Inside the Mind of a Chess Coach

Behind every strong player is someone who taught them how to think—not just how to move the pieces. A great chess coach is more than a strategist—they’re a motivator, a mentor, and sometimes a mind reader. Today, we’re stepping into the mind of our coaches at Chess to discover how they train others to think like champions.

Coaching Is More Than Just Teaching

Chess coaches do more than correct mistakes. They help players develop confidence, discipline, and the ability to make independent decisions under pressure. A good coach creates a learning process tailored to each student’s style. For some, that means working through puzzles. For others, it’s about reviewing past games or analyzing master-level matches.

What Coaches Look For

When watching a student play, coaches aren’t only interested in the result—they’re focused on patterns, decision-making, and mental habits.

• Are they thinking ahead?
• Are they reacting or planning?
• Are they learning from past mistakes?

“Everyone makes blunders,” says Coach Rachel Stone, “but the real growth comes when a player starts catching their own mistakes before they happen.”

How Coaches Prepare Players

Here are a few methods our coaches use to build strong, resilient players:

• Post-game analysis: Reviewing what went right and wrong after each match.
• Scenario drills: Practicing tricky endgames or specific tactics under time pressure.
• Mindset training: Helping players stay calm, focused, and confident in tournament settings.

Coaches also teach players how to lose—gracefully, constructively, and with curiosity.

“Every loss is a lesson. Write it down. Think about it. Come back stronger.”

Advice for Aspiring Players

We asked our coaches to share their top advice for new and improving players:

• “Be curious, not just competitive.”
• “Repetition is your friend. Review your games.”
• “Learn one opening well—don’t chase trends.”
• “Play slower games to really learn. Blitz comes later.”
• “And remember: Chess should be fun.”

Conclusion

At Chess, our coaches are the heart of our club. They bring years of playing experience, deep knowledge, and genuine passion to every session. Whether you're new to the game or chasing your next tournament title, working with a coach can elevate how you think—and how you win. But the team has been super welcoming and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to join.So, back to the Dribbble meetup. We needed a way to let everyone know that we were here, so we had this little shindig. I wrangled up a couple of our super dope designers from the SF office, Jenny Johannesson & Robbin Cenijn. (They actually happened to be in town for the Awwwards conference, so I technically just borrowed them, no wrangling involved.) We ordered some pizza, picked up some cheese, and made sure the beer (and La Croix) was flowing.