Coaching

Chess coaching is one of the many ways to help you improve and accelerate at chess. Chess organisations and individual chess trainers typically offer both individual and group coaching sessions.

These days, a lot of coaching is run online via platforms like lichess.org, but face-to-face chess coaching and training sessions remain very popular.

Chess clubs in Suffolk towns, villages, and schools, provide various levels of coaching and training, from beginner to advanced level training.

Group Coaching

Online

The free and fun online SJC Wednesday club night events are coupled with group (and a bit of individual) coaching for all levels. The regular coaching is provided by Ed Player and Tim Kent. Some of the more advanced junior players help contribute to the coaching too.

From time-to-time SJC invites local chess experts along to help out with some of the sessions, such as Bury Knights Organiser, Bob Jones.

Also, SJC hosts other other events which incorporate a bit of training. For example, recently on separate occasions, both Suffolk’s International Master and FIDE Trainer, Adam Hunt, and former Suffolk junior and now Grandmaster, Justin Tan (https://lichess.org/coach/justantan), ran online simultaneous chess displays where they also gave those playing plenty of handy chess hints and tips.

Face-to-face

SJC and local chess clubs have sometimes organise training days. Check the Events page for future chess training opportunities.

Local chess clubs also run training sessions. For example, Bury Knights typically run a summer training day where they invite some of the county’s top players to provide different levels of coaching to club members. Ipswich Junior Chess Club also has recorded some training videos for beginners.

Suffolk’s English Chess Federation Coaches

In 2021, the ECF announced a new coaching scheme to try and standardise and improve the quality of chess coaching around the country. Suffolk currently has three ECF-registered coaches:

• Adam Hunt
• Dagne Ciuksyte
• Martin Tomes

Coaching further afield

There are various training events run by different chess organisations throughout England.  Check the ECF Events Calendar (with the filter ‘Training’ applied) to view a list of other upcoming training events.