How Critical Thinking And Having Fun Are Both Keys To Chess

Our September Coach of the Month, Lauren Goodkind, has more than a decade of experience as a chess coach for beginning and intermediate students all over the world, from her hometown of Menlo Park, California to Canada and Germany. Whether teaching on a specific opening or about more general skills like critical thinking and planning, Lauren's coaching has helped hundreds/dozens of students, including schoolchildren, to improve their chess skills.

As coach of the month, Lauren spoke with Chess.com about how her playing experience informs her coaching, her responsibilities as a coach, the benefits of both in-person and offline coaching, and much more—including one of the biggest scarves you'll ever see.

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

I started playing chess when I was about eight years old. My mom, a casual player herself, taught me the basics. At that age, chess was just another board game to me, like Monopoly or checkers. It wasn't until high school that I started taking chess seriously, joining a community chess club and playing in my first USCF tournaments.

What is your first vivid memory from chess?

I don't recall my absolute first vivid chess memory, but I have a great one from 2003. My USCF rating was in the 1600s, and for the very first time, I was paired with a chess master at a tournament at the Burlingame Chess Club.

I remember feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. A chess master is rated at least 2200—it was a huge rating gap! I just told myself to focus and play my best. The game lasted for several hours, and I played exceptionally well. It ended in a draw after we reached a king and pawn endgame where neither of us could make any progress.

I was so proud to have drawn against a master, especially since it was the first time I had ever played one in a tournament game. It turns out the master was Peter Thiel, which made the memory even more special.

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

While I've never had a long-term coach, many people have been influential in my chess career.

• Carolyn W.: She regularly drove me home from the Burlingame Chess Club (which hosted many USCF tournaments), which was a huge help in my early years.
• FM James Eade: The author of Chess for Dummies, he taught me the Semi-Slav Defense, which is still part of my repertoire today.
• David Pacheco: He lives in Texas and he taught me how to deliver a checkmate with a knight and bishop against a lone king. It's a challenging skill that I still teach my students.
• A friendly 1500-rated player: After losing a game in an all-girls' tournament when my USCF rating was less than 1000, this player showed me how I fell victim to a discovered attack. This was a pivotal moment that made me much more aware of tactics and helped me improve my game significantly.

Recent Influences:

• IM Eric Rosen: I took lessons from him before the pandemic, and he taught me the Ponziani Opening and other things.
• Eric Steger: Eric has locally helped me prepare for tournaments on a pretty regular basis, including a tournament that took place in the Dominican Republic in winter 2024. We often experiment with new openings, such as the London System and Caro-Kann Defense, which I practiced with him earlier this year. I managed to beat an international master for the very first time with the London System in a USCF tournament earlier this year!

Ultimately, all of these experiences have taught me the importance of playing my best and having fun—two things I always emphasize to my students.

All of these experiences have taught me the importance of playing my best and having fun—two things I always emphasize to my students.

I've now been teaching chess to kids and adults for about 13 years, and I truly love my job. Some of my students have even won big tournaments, including earlier this month! I also run all-female chess workshops to encourage more women to play, and occasionally give chess simuls for kids and seniors. My current United States Chess Federation rating is 1880.

My next project is writing another chess puzzle book, which I hope to have published sometime next year.

What is your favorite or best game you ever played?

One of the best games that I played was beating a WGM for the very first time. I believe this was very first time playing a WGM in a FIDE tournament too! This game was played in the 15th Women’s Continental Chess Championship in the Dominican Republic in November 2024. The United States Chess Federation published my game here.

The game was interesting because I beat the WGM with the black pieces, using the Scandinavian Defense. This opening is actually not very popular among chess masters. I enjoyed playing the endgame in this game.

This is my very first time beating a WGM in a classical over the board tournament game. I am happy how I played in this game. In the endgame, since she is much higher rated than me, I was considering offering a draw, but I am glad I had the courage to go for the win. And the upset win happened in my favor!

I am glad I had the courage to go for the win. And the upset win happened in my favor!

How would you describe your approach to chess coaching?

I'm a patient and supportive chess coach who believes in making lessons fun. I'm dedicated to helping students achieve their personal goals, whether they want to become competitive players or just enjoy the game.

My coaching covers all aspects of chess: openings, middlegames, and endgames. I also teach essential checkmate patterns, basic endgame positions, and tactics. For more advanced students, I introduce more complex concepts and positions. To ensure strong foundational knowledge, I regularly review key positions.

A core part of my coaching philosophy is teaching students how to think critically before making a move. I use questions like, "What's another way to checkmate?" or "How can you take advantage of your opponent's pinned piece?" to encourage strategic thinking.

For students who compete in tournaments, I offer in-person support and will analyze their games between rounds.

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

My commitment is to provide the best possible chess education for my students. I am a professional coach, which means I'm punctual and show up on time for every lesson. I also keep my students and their parents informed about potential chess events and tournaments. Since many of my students are kids, I always take time after each lesson to discuss their progress with a parent.

In return, I expect my students to arrive on time with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn. My hope is that the critical thinking skills they develop in our lessons—like thinking ahead and planning—will not only improve their chess game but also benefit them in other areas of life.

