Chess Lessons and Tutoring for Intermediate and Advanced Players
From 53.86 £ /h
Improve Your Chess Through Better Thinking, Not Just Better Moves
Whether you're a beginner building strong fundamentals or an experienced tournament player aiming for the next rating milestone, my lessons are designed to develop the skills that matter most over the board.
As a USCF National Master and FIDE-rated player with years of coaching experience, I focus on teaching students how to think, not simply what moves to play. My lessons emphasize:
♟️ Calculation and visualization
🎯 Identifying forcing moves and candidate moves
🧠 Evaluating positions accurately
🛡️ Anticipating the opponent's best defensive resources
📈 Practical decision-making under tournament conditions
📚 Endgames, strategy, tactics, and opening understanding
Every lesson is tailored to the student's current level and goals. Rather than memorizing lines, students learn a structured thought process they can apply in any position.
Whether you're preparing for your first tournament or working toward expert or master strength, my goal is to help you become a more confident, disciplined, and independent chess player.
Whether you're a beginner building strong fundamentals or an experienced tournament player aiming for the next rating milestone, my lessons are designed to develop the skills that matter most over the board.
As a USCF National Master and FIDE-rated player with years of coaching experience, I focus on teaching students how to think, not simply what moves to play. My lessons emphasize:
♟️ Calculation and visualization
🎯 Identifying forcing moves and candidate moves
🧠 Evaluating positions accurately
🛡️ Anticipating the opponent's best defensive resources
📈 Practical decision-making under tournament conditions
📚 Endgames, strategy, tactics, and opening understanding
Every lesson is tailored to the student's current level and goals. Rather than memorizing lines, students learn a structured thought process they can apply in any position.
Whether you're preparing for your first tournament or working toward expert or master strength, my goal is to help you become a more confident, disciplined, and independent chess player.
Extra information
To best make use of these lessons, keep track of PDF handouts that will be provided throughout our work together, and please create an account on Lichess if you don't already have one. We will be sharing studies and other materials on that site.
Location
Online from United States
About Me
Hello! My name is Michael, and I'm a USCF National Master and FIDE-rated tournament player with several years of coaching experience. I work with students of all ages and playing strengths, from complete beginners learning the fundamentals to experienced tournament competitors striving for the next rating milestone.
My coaching philosophy is simple: I don't just teach moves—I teach students how to think. Every lesson is designed to strengthen calculation, visualization, decision-making, and positional understanding so that students can become confident, independent players over the board.
I believe every student learns differently, so I tailor each lesson to their current level, goals, and learning style. Whether you're preparing for your first tournament, building a solid foundation, or working toward expert or master strength, I'll create a structured training plan to help you improve.
I look forward to helping you reach your chess goals!
My coaching philosophy is simple: I don't just teach moves—I teach students how to think. Every lesson is designed to strengthen calculation, visualization, decision-making, and positional understanding so that students can become confident, independent players over the board.
I believe every student learns differently, so I tailor each lesson to their current level, goals, and learning style. Whether you're preparing for your first tournament, building a solid foundation, or working toward expert or master strength, I'll create a structured training plan to help you improve.
I look forward to helping you reach your chess goals!
Education
Chess Strengths
Deep understanding of dynamic positions and initiative
Strong calculation and pattern recognition
Expertise in French Defense, Sicilian structures, IQP positions, and attacking play
Teaching Strengths
Diagnosing student weaknesses quickly
Teaching structured, step-by-step thought processes
Making complex positions easy to understand
Supporting both children and adults with tailored communication
My specialty is helping students think more clearly and confidently over the board.
Deep understanding of dynamic positions and initiative
Strong calculation and pattern recognition
Expertise in French Defense, Sicilian structures, IQP positions, and attacking play
Teaching Strengths
Diagnosing student weaknesses quickly
Teaching structured, step-by-step thought processes
Making complex positions easy to understand
Supporting both children and adults with tailored communication
My specialty is helping students think more clearly and confidently over the board.
Experience / Qualifications
I have coached students from beginner level to 2300+, both in the U.S. and internationally. My teaching focuses on how strong players think — calculation habits, decision-making, and structured improvement.
I’ve helped students achieve major rating jumps by developing their fundamentals, improving their calculation, and guiding them with a clear long-term training plan.
I’ve helped students achieve major rating jumps by developing their fundamentals, improving their calculation, and guiding them with a clear long-term training plan.
Age
Children (7-12 years old)
Teenagers (13-17 years old)
Adults (18-64 years old)
Seniors (65+ years old)
Student level
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Duration
60 minutes
The class is taught in
English
Skills
Availability of a typical week
(GMT -04:00)
New York
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
00-04
04-08
08-12
12-16
16-20
20-24
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