Endings
Ever felt like you had a win the entire game, only to have it slip away through your grasp? Or miss an easy draw in endgame?
Perhaps the most daunting area of the game, this is where players who cannot "shift gears into endgame thinking mode" or who simply lack the basic knowledge will fail at salvaging a draw, or converting a won position into a full point.
​
As a firm believer in the traditional Soviet chess school of thought, I emphasize this part of the game, since its good grasp usually improves the quality of thinking in other areas of the game as well.
​
​
​
Calculation
Calculating variations accurately is an important skill that can be acquired with the right type of studying, and practice.
Early on while studying chess, I focused almost exclusively on this area, and have learned some techniques that improve the accuracy and speed of calculation.
Blitz "theory"
Most chess books don't even mention a sentence on the subject, but managing "the clock" (time) is almost as essential as managing the pieces on the board.
While it is best to avoid zeitnot (time pressure) altogether, a serious player can have an edge if he/she knows some blitz techniques. After all, in some ways, a blitz game is an "different" game.
​
Having stumbled upon certain "techniques" on my own, and learned others from books, I've seen how they can make a difference in some of my games, and now am happy to share this knowledge.
Positional Feel
Chess may be "99% tactics" according to chessmaster Teichman, but every tactic is based on sound positional understanding. I try to help students acquire a certain "positional feel" through real game examples.
Psychology
We are all human, in fact perhaps "all too human" as philosopher Nietzsche would say.
It is not enough to study, learn or even train.
One must also feel confident in his/her abilities, keep emotions in check, and balance expectations under constantly changing circumstances. In short, mental stamina is a crucial (albeit under-rated) ingredient of a successful chess player.
You
Know thyself is the saying, and it applies to chess as well.
Everyone is different. Each has his/her different objectives. Everyone also his/her own strengths and weaknesses.
I tailor the lessons taking these into the account, and focusing on improving on the weaknesses within the framework of the student's goals.
