| Chapter I. | Introduction | Page 7 |
| The Chess-Board and Men—Moves and Powers of the Pieces and Pawns—Notation Used to Describe their Movements—Technical Terms of Chess—Illustrations of Technical Terms—Relative Value of the Chess Forces—The Chess Code, or, Laws of the Game—General Rules and Observations—Maxims and Advice for an Inexperienced Player—Preliminary Game. | |
| II. | King's Knight's Opening | 51-115 |
| Damiano Gambit, 52; Philidor's Defence, 54; Petroff's Defence, 61; Counter Gambit in the Knight's Opening, 68; The Giuoco Piano, 74; Captain Evans's Gambit, 88; The Two Knights' Defence, 95; The Knight's Game of Ruy Lopez, 97; The Queen's Pawn Game, or Scotch Gambit, 101; The Queen's Bishop's Pawn Game in the King's Knight's Opening, 116. | |
| III. | The King's Bishop's Opening | 116-137 |
| The Two Kings' Bishops' Game, 116; McDonnell's Double Gambit, 120; The Lopez Gambit, 121; The King's Knight's Defence in King's Bishop's Opening, 127; Counter Gambit in the King's Bishop's Opening, 128; The Queen's Bishop's Pawn's Defence in the King's Bishop's Opening, 130; Queen's Bishop's Pawn's Opening, 134. | |
| IV. | The King's Gambit | 138-184 |
| The King's Gambit proper, or King's Knight's Gambit, 138; The Cunningham Gambit, 142; The Salvio Gambit, 144; The Cochrane Gambit, 146; The Muzio Gambit 152; The Allgaier Gambit, 162; The King's Rook's Pawn Gambit, 164; The King's Bishop's Gambit, 166; The Gambit Declined, 180. | |
| V. | The Queen's Gambit | 185-191 |
| The Gambit refused, 188. | |
| VI. | Irregular Openings | 192-214 |
| The French Game, 192; The Sicilian Game, 193; The Wing Gambit, 194; The Centre Counter Gambit, 195; The Fianchetto, 196, Steinitz Gambit, 213. | |
| VII. | Endings of Games | 215 |
| Chess Problems | 248 |