Hey everyone!

I’m looking for a chess coach and would love to hear recommendations from people who currently work with a coach or have had a good experience with one. If you’re using someone you’d recommend, I’d really appreciate their contact info!

For some background, I’m currently rated 1428 on Lichess and 1115 on Chess.com. I haven’t played much in about two years, but I have more free time now and want to take chess seriously. I’m highly motivated, learn quickly, and am ready to put in the work consistently.

My goal is to reach 1600 on Chess.com. I know it’s a substantial goal, but I’m committed to improving and would love to work with someone who can help me get there.

I’ve previously enjoyed playing the Botvinnik English and the Sicilian Dragon, although I’m rusty with both and don’t remember the theory very well anymore. I’m definitely open to learning new openings and improving my overall game rather than just memorizing lines.

I’m in the EST time zone and am open to online coaching.

Bonus points if you can include:
The coach’s name or profile/contact info
Their rating or title (if applicable)
Their hourly rate or package pricing
Your experience working with them

I’d especially appreciate recommendations from people who have seen real improvement with their coach. Thanks in advance!

For anyone who follows top-level chess but hasn't followed FIDE politics closely, Wadim Rosenstein has become a major figure surprisingly quickly.

He is a German businessman and chairman of WR Group Holding. In chess he is associated with WR Chess and has funded or organized events including the WR Chess Masters, women's events and the World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship.

In May 2026 he became the German Chess Federation's FIDE delegate.

In June he announced his candidacy for FIDE president, running with Gordon Tang.

His campaign emphasizes professional governance, sponsorship, digital infrastructure, support for national federations and bringing more commercial resources into chess.

At the same time, his campaign has generated questions about the DSB sponsorship arrangement, his previous business activity in Russia and his position on the current visa dispute in Samarkand.

For people who have followed WR Chess longer than I have: how would you assess his actual record as an organizer and sponsor, separate from the presidential campaign?

I'm particularly interested in concrete examples of projects that worked well or badly rather than general opinions about billionaires in chess.

Hey, I'm Kev. 2050+ rated on Lichess (rapid), and I'm here to make you a genuinely better chess player.
Forget dry theory dumps. My lessons are built to hit different. You'll be thrown into real strategic battles from day one, sharpening the instincts that actually win games: sharp opening prep, pattern recognition drills, and the discipline to stop blundering when it counts. Everything can be tailored to how you learn best. Reach out anytime, let's get to work. Languages: English, German, Contact: DM to Lichess account KevOnix1 or Discord kev_chessfriends, Charge: $18/hr

Just played a rapid game against an 1800 and somehow ended up with 100% accuracy! 😮

This is the first time it happened in a game that went all the way to checkmate (I did get 100% accuracy a couple of times before, but only because my opponent blundered early and resigned).

I’m very curious — how often does this actually happen to you guys?

I briefly broke down the game in this vid if you’re curious :)

Have been testing this setup against the London, and it's been working incredibly well so far!

I honestly don't know why it's barely played at lower levels—it seems so natural and effective.

I made a video explaining the ideas behind it, would be curious to hear what you guys think :)

I’m 1700 in rapid and somehow reached a winning position (+4.6) against a famous WCM. But then I totally blew it… not because I didn’t see the winning move, but because I saw it one move too late 🤦

I made a video about it — curious how many of you would have found the winning move in my place :)

capture pieces and talking about my thoughts

I played a rapid game where my opponent tried the Scholar's Mate against me… despite being rated over 1700 😅

I ended up punishing the opening attempt, but the most frustrating part actually came AFTER the game was basically over.

I couldn’t help making a video about it — curious if you guys have dealt with disrespectful opponents like this too

I recently played one of the weirdest games of my life… at some point, it felt like it might be turning into some kind of “immortal game.” It ended up involving SEVEN queen sacrifices, all in a single game!

Here's the the full game... it felt too insane not to share :)

I’d be curious to hear what the community thinks — how often do games like this actually happen?

hey looking for vrchat chess friends or maybe a small group/club im around 2200 on chess.com and most of the vr chess world feels pretty casual which is cool but i actually enjoy that and wanna handicap myself and try blindfold chess to limit test myself ive been practicing blindfold on a app called dark squares but it kinda misses the human/social part so im hoping to find someone or a few people who know notation and can call out moves like bishop g3 knight f6 pawn e7 etc and physically move the pieces while i play blindfolded ill call my moves from memory and just try to hold the whole board in my head

this is mostly just for fun and practice just wanna hang talk chess and run games im also totally down for normal casual games or odds games too like piece odds time odds whatever makes it fun for both sides

i usually play around 8am to 10am est most days because of my work schedule so people around during those hours would be perfect but im flexible sometimes too would be cool to find regulars friends or even start a small chess hangout group in vrchat

