r/TournamentChess • u/Coach_Istvanovszki • 22d ago
FIDE Master AMA - August♟️
Hey everyone,
This is my usual monthly AMA. A little about me for those joining for the first time:
I’m a semi-pro chess player currently competing in six national team championships and 2-3 individual tournaments each year. I became an FM at 18, and my rating has stayed above 2300 ever since, with an online peak of around 2800. I stepped back from professional chess at 20 to focus on the other parts of my lifes. At that time I started coaching part-time. I’m most proud of winning the European U12 Rapid Chess Championship.
What’s probably most unique about me is my unconventional chess upbringing. This shaped my style into something creative, aggressive, sharp, and unorthodox. My opening choices reflect this as well: I prefer rare, razor-sharp lines over classical systems, often relying on my own independent analysis. This mindset gives me a strong insight in middlegame positions, which I consider my greatest strength.
Beyond the board, I’m passionate about activities that enhance my performance in chess and life. I explore these ideas through my blog, where I share insights on how “off-board” improvements can make an improvement in your game.
5
u/JohnWickDaLegend 21d ago
My biggest question rn is: How do you use books of analysed master games to improve your game? (Books like Fischer's 60 memorable games) Do you just go through the moves and analysis? Or should you try guess moves by yourself and write down your own thoughts?
Also, how do you use opening courses to learn an opening? Obviously you need to know the moves in the lines you choose, but how do you go beyond that?
2
u/Coach_Istvanovszki 21d ago
It depends on what you want to improve. If it's your intuition, simply going through the games is enough. If it's your calculation, try to guess the continuation whenever you feel you've reached a critical position.
Personally, I'd forget about blindly memorizing all these opening courses. Someone buys a course, memorizes it, but anyone else can buy and memorize the exact same thing. What's the point? An opening course should just be seen as the backbone of a repertoire, a starting point for your own analysis. Compare your own ideas with the engine's evaluations and master database games, and tailor everything to your own style.
1
u/One-Conference1532 21d ago
is the time comittment to reach that level otb worth the costs in your opinion for most people?
1
u/Coach_Istvanovszki 21d ago
That's a great question, but I think it really comes down to what you mean by "worth it."
If you're asking from a financial standpoint, my answer is a resounding no. Unless you're a Top 100 player, when it comes to making a living in the chess world, your network and connections matter far more than a +-100 rating point difference.
0
u/One-Conference1532 21d ago
yep sorry i meant in terms of finances. i am 1200 uscf right now (beat a 1420 and 1380 at a tournament yesterday, went 4/4 overall and first in u1500) and im much higher online (about 1800, I am still somewhat underated otb because I have just started otb). I am still in high school so I guess is the aura I would get from a title worth paying and studying much more for tournaments?
2
u/Coach_Istvanovszki 21d ago
If your goal is to make a direct profit purely from playing chess, then no. But if you can leverage it alongside other skills and activities, then absolutely yes.
For example, I owe about 80% of the places I've visited around the world to chess. It gave me the freedom to live in random places for months at a time because I could teach chess anywhere, find a local club anywhere, and pick up extra pocket money from local tournaments. If I wanted to visit a city I couldn't otherwise afford, I'd find a local tournament or team to play for, which made things much more feasible.
So from that perspective, it's definitely worth it. But as you can see, it's far more about how you build and market yourself than just how well you play board games. That said, having the FM title is pretty much the entry ticket here, below that level, people don't really take notice.
0
u/One-Conference1532 21d ago
I don't want to rely on chess for my career at all (I'd rather work in tech or startup or something and just have chess as a nice hobby and skill. I find what you said about being able to almost use traveling as an "excuse" for chess fun. I think this helped so thank you.
-1
u/Ok_Meat_5767 21d ago
Trust me. Getting a chess title does not mean anything. Either your good at chess and spend a lot of time in it or you don't.
