National Player Pathway
Your Chess Journey: Pawn to Super King
Explore every level of the national player pathway, understand what you need to learn and open the correct course on Promotion Academy. All lessons, tests, progress and certificates are completed and recorded on Promotion Academy.
Once a certificate has been verified and linked to your Chess SA ID, it may be submitted for approved display on your Chess South Africa player profile.
Pawn
Foundation
Pawn Level
Your first step into chess. Learn how the board works, how each piece moves, and the basic rules of the game.
Key Learning Outcomes
- • Board setup and coordinates
- • Piece movement and captures
- • Check and checkmate
- • Basic chess notation
Prerequisites
None — open to all
Certificate Earned
Pawn Player Certificate
Assessment
Complete the Pawn Certificate Test on Promotion Academy. The test covers rules, movement, and basic checkmates.
Course availability: Available now on Promotion Academy
External-platform notice: All lessons, tests, progress and certificates for this course are completed and recorded on Promotion Academy. The national website does not independently calculate course completion.
Knight
Foundation
Knight Level
Learn to spot threats and opportunities. Introduction to tactical thinking and simple combinations.
Key Learning Outcomes
- • Forks and pins
- • Spotting immediate threats
- • Simple tactical combinations
- • Defensive thinking
Prerequisites
Pawn Certificate recommended
Certificate Earned
Knight Player Certificate
Assessment
Complete the Knight Certificate Test on Promotion Academy. The test covers basic tactical patterns and threat detection.
Course availability: Available now on Promotion Academy
External-platform notice: All lessons, tests, progress and certificates for this course are completed and recorded on Promotion Academy. The national website does not independently calculate course completion.
Bishop
Foundation
Bishop Level
Understand opening principles and how to coordinate your pieces for effective play.
Key Learning Outcomes
- • Opening principles
- • Piece coordination
- • Control of the centre
- • Development and king safety
Prerequisites
Knight Certificate recommended
Certificate Earned
Bishop Player Certificate
Assessment
Complete the Bishop Certificate Test on Promotion Academy. The test covers opening principles and positional basics.
Course availability: Available now on Promotion Academy
External-platform notice: All lessons, tests, progress and certificates for this course are completed and recorded on Promotion Academy. The national website does not independently calculate course completion.
Rook
Foundation
Rook Level
Enter the middlegame and endgame. Learn planning, pawn structures, and essential endgame techniques.
Key Learning Outcomes
- • Middlegame planning
- • Pawn structures
- • Basic endgames (K+R vs K)
- • Active piece play
Prerequisites
Bishop Certificate recommended
Certificate Earned
Rook Player Certificate
Assessment
Complete the Rook Certificate Test on Promotion Academy. The test covers middlegame plans and endgame basics.
Course availability: Available now on Promotion Academy
External-platform notice: All lessons, tests, progress and certificates for this course are completed and recorded on Promotion Academy. The national website does not independently calculate course completion.
Queen
Advanced
Queen Level
Advanced tactics and positional understanding. Learn to think strategically and recognise complex patterns.
Key Learning Outcomes
- • Advanced tactical patterns
- • Positional understanding
- • Strategic planning
- • Combination vision
Prerequisites
Rook Certificate recommended
Certificate Earned
Queen Player Certificate
Assessment
Complete the Queen Certificate Test on Promotion Academy. The test covers strategy and complex tactical patterns.
Course availability: Available now on Promotion Academy
External-platform notice: All lessons, tests, progress and certificates for this course are completed and recorded on Promotion Academy. The national website does not independently calculate course completion.
King
Advanced
King Level
Tournament readiness and endgame mastery. Prepare for competitive play with strong endgame skills.
Key Learning Outcomes
- • Tournament preparation
- • Advanced endgames
- • Time management
- • Competitive play
Prerequisites
Queen Certificate recommended
Certificate Earned
King Player Certificate
Assessment
Complete the King Certificate Test on Promotion Academy. The test covers tournament readiness and advanced endgames.
Course availability: Available now on Promotion Academy
External-platform notice: All lessons, tests, progress and certificates for this course are completed and recorded on Promotion Academy. The national website does not independently calculate course completion.
Super King
Master
Super King Level
Elite-level play — national and international competition preparation and performance excellence.
Key Learning Outcomes
- • Elite tactical mastery
- • International opening repertoire
- • Advanced strategic planning
- • Performance under pressure
Prerequisites
King Certificate recommended
Certificate Earned
Super King Player Certificate
Assessment
Complete the Super King Certificate Test on Promotion Academy. The test covers performance excellence at the highest level.
Course availability: Available now on Promotion Academy
External-platform notice: All lessons, tests, progress and certificates for this course are completed and recorded on Promotion Academy. The national website does not independently calculate course completion.
Your Learning on Promotion Academy
Promotion Academy is the authoritative platform for enrolment, lessons, tests, assessments, course progress, course completion, certificates, and certificate verification. The national website may display only read-only synchronized summaries.
Your detailed learning progress is managed on Promotion Academy. The national website does not independently calculate course completion.
Progress and certificates supplied by Promotion Academy.