Private Chess Coaching Lessons - For Adults

My Coaching Philosophy

My coaching always begins with your goals. Some students come to me because they enjoy the game and want to simply have more fun with it.

Others want to improve their playing strength as efficiently as possible. Both approaches are valid. However, If your primary goal is real improvement, here’s how I help you get there...

Chess Is Primarily a Game of Skill, Rather Than Knowledge

(Paraphrasing FM Jack Puccini)

Although chess has a reputation for being mastered through books, lectures, and memorising theory, that view is incomplete. You don’t become a stronger player by passively absorbing information. You improve by developing skills, skills that can be trained, measured, and sharpened over time.

My role is to identify the specific skills that will most improve your results and show you how to develop them. This might include:

Tactical vision
Different aspects of calculation
Positional pattern recognition
Intuition in common middlegame structures
Time management and decision-making patterns
Or other sub-skills relevant to your style and goals

How I Coach

I begin by analysing your games in detail to understand your patterns, strengths, and blind spots. From there, I create a tailored plan that focuses on the exact skills holding back your progress.

Lessons typically include:

Clear explanations of key skills
Targeted exercises and puzzles
Step-by-step guidance on how to practise effectively
Practical examples from your own games
A simple improvement framework you can apply yourself

The aim is not only that you understand what to improve, but that you know exactly how to train those skills in a way that leads to lasting results.

Homework & Practice

Just like personal training or learning an instrument, chess improvement doesn’t happen from weekly lessons alone. Consistency matters. If you’re not a beginner, meaningful progress requires regular, focused practice between sessions.

That’s why I assign personalised homework designed to strengthen the specific skills we’re working on. Homework is:

Practical, not overwhelming
Tailored to your level and goals
Directly linked to your improvement plan
Designed to give you the highest return on your time

My goal is to make sure every minute you invest is moving you closer to the player you want to become.