♞1-on-1 chess coaching · Top 0.4% on Chess.com
Go from losing every game to playing with a real plan — in 12 weeks.
Weekly 1-on-1 sessions, a curriculum that builds week on week, and a coach who knows your game and pushes you forward. You won't just learn chess — you'll start winning.
♙Why it's worth it
Chess pays off far beyond the board.
It's one of the few games that rewards exactly the habits that make life easier: patience, foresight, and the discipline to think before you move.
“Chess is the gymnasium of the mind.”
Attributed to Blaise Pascal
It's not just a saying. A meta-analysis of 24 studies and over 5,000 learners found that chess instruction measurably sharpens mathematical and problem-solving ability — and the gains grow the longer you train. The discipline of the board transfers to how you think off it.
Source: Sala, G. & Gobet, F. (2016), Educational Research Review 18, 46–57.
Calmer decisions
Chess trains you to slow down, weigh the options and commit — judgement that pays off well beyond the board.
Pattern recognition
Strong players don’t calculate everything; they recognise. Learn to spot tactics and plans almost instantly.
Real focus
A single game holds your full attention for an hour. In a world built on notifications, that’s a rare skill.
Quiet confidence
Win or lose, you start to trust your own thinking. That self-belief carries into work, study and life.
Chess.com stats — verified
♚Why choose KB Chess
Coaching from someone who plays at a high level — and can explain why.
Plenty of strong players can win a game. Far fewer can explain why a move works in a way that sticks — so it becomes yours, not a trick you forget by Friday. That's the part I coach.
I learned as an adult from scratch — starting in lockdown, just five years ago — so I teach the path that works for grown-ups, not instinct picked up in childhood.
Top 0.4% on Chess.com and FIDE rated — you’re learning from someone who plays where you want to be.
A first-class maths degree and years spent tutoring — I break hard ideas down until they click, so you understand the idea, not just the move.
♜The 12-week curriculum
Twelve lessons — from the rules to beating untrained players.
Every lesson is planned, sequenced and already built. You always know where you are, what you're building towards, and why it matters. No guessing, no filler.
Foundations
- L1The Rules & ObjectiveHow every piece moves, the special moves, and how a game is won
- L2Material & Piece ValuesWhat each piece is worth and how to judge a trade
Pieces & Principles
- L3Hanging PiecesSpotting what's undefended — yours and your opponent's
- L4Opening PrinciplesControl the centre, develop, and get your king safe
Tactical Vision
- L5Checks, Captures & AttacksThe forcing-move scan that uncovers tactics
- L6Tactical PatternsForks, pins, skewers, discovered & back-rank mates
Winning Cleanly
- L7Simplification & CheckmateTrading down when ahead, plus the core checkmates
- L8Pawn StructureStrong vs weak pawns and what they mean for your plan
Middlegame Mastery
- L9Piece ActivityGetting every piece doing real work
- L10Finding PlansTurning a position into a concrete plan
Putting It Together
- L11Unified ThinkingA repeatable thought process for every move
- L12How to Learn an OpeningBuilding a repertoire you understand
From the lesson plans
Real slides from the course decks — every lesson is built and ready, not improvised.
Ready to start week one?
Book your first lesson →♟Free to learn
Start learning today — for free.
Grab a quick guide on the fundamentals — free to read, no sign-up. Or go further with the first two full lessons of the course, yours free — just add your email so I can send them over and keep you posted with the occasional newsletter.
Free starter guide
The Rules in 30 Minutes
A clean, no-fluff walkthrough of how every piece moves, what the objective really is, and the three rules beginners always get wrong.
- ✓How each piece moves and captures
- ✓Check, checkmate and stalemate — explained simply
- ✓The 3 rules beginners get wrong every time
- ✓Your first game plan in 5 minutes
Perfect if you're brand new
Read this guide free →Free tactics guide
5 Must-Know Tactics
The patterns that win more games than any opening theory. Learn to spot the tactics that decide most games — before your opponent does.
- ✓Fork, pin, skewer, discovered attack & back-rank mate
- ✓One clear diagram per tactic
- ✓How to spot them at the board in seconds
- ✓A simple way to drill them into instinct
The fastest way to win more games
Read this guide free →Free endgame guide
How to Win Endgames
Most beginners never study endgames and throw away won positions. This guide covers the four positions you simply must know to convert advantages into wins.
- ✓King + Queen vs King — the fastest checkmate
- ✓King + Rook vs King — step by step
- ✓King and pawn endings — opposition explained
- ✓The one endgame principle that fixes everything
Stop throwing away won games
Read this guide free →Try the actual course — free.
Two real lessons, so you can start wherever you're at:
Lesson 1The rules & objective — if you're brand new and starting from zero.
Lesson 2What every piece is really worth — if you've got the rules down and want to start playing with a plan.
Add your email and both unlock instantly.
Free to read or download — no sign-up needed for the guides. Got a question? Message Kurtis on WhatsApp →
♜Lessons & pricing
Three ways to learn. One goal: stop losing, start winning.
