Five (5) Beneficial Resources For Chess Coaches and Instructors

I have wanted to write about ten (10) chess resources for chess coaches, and instructors for a while now. Most times, as soon as I get on the computer to start taking notes, something does get in the way. There is no better time to write about this than now.

In this article, I will discuss five (5) beneficial resources for chess coaches. Apart from the two giant chess-playing platforms (chess.com, lichess.org) with many resources, we have other helpful applications for chess training and development. 

These free resources are in no order of importance. Chess instructors can use them for their tailored training or coaching purposes. Let’s delve in to learn more.

#1 Blitz Tactics: This is a web application for playing chess tactics. The platform allows players to play tactics at the speed of blitz. Players can choose between haste, three, Countdown, speedrun, rated, infinity, and repetition. All the puzzles on blitz tactics are from lichess.org.

#2 Mate in One by Seblague: Looking for a simple interface for solving checkmate in one? Mate in one by Seblague is the place. A player can choose the mode in which they want to play. The options available on the platform are Endless—untimed, endless puzzles, Countdown—solve as many puzzles as you can before the time runs out, Streaks—allows you to solve each puzzle before time runs out. Time: helps in adjusting the time countdown. I highly recommend this application for coaches working with beginners.

#3 Opening Tree: This website helps you analyze any player’s games on lichess.org or chess.com. The exciting thing about this web application is that it does not require you to log in before accessing the games. You can use it to prepare for your opponents and improve your own game. A pretty good resource for coaches who are doing evaluation lessons, you can easily download your students’ games to understand how they play and what to improve on.

#4 Simplify Chess: One of the best resources out there for chess coaches. You can’t go wrong using this interactive web application. simplifychess.com can serve as a curriculum to teach Chess. The entire content on the website is into different levels of play. Simplify Chess has the following categories; Best stuff, The Basics, Openings, Strategy, and Endgame. There is so much content depending on what you intend to teach. Advanced players can also make use of this free application to learn more about endgames. Simplify Chess has endgame studies for beginners and players rated up to 2400.

#5 Chess Endgame Training: I should have rated this as the number one resource, but this still comes in handy since I am not writing in the order of importance. Are you looking for a way to practice a well-organized variety of endgames? This web application is a fantastic resource for all levels of play. It includes a database of chess endgames and tablebases. Any player looking to learn endgame should utilize this application for improvement. One exciting feature is knowing when you go wrong. The application makes you understand that you can’t win the endgame and need to start again and play correctly. 

If you are looking for something engaging for practice or teaching, these resources are for you. I encourage chess coaches, instructors, or anyone looking to improve to use these applications. Lastly, don’t forget to share this post with a friend seeking to improve.