Why a Chess Coach can Upgrade Your Game

Behind every Grandmaster chess player is a long history of targeted training and, most likely, at least a few great chess coaches, tutors, and mentors.

The right chess tutor can transform your performance and hone in on your weaknesses. They can also inspire and motivate you to continue on your journey toward becoming the best version of yourself as a player. 

Here's how a chess coach can upgrade your game.

The Value of Chess Guidance

While solo study is an important part of learning chess, ultimately, chess is a game that progresses when minds collaborate.

Chess players have grown in strength over the decades as theory has advanced. And a huge part of improving your chess skills involves standing on the shoulders of giants by studying famous games. This allows you to learn from the strongest chess players throughout history.  

The biggest benefit of getting a chess coach is that you'll have access to personalized advice from an advanced player. Someone with a more sophisticated understanding of the game will be able to recognize the most critical areas for you to improve.

Defining a Chess Coach

So, what is a chess coach? A chess coach is someone who guides you through chess improvement. But they also come in different forms.

A chess coach may specialize in education and have a balanced curriculum. They might teach beginners the fundamentals of chess, starting from how each piece moves. Or they may take more advanced players to the next level in tournaments.

They may provide group chess training or individualized, targeted training. This kind of training can promote rapid improvement in tournament play. 

Sometimes, chess coaching takes the form of a stronger player offering advice at your local chess club.

Reasons Chess Players Should Get a Chess Coach

Here are some reasons why it might be time for a chess player to get a chess coach.

You're preparing for tournament play. Tournaments are a large time (and often financial) investment. So it makes sense that you would want to invest in improving your chess skills with a more thorough education. 

A chess coach can help you prepare for tournaments by:

• Analyzing past tournament games
• Identifying weaknesses in your opening repertoire, middlegame strategy, and endgame approaches
• Exploring your mindset and time management during the game

You want to learn the basics of the game. Maybe you or your child are just getting into chess and want to understand the game beyond just moving the pieces.

A chess teachor can help you learn the fundamentals of chess by:

• Teaching you the basics of opening strategy
• Explain fundamental tactics and provide educational puzzles
• Help you learn fundamental concepts like candidate moves and general endgame practices

You're at a ratings plateau. Suppose you love the game of chess and you were at one point seeing improvement. Now you're stuck at 800, or 1000, or 1500, or 2000. No matter how hard you practice, you just can't break past that point.

A chess mentor can help you break through your ratings peak by:

• Identifying patterns that are causing you to lose games
• Providing targeted support to improve your mistakes
• Improving your overall strategy

Historic Chess Mentors

But how far can a chess coach really take you? At their best, chess coaches are renowned for their ability to accelerate performance in the best players. Here are some of the all-time best chess tutors, teachers, and coaches who have contributed to the development of the strongest players of all time.

GM Jacob Aagaard Trains Other Grandmasters

Jacob Aagaard is a Danish-born Scottish GM who is a well-acclaimed author as well as a FIDE senior FIDE chess trainer. He trained grandmasters like Sam Shankland, Sabino Brunello, and Hans Niemann, among others. He has worked training grandmasters from Asia, Europe, South and North America.

He is the only chess writer to win all four major Chess Book of the Year awards. You might want to consider reading one of his award-winning chess books:

• Excelling at Chess- Chesscafe.com Book of the Year 2002
• Attacking Manual 1&2- English Chess Federation Book of the Year 2010 and Boleslavsky Medal 2011
• Grandmaster Preparation: Calculation- Association of Chess Professionals' 2013 Book of the Year

Lazlo Polgar: Determined to Bring up Geniuses 

One of the most unique biographies in the chess world is the story of the Polgar sisters. After dedicating their lives to chess, the three women in the male-dominated sport became some of the strongest chess players in history. Their father, Lazlo Polgar, was their chess coach with a unique mission. He was a Hungarian educational psychologist and chess teacher determined to prove that geniuses are made, not born. 

He saw that his daughters were interested in chess and decided to raise them with intense study. Lazlo also shielded them from sexist ideas that could fuel imposter syndrome. 

He arranged for other mentors to train them when they were strong enough. Lazlo also made sure the sisters faced the most challenging competition they could find. The three women would often play chess in men's tournaments that would lead to securing their titles. 

GM Susan Polgar, the eldest sister, forced the World Championship to drop "Men's" from the title. Moreover, the youngest sister, GM Judit Polgar, went on to become the only woman to be a top ten player.

Lazlo Polgar also authored the highly recommended chess book 5,334 Problems, Combinations, and Games. 

Susan Polgar: An Acclaimed Chess Trainer 

Susan Polgar had an astonishing career as a chess player. However, she is also a highly regarded chess writer and trainer, particularly in college chess.

In 2011, Polgar became the first female coach to lead a men's division I team a national title as head coach of the Texas Tech University Chess Team in 2011. Then, in 2012, the team secured a consecutive victory. She founded the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) at Webster University in 2007.

She served as the Head Coach of Webster University's Chess Team from 2012 to 2021. Also, in 2013, she was presented the 2012-2103 College Coach of the Year Award.

In 2024, Polgar won the FIDE 100 award for best female trainer.

Chess Training Resources Beyond Chess Coaches

There's no substitute for the benefits of personalized chess guidance and human relationships. Still, in today's digital world, you can enhance your skills with additional resources that help you coach yourself.

This is particularly helpful if you can't access a chess coach or if your schedule is too busy. Or, maybe you have a chess tutor but want to supplement your education with other tools.

Regardless, make sure to take advantage of online resources to improve your chess!

For example, you can find many tactics puzzles on classic chess apps like Lichess and Chess.com. But you can also take free chess courses on Chessable, an app designed to help you learn chess better with science. With Chessable, you can practice openings, learn endgame theory, and drill tactics with the app's MoveTrainer.

You can also watch Chess Twitch Streamers and Youtubers go over historical games and more recent tournaments.

You should also take chess reading seriously. Explore the best chess books for every level here. If you are a USCF registered player, don't forget to review each Chess Life edition! 

Final Thoughts: Should You Get Training from a Chess Coach?

So is it time for you to get a chess tutor? Many chess players have indeed seen substantial improvement from the right coach. So if you're ready to take your game to the next level, you should seriously consider getting a chess coach.

FAQ: Why a Chess Coach can Upgrade Your Game