Do you spend time each day trying to improve your chess, only to be frustrated by your lack of progress?If you're keen to get the chess results you deserve from the effort you're putting in, this post is for you. Be sure to watch this short traini...
IntroductionLike many of you, I was once a 'theory hound', delving into all the opening books and theories with fervour...However, after my tournament days, I discovered a different path that significantly impacted my results... So I always feel s...
Do you need help to convert your advantages into wins in your games?If so, this short training video will help you show considerably better technique This example is the first one in the classic work 'Endgame Strategy' by Shereshevsky. ...
Easy Guide To The Grachev SicilianAre you looking for a chess opening that mirrors the Najdorf but with a significantly reduced amount of theory? The Grachev Sicilian is your answer. It's a practical alternative that allows you to play like the Na...
Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of embarking on a shared journey with countless chess players, each unique in their struggles and aspirations. This is one of the most effective ways to solve a chess or mental game struggl...
Discover the four main things that stop players converting their winning position into a win! About My Free Live Training As you can see from the image above, I am hosting a live chess training session on Thursday from 12 to 1 pm GMT+10 (Sydn...
Discover the deeper meaning behind this quote, and understand your 'Hero's Journey' in the chess world. Introduction 'When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.'We've all heard this quote before, but have you ever wondered about it...
Hello, chess friends!At 12-1pm Sydney time on Thursday, 9th May (that's Wednesday night for those for you in the US), I will be covering the most requested topic of 'How To Develop An Effective Middlegame Plan', exclusively in my free Facebook gro...
Do you want to learn the correct lessons from each chess game you play?If so, you've come to the right place!One of the main reasons that a chess player fails to improve is that they repeat the same mistakes in their chess games. Analyzing ou...
A big part of the ‘mental game’ is learning how to manage our emotions, so that we control our actions rather than being a ‘slave’ to our emotions. The influence of our emotions is well summarised by the ‘Law ...
Discover how to defend better in your chess games Introduction The importance of defending well in chess is a pattern in the games of both my students and the best chess players in the world. As the saying goes in team sports, 'Offence w...
Background In a monumental turn, the chess world was rocked by the news of 17-year-old Gukesh's triumph in the 2024 FIDE Candidates, securing a remarkable 9/14. This victory has catapulted him into the spotlight as he prepares to challenge Ding ...
Have you ever found yourself saying, 'I want to read more books' more often than you actually read? What do you think has changed in your life that led to this shift in your reading habits? I used to be like that - reminiscing about my childh...
A Step-By-Step Process To Getting In A 'Flow' State During Our Chess Games Introduction In this post, I will describe how to get in 'the zone' or 'flow' during our chess games. 'The Zone' refers to a state of complete focus and concentratio...
A common challenge when trying to improve at something is that we place conditions on what we'll do to improve. We see limited options (or even only one choice) for overcoming an obstacle because we 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦. A c...
What makes a great student? Over the years, I’ve taught individuals from various backgrounds, each with unique qualities. Reflecting on these experiences, I’ve observed specific characteristics that stand out in those who excel. ...
Discover how to change your environment for the better so that you can live a better life and play better chess! Introduction Hello chess friends! I took a break from posting for a few weeks (as I was overwhelmed with IRL things), so I h...
Hello chess friends!In today's post, I will share with you the Carlsen Variation of the Exchange QGD, and how to play it as Black!You may be wondering - what exactly is the Carlsen Variation?The Carlsen Variation arises after the following moves: ...
𝐀 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐨𝐦𝐛, 𝐈𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 While working with a student, I discovered a sophisticated opening bomb in the London System, which I'd like to share with you. Our position arises after 𝟏.𝐝𝟒 𝐝𝟓 𝟐.𝐍𝐟𝟑 𝐍𝐟𝟔 𝟑.𝐁𝐟𝟒 𝐜𝟓 𝟒.𝐞𝟑 𝐍𝐜𝟔 𝟓.𝐍𝐛𝐝𝟐 ...
Hello chess friends!Would you like to discover what's stopping you from getting a chess rating over 1600?Then check out my new training video, 'Potholes & Detours From The Road To 1600'! Would you like to discover what's stopping you from...
IntroductionWhy is it that some chess improvers will achieve their chess goals in 2024...but most won't? Something I often talk about in my recent content is the 'mental game' of chess and chess improvement. The mental game is a broad sp...
In this post, I will share with you an interesting idea against the Caro-Kann, which was first played in a Grandmaster game in 2017 (and once before that in 2014), but is now a quite trendy answer to the old main line of the Caro-Kann, with 1...
You may be wondering...What is 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠?Why does this especially matter for 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬?How can we 'unlearn' the things 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭?Let's discuss each of these.Unlearning means 'to make an effort to f...
IntroductionWhat is the most annoying system for Caro-Kann players to face?The easiest answer would be 'The line that scores best for White', but we can't purely rely on the statistics to determine this. For instance, White's best scoring lin...
Do you want to retain much more of what you learn in your study for the day? Allow me to share a short story. When I resumed coaching privately in April 2023, I had a lot of new experiences from the last few years: - Selling low-tic...
