About Me

Hello, I am Finlay Bowcott-Terry, an experienced player and coach with years of experience. I boast an OTB rating of 2350 (2800+ blitz on Chess.com) and am dedicated to helping players improve by employing the same methods I used.

Study Plan for Beginners (<1400)

Mastering the basics:
Controlling the centre, developing pieces, king safety, and capturing towards the centre are just a few examples of fundamentals that I will cover in this chapter. By using teaching methods revised and crafted by myself, I can guarantee that it will help you master the most critical fundamentals of chess, giving you a monumental head start in your improvement.

Opening principles:
The opening is the most fragile area of chess in every new player's path to improvement. I will lay out a plethora of methods to guarantee you won't get lost in the woods of opening traps and tricks.

Interactive puzzles:
As a firm believer that tactics are the core to improving, I have hand-selected puzzles for beginners to solve, giving them a massive tactical edge on their way to improvement.

Study Plan for Intermediates (1400+)

You already understand the basics, so I have crafted a design intended for a tailored learning experience.

Game analysis:
I will review countless games to properly pinpoint recurring mistakes and themes that are holding you back and stalling improvement.

Middlegame strategy:
Many players struggle with the idea of forming a plan in the middlegame and just what to do. I have created a formula to help students properly identify the difference between a good plan and a bad plan, proactive piece play, and the idea of creating weaknesses, etc.

Endgame introduction:
The endgame is a daunting topic, but understanding endgame principles and basic endgames is crucial. I have employed various techniques that are fun and interactive to ensure you won't hesitate going into an ending.

Advanced puzzles:
I have hand-selected puzzles to really improve calculation and tactical vision. As I believe the intermediate level is a tender point in one's play, I have ensured that using this selection will kickstart your climb to the advanced levels and give a serious upper hand in "messy" positions.

Study Plan for Advanced Players (1800+)

Peer-to-peer analysis:
We will analyse master games together to help give a better understanding of the plans in different positions and setups. This will then be compared to your games, helping you employ and understand the ideas in your favourite openings, drastically increasing playing strength.

Calculation exercises:
You can solve basic puzzles and have an understanding of common tactical motifs. However, the calculation exercises that I have employed will cement a foothold in deep calculation and envisionment.

Avoiding irregularities:
Many players at this level have major fallbacks, and I believe this to be focusing on tactics too much and neglecting strategy, or vice versa. I will take in-depth reviews of your games to fix these issues and open a path to fast improvement.

Rates

1-on-1 Coaching
My rates are £25/hr, but the first lesson is HALF PRICE to get started and see if we're a good fit.

Packages

10 hours (paid in advance): £215
5 hours (paid in advance): £100

I believe in hard work and consistency, and with me, I can guarantee fast and efficient rating gains.
If you are interested then send me a message here on Chess.com or on my Discord: pzrrr_
I look forward to hearing from you