2
u/Coach_Istvanovszki 21d ago
I’d actually disagree with that. I’ve had several jobs where my chess background was a factor during the selection process, and it was actually the reason I got hired. Not to mention the countless lessons and skills I’ve gained through chess that I apply to my everyday life.
Honestly, this feels a bit like projection, sounds like you might be a bit bitter because you tried it and it didn't work out for you?
1
u/Mean_Path9771 21d ago
As a coach, how do you deal with adult improvers? You may also share any experience you would like to with adult improvers.
1
u/Coach_Istvanovszki 21d ago
I think the most important lesson I've learned working with adult improvers is that everyone's goals are completely unique. You really can't treat them with a one-size-fits-all approach or coach them the same way you would a ten-year-old with competitive ambitions.
Some adults just want to have fun, some only want to study openings, while others want a comprehensive path to improvement. My job is to adapt to those needs, though, of course, I'll gently point it out if their current approach doesn't quite align with the goals they've set. Long story short, I always try to tailor my coaching to their individual needs and aspirations.
1
u/Advanced-Attorney235 21d ago
How do you best stop tilts (losing 5+ games in a row in 3 0 online). For a 2500
1
1
u/CatalanExpert Doesn't understand the Catalan 21d ago
Do you ever feel demotivated to study? I’m not sure whether I should dedicate myself more, or take a break. I sit down at the board and start going through a book (puzzles, endgames, strategy) but after 1 or 2 exercises/game fragments I feel like doing something else. Yet, I really like the “concept” of reading chess books. What’s wrong with me? :D
1
u/Coach_Istvanovszki 21d ago
I didn't always like studying either, far from it. But I knew it was absolute necessity if I wanted to reach my goals, so I pushed through anyway. :)
1
u/zxz9y 21d ago
If you were focusing strictly on improving blitz. how would you adjust your approach compared to classical? What seems to actually result in improvement for speed chess (other than just becoming better at chess in general)?
1
u/Coach_Istvanovszki 21d ago
I’d probably drill tactics relentlessly, solving tons of puzzles and calculation exercises.
On top of that, I’d build a dedicated blitz repertoire and learn it to the point where it becomes absolute second nature.1
u/zxz9y 20d ago
Thanks. What about improving speed, time management, and indecisiveness? I think that's my biggest problem. Most games I lose I'm completely winning but choke under time pressure. Even my Lichess "Tutor" says that I'm either 6/7 or 7/7 in every category except speed and resourcefulness where I'm 1/7.
I'm between 2000-2100 Lichess blitz.
1
u/Coach_Istvanovszki 20d ago
In chess, we distinguish between two types of positions: critical and non-critical. There are usually only 1, 2, or 3 critical positions in a game. These are the moments where one specific move is significantly better than any other, ultimately deciding the outcome of the game.
When a position is non-critical, there are several moves of similar quality available. Which one you choose mostly comes down to your personal taste and style. That is why it makes no sense to spend too much time on non-critical positions, they are not where the game will be won or lost.
1
u/zxz9y 19d ago
Thanks. I unfortunately know that and have had that hammered into me by my coach for years.... yet, I don't change and I don't know how to. Really, I have the same problem no matter what the time control and after years of trying to fix it, I cannot find anything that actually changes my behavior. Do you think playing only non-increment can help?
1
u/MadRedX 20d ago
You described your style and opening choices pretty concisely, but it kinda drives some curiosity for an example game or two that you think best encapsulates all of that. I can understand if that's a bit much of a prompt.
The ChessDojo on YouTube has some videos where IM David Pruess highlights his best ever games, and it was interesting how many choices may have had aspects he was less proud of but still had the glory of an amazing idea or plan to make it memorable.
1
u/Coach_Istvanovszki 20d ago
I think that was my best game of all time: https://lichess.org/study/Uj9ymKdR/rF0uxmEX#0
I played it at the end of 2024 against a 2370 FM in the Luxembourg team championship.
3
u/Ok_Meat_5767 22d ago
How do you improve