Stockfish is available from the lesson analysis section. Once enabled, it adds an evaluation bar beside the board and shows the best move for the current position. The point is to give you an immediate checkpoint while you work through your opening.

Use the evaluation as a signal, not as an absolute verdict. If the bar changes sharply after a move, the position deserves a pause: you may have missed a tactic, left a piece misplaced or chosen a plan that does not work.

Read the best move

The best move is most useful when you are choosing between two ideas or when a repertoire line feels unnatural. Look at the suggested move, then translate it into a simple sentence: what threat does it create, what weakness does it defend, which piece does it improve?

  • If the move confirms your idea, continue the lesson.
  • If it contradicts your planned move, take time to understand the difference.
  • If it reveals a tactic, return later to the relevant repertoire branch.
Key idea

Stockfish should help you form a clearer idea, not copy a sequence of moves you will not remember in a game.

Let Stockfish play the opponent

The “Stockfish plays opponent” option lets the engine choose the opposing side’s move when it is their turn. It is useful when you want to step out of “I already know the reply” mode and check whether your plan survives a concrete defence.

Use this mode on small repertoire segments. If you let the engine play for too long, you may end up training a position that is too far from the original goal. A good rhythm is: enable it, test a few moves, then return to the line you wanted to learn.

Return to the lesson

After using Stockfish, keep one conclusion: the move to remember, the idea to correct or the branch to simplify. That conclusion is what improves your next training session.