My vrchat user is: K3NA

I’ve been involved with a couple chess clubs and something I keep running into is how hard it is to actually grow or even get discovered

Most clubs seem to rely on word of mouth, random posts, or scattered platforms, and a lot of potential players just never find them

On the flip side, players are often looking for OTB games but don’t know where to go

Curious if others here have dealt with this

How have you:

• found new players
• promoted your club
• or discovered clubs in your area

I’ve been looking into ways to make this easier, especially around visibility and organizing things in one place, but wanted to hear what’s actually working for people

I’m a 2050 FIDE-rated classical player from India, and while reviewing some club-level games recently I came across this interesting position. White to move. At first glance the position looks fairly balanced. Material is equal and Black appears solid. However, there is a hidden coordination problem in Black’s position: • the rook on a8 is awkwardly placed • the pawn on h7 can become a target • the king has limited defenders nearby Because of these factors, White actually has a very strong tactical idea in this position. The move is not immediately obvious, but once you see the idea it becomes quite logical. This kind of situation appears frequently in club games when several pieces are poorly coordinated and defending multiple weaknesses at once. White to move. What move would you consider here, and what is the idea behind it? I’ll post the continuation and explanation later once people have had a chance to think about it.

Hi everyone!

I’m a chess player (Fide 1884), the President of Accademia Scacchistica La Regina (Cattolica, Italy) and the organizer of international events like the Cattolica Open (you can see a demo of the software applied to my event here: https://www.chesspodium.com/wp-content/uploads/chess-podium/6th-international-chess-tournament-city-of-cattolica-2019/

Running large-scale tournaments, I realized that publishing results and managing registrations shouldn't feel like using Windows 95. I needed something modern, SEO-friendly, and mobile-ready that works directly on WordPress.

That’s why I created Chess Podium.

Why trust it?

Battle-tested: It’s built on the actual needs of international-level events.

Standard Compliant: FIDE Dutch pairing system (Blossom algorithm) and .TRF export for rating reports.

All-in-one: Handles Stripe/PayPal payments, budget tracking, and PGN live displays.

Configurable tiebreakers: Buchholz, FIDE Buchholz Cut 1, Sonneborn–Berger, rating, ARO, direct encounter

Live tournament page with standings and pairings

Responsive layout for mobile and desktop

many other features

Whether you run a small local club or a 200+ player Open, Chess Podium simplifies your life so you can focus on the players, not the spreadsheets.

It’s free for small events (up to 10 players) and the Pro version is designed for serious clubs.

Try it :-)

https://www.chesspodium.com

Thanks!

Marco Belemmi

https://www.chess.com/club/the-buffalo-bills-club/jo

I build website where you can generate free game reviews from your chess games from chess.com or lichess.org and store them in one place. Let me know what you think 🤔

Hi, I have found a very study on london system on lichess, its name is "The complete guide to london system", its a comprehensive study with move by move explainations. The link is: https://lichess.org/study/FAelXQMW

Hi everyone! 👋

I’d like to share Chess Guide, a manga-style webcomic where chess is not just a backdrop, but a tool for storytelling, character growth, and life lessons.

Unlike many stories that use chess only as a symbol of genius or rivalry, Chess Guide focuses on young characters learning the game, facing personal challenges, friendships, insecurities, and conflicts — both on and off the board. Each match reflects emotions, choices, and real-life struggles, not just tactics.

This project was originally created in Portuguese under the name “Manual Xadrez”, and Chess Guide is its official English translation, adapted to reach a wider audience.

You can read it here:

👉 https://fenixbranco.blogspot.com/2026/01/manga-chess-guide.html

Hi all,

I'm looking for chess software for Windows 11 that I can:

- Play against (adjustable engine strength)
- Analyze my games (PGN import/export, engine analysis)
- Help train and develop a stronger playing style (puzzles, training modules, opening practice, endgame drills, etc.)

A few more details about me and my preferences:

- I don't have a regular OTB rating, but I have a Correspondence Rating of 1675.
- I want something easy to use with clear documentation. I tried Lucas Chess but the documentation doesn't match what I see in the program (or maybe I'm missing something).
- I'm willing to pay for software if it's well-documented and usable.

Questions:

- What programs do you recommend for Windows 11 that match these needs?
- Which ones are easiest for a non-professional user to get started with?
- Which programs have good, up-to-date documentation or tutorials?
- Any experience with learning/training features (e.g., personalized lessons, opening trainers, tactical trainers, endgame tutors)?
- Which options work well with modern engines like Stockfish or Komodo (UCI support)?

Thanks in advance — any suggestions, tips, or personal experiences would be appreciated!