'I've Always Loved Coaching': GM And Author Shares His Advice

GM Mauricio Flores started playing chess when he was 10 years old, and didn't have a titled coach until he was 15, improving primarily through chess books and self-analysis of his games. He nonetheless became a grandmaster and a three-time Chilean Absolute Champion (2006-08). Mauricio has since become an author, coach, and mathematics PhD. Both of his books, Chess Structures and Chess Imbalances, are also available as Chessable courses.

For everything Mauricio has done for students of chess, he is the Chess.com Coach of the Month for January 2026. Mauricio shared several insights with Chess.com for the occasion, including on topics ranging from why he loves coaching, to why he dislikes generic chess advice—and what to do instead—to his own favorite game and favorite teaching game.

At what age were you introduced to chess, and who introduced you?

My uncle taught me the rules when I was eight, and then I started playing in school at 10.

What is your first vivid memory from chess?

My first tournament, which was a marathon-style (similar to an online arena) where people lost if they made an illegal move. I managed to get third place because I figured out that, if I played the Ruy Lopez, sooner or later I could take their king on e8!

Which coaches were helpful to you in your chess career, and what was the most useful knowledge they imparted to you?

I was coached by FM Cesar Velasquez when I was 15, and it changed my understanding of many critical positions. I used to play minor lines and systems before him, and it was seriously limiting my chess. Studying with him helped me jump from a 2100 rating to 2300.

What is your favorite or best game you ever played?

This game was arguably one of my most exciting wins, when I was on the cusp of becoming a grandmaster in 2009. I was playing the heavy favorite, GM Leonid Kritz, the highest-rated player in the event. From the start, it was a classic battle for checkmate between two strong tacticians, where initiative played the decisive role.

How would you describe your approach to chess coaching?

I've always loved coaching. For me, it's all about finding a way to present a complex idea in a way that students can understand and remember. That was the inspiration behind my first book, Chess Structures, where I break down most middlegames into pawn structures, and then explain how each one should be played.

The key idea is that, in my view, there's far too much teaching material that shows "'general ideas" and these general ideas are very hard for students to apply practically. In order for students to improve the most, it's essential to give very concrete advice about very concrete scenarios, rather than relying heavily on generalities that may or may not hold in various positions. 

Do you have any favorite example or two of a chess generality that is particularly... useless?

One example would be, "The best defense is a good offense." I often see people lose games following this advice! It's very easy to apply at the wrong time. They have an unpleasant but defensible game, and they go for some crazy attack that backfires in a few moves. My response to that phrase is, "Attacking when you should be defending is the fastest way to lose a game."

Attacking when you should be defending is the fastest way to lose a game.

What do you consider your responsibility as a coach and which responsibilities fall on your student?

I think the key responsibility of a coach is to present core concepts in a way that students can understand, as well as identify their weaknesses, and recommend a plan for improvement.

A coach can show the path, but ultimately, it's up to the student to do the actual work of walking that path, solving those exercises or reading the recommended books.

What is a piece of advice that you give your students that you think more chess players could benefit from?

I typically tell my students to try and put their learning into words. If they can't say out loud what they learned, then maybe nothing was learned.

If they can't say out loud what they learned, then maybe nothing was learned.

What is your favorite teaching game that users might not have seen?

Well, if I know a very interesting and unknown example, I'll probably save it for a future book! But here's one well-known example that I use to teach virtually all my students about king activity:

What is the puzzle you give students that tells you the most about how they think?

I typically start new students with this exercise, because it helps me get a quick sense of their level and understanding, and of course, it's a fun one to do.

Do you prefer to teach online or offline? What do you think is different about teaching online?

I enjoy both, although the vast majority of my students have been online, and I think the format works surprisingly well with the tools people have nowadays.

What do you consider the most valuable training tool that the internet provides?

I think the most important is the ability to access information at scale at any time, whether it's live tournaments, or weekly updates to your Megabase.

Which under-appreciated chess book should every chess player read?

I'm biased here, but I'll say Chess Imbalances (my second book). It came out recently, but I think it'll one day be even more well known than Chess Structures. I think the game collection is very beautiful, and that alone makes it worth a read.