United KingdomEveryone's unique. People learn in different ways. The art of teaching, or coaching, is working out the key to helping a particular student to improve.
You can find information everywhere without a chess coach. There are videos, books, courses and instruction manuals. Some are good, some are...not so good. You can put analyse your games with a powerful engine and it'll tell you which moves cost you the game.
The difference with a coach is that they can tell you *why*, not just *what*. It's interactive. You can ask questions and get answers. A coach can spot patterns in your play, see the kind of mistakes you make and help you to plan how to improve.
About me
Playing experience
I'm a Candidate Master, former England Under-21 squad and captain of Yorkshire. I've represented White Rose in the European Club Cup. I captained the Chessable White Rose side in the inaugural online 4NCL, which won the top division. I was the English Under-16 Squad champion in 1996/1997...
Honestly, there are stronger players on this site than I am. Bottom line, if you're already FIDE 2000+ strength then you're best to go to an IM or a GM for coaching. I might be able to help you a bit, but they would be able to help you a lot. My advice: find someone who can take a really difficult subject and make it seem easy. Find that, and you've found your coach.
Honestly, there are stronger players on this site than I am. Bottom line, if you're already FIDE 2000+ strength then you're best to go to an IM or a GM for coaching. I might be able to help you a bit, but they would be able to help you a lot. My advice: find someone who can take a really difficult subject and make it seem easy. Find that, and you've found your coach.
Teaching experience
Some of my former students have gone from absolute beginner to representing their County, or playing for England age-group teams. Then there's also frustration: when you see someone break the 2000 barrier at a young age, knowing that they could go on to become an IM or GM and they stop playing to focus on a career.
I've taught Maths at primary and secondary level. I've done a little bit of lecturing at university level. I've done private tuition, group chess coaching, simuls...plenty of things really.
Teaching and playing chess are different skills. A great teacher can be a terrible chess player, and some of the best chess players in the world would be incapable of explaining anything.
I've taught Maths at primary and secondary level. I've done a little bit of lecturing at university level. I've done private tuition, group chess coaching, simuls...plenty of things really.
Teaching and playing chess are different skills. A great teacher can be a terrible chess player, and some of the best chess players in the world would be incapable of explaining anything.
Other experiences
Too many to mention! I went to university at the age of 15 (scary, but fun).
I wrote a book (Chess: Skills, Tactics, Techniques - Crowood Press) taking adult beginners to club strength at chess. Written magazine articles, had games published, done football commentary as well as chess, etc...
I once got knocked out in the first boxing round of a chessboxing match to raise money for charity. Too embarrassing to leave it there, so I did more training and knocked my opponent out in the first round of a charity boxing match. Not an experience I'd care to repeat, but it helped me lose 4 stone (about 25kg) in weight and made £4k or so for good causes, so it was worth it!
Writing a book inspired me to set up my own publishing company, which kept me busy during lockdown. Most of 2021 has been taken up with ghost-writing books (true stories) on subjects from rescuing kidnapped children to synaesthesia, researching and writing articles on Covid whilst editing a comedian's autobiography for a bit of light relief.
I do a bit of chess coaching because I enjoy it.
I wrote a book (Chess: Skills, Tactics, Techniques - Crowood Press) taking adult beginners to club strength at chess. Written magazine articles, had games published, done football commentary as well as chess, etc...
I once got knocked out in the first boxing round of a chessboxing match to raise money for charity. Too embarrassing to leave it there, so I did more training and knocked my opponent out in the first round of a charity boxing match. Not an experience I'd care to repeat, but it helped me lose 4 stone (about 25kg) in weight and made £4k or so for good causes, so it was worth it!
Writing a book inspired me to set up my own publishing company, which kept me busy during lockdown. Most of 2021 has been taken up with ghost-writing books (true stories) on subjects from rescuing kidnapped children to synaesthesia, researching and writing articles on Covid whilst editing a comedian's autobiography for a bit of light relief.
I do a bit of chess coaching because I enjoy it.
Best skills
Teaching is just natural to me. I learned to teach when I was about 6. My old Maths teacher used to ask me to help others in my class when I'd finished my work. I worked fast, and then I'd explain to my friends the things they didn't understand. It was great - I learned what worked and what didn't. I learned how to relate to people.
If you learn a second language from a young age, it becomes second nature to you. You become fluent at it. I speak a bit of a couple of languages, but I was effectively immersed in teaching from when I was a kid. Most people get a paper round...as a teenager, my 'evening job' was doing private maths tuition.
If you learn a second language from a young age, it becomes second nature to you. You become fluent at it. I speak a bit of a couple of languages, but I was effectively immersed in teaching from when I was a kid. Most people get a paper round...as a teenager, my 'evening job' was doing private maths tuition.
Teaching methodology
I don't have "a system" that I'm going to expect every student to follow to the letter. I need to develop a feel for the pattern of mistakes that you make. Where are the gaps in your knowledge? What do we need to do to help you improve? Do we need to focus on opening, middlegame or ending? Is it tactical or positional play? Do you need to be more analytical? Do we need to help you develop your instincts?
Sometimes a highly tactical player will just want to learn more tactics. That's their natural game. But in order to develop, they need a better positional understanding. What happens when a tactic leads to forcing your opponent to have an isolated pawn, or to giving you the bishop pair? Tactics can bring about positional goals. On the other hand, positional play can create the conditions for tactics to succeed. I don't want to change your natural style. But I do want you to have all the tools in your toolbox to be able to make that style work for you.
Sometimes a highly tactical player will just want to learn more tactics. That's their natural game. But in order to develop, they need a better positional understanding. What happens when a tactic leads to forcing your opponent to have an isolated pawn, or to giving you the bishop pair? Tactics can bring about positional goals. On the other hand, positional play can create the conditions for tactics to succeed. I don't want to change your natural style. But I do want you to have all the tools in your toolbox to be able to make that style work for you.