By Chess Coach William Stewart
Why is a chess coach even necessary? Why do chess teachers always charge so much? Having played chess competitively for over a decade, I have pondered these existential questions myself. While it is certainly possible to improve your chess without a teacher – simply utilizing available tools such as books, videos, and blogs – there are some things about your unique chess game that need to be specifically identified and improved through an individually tailored study regiment with a chess coach. By avoiding formal instruction with a chess coach, these weakness often go unnoticed and even worsen.
I could not have reached my rating without training from my chess coaches
I have taken chess lessons from quite a few chess coaches over the last 14 years – starting with local Class A player Justin Morrison, IM Stephen Muhammad, IM Carlos Perdomo, GM Gregory Serper, and most recently I greatly enjoyed a few fantastic training sessions with GM Yury Shulman. I have greatly enjoyed and prospered from taking chess classes, whether my rating is 1200 or 2250. Without a doubt, some chess teachers are more effective than others due to a variety of contributory factors. Some trainers are more experienced, some are better with kids, and some chess coaches are simply stronger players. There is not one universal “Best” method of teaching chess. However, the best teachers are frequently able to pinpoint weaknesses and suggest the most efficient path towards improvement. Personally, I encourage my students to strive toward a truly universal style of play – balancing deep positional training with tactical exercises while simultaneously maintaining a comprehensive approach to learning and perfecting openings, middle-game strategy, and endgame technique. While results might not skyrocket in the short-term, I believe that a holistic approach to chess improvement is by far the most effective method overall.
Why take chess classes
So why do teachers charge so much!? Well, simply put – they don’t. I’ve witnessed a very sensationalist and dismissive attitude towards chess professionals and I believe it stems from a lack of understanding. There seems to be a general thought that excellent chess players are naturally smart and have never worked an honest day in their life. Ask any chess player over 2200 how they progressed at chess and I can guarantee the bottom line of their response will be very simple: hard work.
“You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself” – Galileo Galilei
Original article on how to find the Best Chess Coach available here
I find though somoe if not all of this article makes sense…it’s ignoring a lot as well. There IS such a thing as natural talent. I’m a walking example of it…never having been tought anything..I always observed…and day by day..my database got fuller and fuller..which sort of explains why I finished HS with only 6!! credits and why I slept through college and why at 35 I was successfull in creating a career in animation..(With no training whatsoever). Does not mean I didn’t work hard.. (when I was inspired to).but my character probably has more to do with it. To limit analisys on the Human condition by pure numbers..training..etc..is good..but it’s not the whole story.
Thank you Susan, I get your point.