Hi, my current USCF rating is around 1400 and I'm thinking of getting an online chess teacher (I already made my choice about who I'm going to pick). Would a chess coach be more helpful than learning by yourself? If so, by how much?

Also, for those of you who already had experience with chess teachers, how do they teach you strategy, tactics, and all those things? Do they tell you to read books like Modern Chess Strategy or do they provide all the curriculum?

Thank you!

Well, an online teacher will be much less assistance than a real-life one, but all GOOD tutors are beneficial, regardless of where they are. Note that just because someone is good at chess, does not make them a good tutor.

The quality of learning depends on the tutor. (And, the price sometimes determines the quality of tutor. If I'm honest, any free tutor is simply not worth having... no offence guys, but if what you were saying was actually useful, why aren't people paying you for it? )

As Nytik put it, if he is a good teacher, he will be more helpful than a book

However, I would strongly recommend to try to find a real-life teacher if possible.