Chessable's Black Friday Waves: Which Courses, and What to Check Before You Buy

Black Friday has become a season, not a day, and Chessable has leaned into that with a rolling series of sales. Instead of one big discount, the platform is releasing deals in waves, new batches of courses every few days. That makes it more exciting to follow and more confusing to use.

Here's what is known about the current state of the sale, and, just as important, what isn't.

How the waves work

Chessable has described its Black Friday event as "batches of new deals every few days." The first wave focused on tactics and calculation courses and ended on Nov 9. The second wave began on Nov 10 and offers up to 60% off more than 180 Strategy and Endgame courses.

The phrase "up to 60%" is doing a lot of work. It means that some courses will be discounted by that much, but not necessarily all of them. Discounts vary by course, and a particular title you want might be at a smaller reduction.

Chess.com's own November update, published on Nov 9, also mentions up to 60% off Chessable courses in the coming weeks. That fits the pattern: the sale is meant to run through the build-up to Black Friday, with new batches arriving as it goes.

The Polgar deadline

Judit Polgar has been promoting her own courses, including the Master Your Endgames series and Judit Polgar Teaches Chess, as on sale until Nov 15. That is tomorrow, relative to the date of writing, which makes it the nearest deadline in the whole event.

Polgar's courses are well regarded, and endgames are an area where many club players have gaps. If you have been thinking about improving your technique, this is the sort of promotion worth paying attention to. But as with all sales, the question is whether you will

actually work through the material.

What I couldn't confirm

Here is the part that matters most. When I checked Chessable's homepage while signed out on Nov 13, there was no sale banner. Course prices sit behind a sign-up, so I couldn't see the actual numbers. I did not attempt to sign in.

That means I can't tell you what any specific course costs, or how much it is discounted. The wave structure and the "up to 60%" claim come from promotions, not from the prices themselves. So, please don't treat any discount as a promise. Check the course page and the checkout total.

It is also worth confirming which wave is active when you shop. The tactics wave has ended, and the current batch may change again, so a course that is discounted today could return to full price in a few days.

How to decide

A discount is only valuable if you wanted the course in the first place. A common trap with sales is buying something because it is cheap and never opening it. Before buying, ask yourself a few questions. What is my biggest weakness? Do I have time to study this regularly? Is the course suited to my level?

For most club players, endgames and strategy are good areas to invest in, because they transfer across openings and are easier to learn than deep theory. A structured course, with exercises and feedback, can be more effective than reading a book, provided you actually do the exercises.

Tactics are important too, but the tactics wave has already passed. If you wanted a tactics course, you may want to wait and see whether another wave brings them back, or check whether they are still discounted.

A sensible plan

If you're interested, here is how I'd approach it. Pick one course that targets a real weakness. Open its page and read the description, table of contents and any sample lessons. Check the price against what you'd be willing to pay at full cost. If the discounted price makes it a comfortable purchase, buy it. If not, skip it.

Avoid buying several courses at once. It is tempting when everything is on sale, but one finished course is worth far more than five unopened ones.

The takeaway

Chessable's Black Friday waves are a real opportunity for players who want to study. The "up to 60%" headline is attractive, but the fine print is in the prices, and those depend on the course. Verify before you buy, keep an eye on the Nov 15 Polgar deadline if her courses interest you, and let your own needs, not the discount, decide what goes in the cart.

Photo credit

Grandmaster Judit Polgár. Photo by Stefan64, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AJudit_Polgar.jpg https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0