretical endgames including use of the opposition, shouldering, rule of the square, basic rooks endings, basic endgame mates
Attacking the King
Knowledge of attacking principles, classical attacking patterns and techniques, ability to see mate in three sequences and calculate against best replies
Calculation & Visualisation
Basic skills in assessing a position, seeing tactical opportunities, identifying candidate moves, calculating variations
Chess general knowledge
Knowledge of World Champions with an overview of chess history
Diamond Certificate of Excellence
The diamond level is for strong club players between 1700 and 2000 – 2100 Elo. It includes questions in eight categories with associated skills as shown.
Openings and Opening traps
Can name 100% of openings with an overview of ideas and principle, together with an in depth understanding of repertoire openings. Knowledge opening traps and ability to find winning variations at critical points.
Simple Positions
Ability to correctly assess simple positions, with reduced material on the board, and calculate variations with complete accuracy.
Middlegame tactics
Ability to find tactics from actual games, along the lines of ‘ White to play and win’ etc with accurate calculation of variations up to around 7 ply.
Studies
Ability to solve simple and intermediate level studies including thinking in different ways to find key moves and variations.
Attacking the King
Understanding and proficiency in attacking the king including finding common mating patterns and evaluating variations accurately.
Positional Play/ Assessing a position
Ability to assess positions based on pawn structures, positional and tactical features, and common patterns and mini-plans. Can identify the correct plan or mini-plan from a number of selections.
Endgames
Understanding and proficiency in all of the basic theoretical endgames including king and pawn, minor piece endings, intermediate level rooks endings and queen and pawn. Understanding of schematic thinking and practical endgame techniques.
Chess general knowledge
Strong all-round knowledge of chess history and chess players.