CM Gaurav Zagade

I am Gaurav Rajesh Zagade, a 22-year-old Candidate Master from Maharashtra, India, with a peak rating of 2207. I am also currently pursuing a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology. Apart from being a Chess Coach, I also provide playing practice sessions.

I have been playing chess since the age of 6, amassing 15 years of experience and competing in over 400 tournaments. As a multiple-time champion in various age categories, I have also played in numerous national and international events. I have proudly represented India in tournaments held in Spain, Portugal, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

Some of my notable achievements include:

Silver Medalist in the Commonwealth Championship U-18
Maharashtra State Champion in U-17 and U-19 categories
Silver Medalist in the All India University Championship
Numerous victories against titled players
These accomplishments reflect my dedication, skill, and competitive spirit in the world of chess.

I began teaching chess in 2019 during the COVID lockdown, and over the past 5 years, I have taught more than 50 students from around the globe, including the US, UK, Switzerland, UAE, Oman, and Qatar. Sharing my 15 years of playing experience with them has been immensely rewarding. My students have shown remarkable progress in their age categories, with many improving their ratings within just a few months of training.

One of my proudest achievements as a coach is mentoring a former U-9 Indian national champion, who currently holds a rating of around 1889. My extensive teaching experience and proven track record of student success demonstrate my ability to effectively nurture and develop chess talent.

I also successfully organized my first Fischer Random chess tournament, marking my debut as an event organizer. This experience allowed me to explore and develop my skills in organizing and managing chess events.

My expertise lies in positional chess, where I excel in areas such as prophylactic thinking, evaluation, piece improvement, pawn structures, finding and exploiting weaknesses, and enhancing positional understanding. I have a strong grasp of these concepts and enjoy deeply studying and understanding openings. My extensive knowledge spans various openings, including the King's Indian Defence, Benoni Defence, Benko Gambit, Queen's Gambit Accepted, Semi-Slav, Queen's Gambit Declined, d4 openings from White, and Modern Reti.

I focus on understanding the underlying ideas and positions rather than relying solely on rote memorization. Additionally, I have a keen aptitude for practical and technical play. My areas of expertise include Positional Play, Openings, and Practical Play, making me a well-rounded and effective chess coach and player.

I offer a free demo session to all inquiries, where I address all questions and concerns. During this session, I explain my approach and methods in detail. My teaching emphasizes a deep analysis of each student's games to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Based on this analysis, I develop a personalized plan of action tailored to each student's needs.

Once training begins, I regularly analyze their games and monitor their progress to ensure continuous improvement. My student-centered approach ensures that each lesson is customized to help students achieve their full potential.