Whether you want full hands-on coaching or to learn at your own pace, the curriculum is the same proven 12-week path from beginner to dangerous.
⚑ I coach around a full-time job, so I keep cohorts small — only a few 1-on-1 spots open at a time.
Private Intensive
Go from complete beginner to beating casual players in 12 weeks.
Everything in the 12-Week Course, plus:
- ✓An additional hour of 1-on-1 tuition each week — 24 sessions in total, with extra time to consolidate every concept
- ✓Written PDF game reports so you see exactly where you're going wrong
- ✓Unlimited 1:1 WhatsApp access — send games and questions any day
- ✓Priority scheduling that flexes around your week
The guarantee: attend your sessions, complete the training between them, and if you can't beat a 600-rated bot on Chess.com by the end of the programme, I'll keep coaching you free for up to 8 more weeks.
Enquire about the IntensiveThe 12-Week Course
Weekly 1-on-1 time with a top-0.4% player, working through a structured plan built to take you from beginner to confident.
What's included:
- ✓12 weekly 1-on-1 live sessions — real coaching, not recorded lectures
- ✓A complete curriculum: you always know what you're learning and why
- ✓Homework and drills between sessions so lessons stick
- ✓Week 4 and Week 8 progress checks — you'll see exactly how far you've come
- ✓WhatsApp check-ins between sessions to keep you on track
The guarantee: not satisfied after your first 4 weeks? 100% of your money back — and the remaining payments are cancelled.
Claim your placeThe full 12-week curriculum, one-to-one, with feedback on your own games between sessions.
Recorded Course
Not ready for live coaching? The same 12-week curriculum as self-paced videos — but no feedback, no corrections, no one keeping you accountable. Most who start here end up upgrading.
What's included:
- ✓Every lesson recorded on video
- ✓Lifetime access — rewatch anytime
- ✓Worksheets and practice positions
- ✓Upgrade to live coaching whenever
Studying, or on a low income? Message me — I'd rather find a way to make it work than turn someone away. Cost shouldn't decide who gets to learn.
♛What students say
Don't take my word for it. Take theirs — with the numbers to back it up.
Every student rates themselves before and after the course — same scale, their own scores. Here's what came back, shared with permission.
Featured result
“After my first lesson I went 10+ games unbeaten.”
“Give it a go — Kurtis offered me a second course at a big discount if I didn't improve. After my first lesson I went 10+ games unbeaten and my rating jumped about 100. He explains very complex concepts in easy-to-understand terms — consistently — and the jokes don't hurt either.”
“I knew which pieces moved where. Now I move with a plan.”
“Before the lessons I couldn't read the board at all. Playing bots together and talking through every move changed that — I saw how one piece moving changes the whole board. Kurtis explains things so simply that absolute beginners can get on with it. He's patient, and the lessons are fun and lighthearted.”
“My only complaint? I wish the lessons were longer.”
“I knew the rules, but not what it takes to actually play well. Now I have real intermediate knowledge — and the tools to keep building on it. The tactics and game reviews made everything click. If you're on the fence: get beginner coaching. It helps a lot.”
Collected via the end-of-course feedback form · quotes lightly edited for clarity, meaning unchanged · shared with each student's permission
♟Common questions
Everything you want to know before booking.
Absolutely not — and I say that from experience. I started from scratch as an adult during lockdown, five years ago. Adults have real advantages: you understand strategy faster, you can reflect on your mistakes, and you don't need games to be silly to stay engaged. Most of my students are adults with no prior experience.
Yes. I also work with young players and adapt lessons around their age, experience, attention span, and goals. Get in touch to discuss whether coaching would be a good fit.
One hour for the lesson itself, plus around 30–60 minutes of practice and homework in between. Consistency matters more than volume — students who show up every week and do a little practice consistently improve far faster than those who cram.
Life happens. Sessions can be rescheduled with reasonable notice. For the recorded course, everything is available on demand so you never fall behind regardless.
That's exactly where the 12-week course starts. Week one covers the rules and basic movement — no assumptions. By week twelve, you'll have solid openings, tactical awareness, and a plan in every game.
The live course includes real-time feedback, game reviews, homework corrections, and direct WhatsApp access between sessions — it's properly interactive. The recorded course is the same curriculum delivered as video lessons you watch at your own pace, ideal if your schedule is unpredictable or you prefer to learn independently.
Lessons run over video call (Zoom or Google Meet). We use Chess.com's board for live play, analysis, and puzzles — it's free to sign up. Everything is online, so location doesn't matter.
If you're not satisfied after your first 4 weeks, just tell me — I'll refund 100% of what you've paid and cancel the remaining payments. No awkward conversations. I'd rather you only carry on if it's really working for you.
If you're a student or on a low income, message me — I'd rather find a way to make it work than turn someone away. Cost shouldn't decide who gets to learn.
Still have a question?
Message Kurtis on WhatsApp →Ready to get good?
Book a private lesson, or send a message and tell me where you're stuck. I'll tell you honestly how I can help.