As you or someone you love has improved in their chess playing, you may have had the reasonable thought, “Maybe I should get a chess coach.” In any other endeavor in life, if you or a child of yours were to become invested in learning something, a common next step would be to find someone who already knows how to do that thing and to have them teach! Before you jump into a lesson, though, it is important to think about what you want in a chess coach.

What Are You Looking For?

Before you find a trombone coach, you would first need to determine what it was you hoped to achieve from that trombone coach. Are you brand new to the trombone? Are you returning after years of being away from the instrument? Maybe you just heard about it on the hit Netflix show “The Trombone’s Gambit.” Either way, the first step is figuring out what exactly you are looking for.

A Chess Coach for You and Your Level

Where you are in your chess journey will change what you are looking for in a chess coach. If you are a brand new beginner chess player, there is no reason for you to pay top dollar for a grandmaster coach; in fact, many grandmasters don’t know how to simplify the material down to the real beginner level. So, determine your or your child's current level, and then you can find an appropriate coach.

A Chess Tutor for Your Child

If the coach is for a student, then it will be helpful to make sure the coach you are thinking of using has experience teaching kids. They will likely say so on their website or profile. Teaching kids can be a completely different skill than teaching even a beginner adult, so make sure you find an appropriate coach. Once you find that right coach, they can help your child fall in love with the game of chess! Make sure the coach you find is not overly focused on results, as that can burn out your child, where they won’t want to play chess anymore.

Where to Find Chess Training to Improve Your Chess

So here is the big question: “How do you find a chess coach?”

• Start where you play.
  • Are you or your student already playing chess in person somewhere? Then whoever runs that meetup will likely either teach lessons themselves or might know of some local coaches that could be a good fit for you.

• Look at online options.
  • A big question is whether or not you are okay with using an online chess coach. This can just mean a good coach who happens to not be in your area but can teach lessons via Zoom or some other online call. Chess, unlike the trombone, is actually really well-suited for online learning! You can have a chess board right in front of you that both you and the coach can move the pieces. New chess positions can be loaded up in an instant to best facilitate learning. Don’t be scared away from a coach just because you or your student might have to do an online option.
• Classes may be a good opportunity.
  • If your student is brand new to chess, a group class can often be ideal for their learning. Sometimes, school programs might offer an after-school chess club, or there may be a summer camp option near you that teaches beginner students how to play the game. This can be a more cost-effective method when all they really need to do is learn chess and how the pieces move or how to checkmate.

Try It Out!

Whether it is for yourself or your child, don’t be afraid to test out a lesson. Most coaches will offer some sort of meeting or even a one-off lesson to see if you are a good fit. This can be a good way to see if your needs align with that coach's teaching philosophy, skills, or even personality. Don’t be afraid to book either a one-off lesson or send an email to ask any questions to a possible coach. They will be happy to answer any questions or let you know any details about their experience. 

What to Expect

What to expect in a chess lesson can vary from coach to coach, and that is why it is good to read whatever that coach has put on their profile or website and to also know what it is you want from a lesson. Often, a coach will be flexible, and if you let them know that you are interested in reviewing your tournament games and practicing endgames, then they will be more than happy to have your sessions already planned out with your input! Generally, lessons are about an hour long and can consist of talking through puzzles or positions, teaching new concepts, or even playing a practice game. If you have notated games from a recent tournament, that is a great use of your chess lesson time. Going over a game with a better player is invaluable.

How to Know if the Coach Is Right for You

Now, if you enter into a lesson and find that the chess trainer is not meeting your expectations. That is okay! Not all coaches are right for all students. If you hired a grandmaster to coach your six-year-old who hasn’t yet learned piece movement, it's okay to move on and try a more appropriate coach next. So pay attention during your first lesson and be upfront with your new coach about what it is you want out of your chess lessons, and if everything goes well, then you have the coach right for you!

How to Get the Most Out of Your Chess Lessons

The way to get the most out of your chess lessons is by having clear chess goals and plans. By having actionable goals, your chess coach will be able to best guide you toward those goals. Plus, you need to be playing chess to be improving your chess. You will not get much out of chess lessons if you are not spending time playing chess. Reviewing your games with a chess coach can be the best way to improve your play. At the same time, if you love sitting down and learning something from a chess coach, and you play a practice game with them once a week and don’t have much time otherwise to play, then that can be a great way for you to spend your time and money! Just know what your goals are going in.

Do I Need a Chess Coach?

A chess coach is a luxury that many players cannot afford and, sometimes, don’t need. Now, every player can benefit from a chess coach, but if you are just learning chess, there are plenty of beginner chess books, online resources, chess courses, and even blog posts that can help you learn the game. Then, you need to be playing chess! Improvement comes with time spent and games played. If you find that you do really well even learning the basics with someone teaching them to you, or if you have learned how the pieces move and want help organizing your chess study going forward, then a chess coach is an excellent resource.

The Grandmaster Question

Every chess coach has heard it before: the “Could I still become a grandmaster?” Most of the time, if you are asking this question, the answer will be no. But don’t let that discourage you! People who play basketball every week for fun or exercise don’t have to make it to the NBA for it to be worth their time! Enjoy chess and enjoy the process of learning. Having goals is an important part of any new hobby or skill, but don’t hurt yourself by having unobtainable expectations for yourself. Or, if it helps your mindset, do it! Go become a grandmaster. A chess coach will be right along with you on that journey.

Now, Go Learn!

You have everything you need to find a chess coach and improve as a chess player. Now it’s time for you to just do it! Sometimes, the hardest step in your journey is the first one, and finding a chess coach can be the step that you need to jumpstart your chess. Remember, you can always try out a lesson or two and just see how it goes. Give it a shot and see just how much you can improve.

Frequently Asked Questions