Many people have views on this subject. Someone people think that an unrated player with no chess tournament experience can make a good chess while others believe that coaches should be of a particular rating and experience to be able to coach. I believe that a decent coach is anyone over 1700 with tournament experience who has a good but credible history with students who have gone on to be successful. No answer is incorrect but I like to hear what everyone has to say on this topic.
I like the approach of focusing on endgame strategy first, where there are fewer variables to consider, and then gradually increasing the complexity.
A good coach is one who can read what type of learner their student is and their potential and can adapt their coaching style / curriculum as needed. They also know how to recommend other coaches that may be better suited for the player (promoted!). For young beginners (100-800?) someone with good soft skills is probably more important than typical 1700+ chess skills. A lot of coaches are mostly Group (school) type coaches so there is the management of a group that comes into play.
There are some schools that have a contracted chess course teacher/coach and it is a really a side hustle for the coach – no USCF presence. Perhaps that doesn’t matter anymore as there are a lot of knowledgeable chess players who are 100% internet or club/meetup – quite a few who think there is no value add to participating in USCF or any, more formal OTB play (some think G/60 is too slow for them to ever play in – speed over quality)
note to coaches: A master level chess coach (pretty good soft skills!) once told me if you don’t charge a lot for one on one coaching sessions, most clients will suspect that you are not a good coach and look elsewhere. ![]()
This is the second or third time I have run across this note about charging enough as a chess coach.
Charging enough or too much is a tough one. I see so many coaches that charge more than they should. It is tough to decide what the market will bear when it comes to chess coaches.
Someone without any tournament experience leaves questions about their experience with chess in my own belief. I think a decent chess coach would have some tournament experience. Something also to consider is what are the goals of the class or individual student. Some players might not need a coach who is over 1800.
It really depends on what kind of student you are looking for a coach for. I’m a 600 rated player and I am a volunteer coach at one of the Elementary/Middle Schools in town. My main job is to try to get kids interested and keep them playing until they get to high school. But what I do really depends on the students I get. Some are just there because their friends are, some are there because their parents need afterschool care and chess club is free, some are interested in the game. So I do everything from teach the basics, to doing tactical puzzles, to letting them play bughouse for fun. I do teach notation and use of a clock, but I don’t push anyone to play in tournaments.
If I have more serious students, I point them to the local club or their high school coaches.
If you set the goal of every coach needing the requirements you list, you limit the number of people who can coach.
There is a difference from a coach and those who are beginner teachers like yourself. Unfortunately you should try and expand your knowledge to keep people in the club instead of sending tournament and serious players out to other places. Not everyone can coach and experience does make the biggest difference.
Different playing levels require different coaching skills. A good coach for a 1500 is likely someone different from a good coach for a 500 or 2500. For example, I am a NM with substantial experience coaching in the 1000-2000 range, but I am a fish out of water when working with beginners.
By the way, can anyone give advice for having LESS students? I am really bad at saying no.
I am bad at saying no to. I will not teach beginners. I find that they need to play and learn on their own for a while before needing or wanting a coach.