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

A piece of advice that I give my students are: To improve your chess game, focus on making every move with a purpose. Before you move a piece, ask yourself these two questions:

1. "Is this a safe move?" Always check for any captures, threats, or checks that your opponent could make in response. This is especially important for players rated below 1000, who often make "silly mistakes" like moving a piece to an unsafe square and losing it for nothing.
2. "How does this move help me win?" Treat each move as a puzzle. Consider all the captures, threats, and checks—both yours and your opponent's—and make sure your move has a clear goal, whether it's to develop a piece, control the center, or create an attack.

By getting into the habit of asking these questions, students will avoid simple blunders and start playing more intentional, purposeful chess.

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

One of my favorite teaching games I use is the Opera Game between Paul Morphy and Duke Karl. I'm sure many users have seen the game. It's an excellent example of a powerful attacking game.

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

For beginning chess students rated under 1000, here's a challenging puzzle that highlights a key tactical concept. I created this puzzle. White to move.

The most tempting move is to capture Black's rook on c8 and promote the pawn to a queen. While promoting a pawn to a queen is often a good idea, in this case, it's a huge mistake. Can you see why?

If you promote the pawn to a queen or even a rook, the move will result in an immediate stalemate. A stalemate occurs when a player's king is not in check, but they have no legal moves. In this puzzle, promoting the pawn to a queen or a rook would "pin" Black's bishop on g8, meaning it cannot move because it's shielding the king. With no legal moves left, the game is a draw.

Instead of promoting the pawn to a queen or a rook, White should promote the pawn to a knight or a bishop, which avoids stalemate. White will be a completely winning position and should checkmate Black in a couple more moves.

This puzzle is a great way to learn about the importance of:

• Understanding stalemates: This puzzle is a practical example of a stalemate, which is a key rule of chess.
• The “absolute pin" tactic: For students who don't know what a pin is, this puzzle illustrates the concept clearly. An absolute pin is when a piece is forced to stay in place because moving it would be illegal because it’ll expose the king!
• Considering your opponent's response: The most important lesson here is to look beyond the most obvious move. Before you move, always ask yourself, "What will my opponent do next?" This helps you analyze the entire board and avoid simple blunders.

By solving this puzzle, you'll learn to look at the entire board and consider all possibilities, not just the most obvious ones.

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

I've found that both online and in-person teaching have their own unique benefits and challenges. While I have a slight preference for in-person lessons, I've come to truly appreciate the distinct advantages of teaching online.

In-person coaching allows for a more personal connection with students. I'm able to read their body language, which helps me understand their focus and comprehension much better. I also value the opportunity to meet the family, which can be a pleasant experience. On occasion, coaching at a public library has even led to me gaining new students, which is a great bonus. The main drawback, however, is the commute. Dealing with heavy traffic can be inconvenient and time-consuming.

For me, the greatest advantages of teaching online are the efficiency and global reach. I save significant time and money by eliminating travel, which allows me to schedule more lessons and be more flexible with my students' availability.

Teaching online has opened up a world of possibilities from the MacBook Pro that I use in the comfort of my bedroom. I’m currently coaching students from as far away as Arkansas, Germany, and the Seattle area. In the past, I've taught students from across the United States and Canada. This ability to connect with students regardless of location is something that in-person lessons can't offer.

I rely on the Chess.com analysis board for my online lessons. This setup is incredibly effective, as I can analyze a student’s game in real-time and automatically save the PGN. This makes it easy to share the game and our analysis with the student for their future review, which is a powerful learning tool. Also, I created 500 unique two-choice puzzles on my website. So, I love doing my puzzles on my website with my beginner students. The puzzles are endorsed by respected chess players.

One of my most special online coaching experiences was with a student from Seattle. After teaching her online for a while, I had a layover in Seattle and was able to meet her and her parents for the first time in person. We had dinner at a restaurant, and they drove me back to the airport so I could catch my flight to Alaska. It was a wonderful experience that highlights how online connections can lead to real-world relationships. I still teach her to this day.

In summary, while I enjoy the personal connection of in-person lessons, I believe online coaching offers great flexibility and reach, making it an invaluable tool for a modern chess coach. I am comfortable and confident using both methods to provide the best possible experience for my students.

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

I consider Game Review on Chess.com an invaluable training tool. It provides a detailed breakdown of a player's performance, highlighting their great moves, minor inaccuracies, and blunders. When coaching, I encourage my students to strive for at least 80% accuracy in every game. An 80% accuracy score is a solid benchmark for a decent game. This tool is especially useful for learning, as it pinpoints the exact mistakes players can learn from.

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

While there are countless excellent books on openings, tactics, and endgames, I believe a truly under-appreciated gem is 50 Poison Pieces by Lauren Goodkind (yes, that’s me).

The concept of a "poison piece"—an unprotected piece that seems free to capture but leads to a devastating loss for the player who takes it—is surprisingly common in games. Yet, I don't know of any other book that focuses primarily on this single, critical topic. This book fills a crucial gap in chess literature. I'm proud to say I created all the puzzles in it, specifically designed to train players to recognize these traps. By working through the 50 unique puzzles, players will develop a keener eye for danger and a habit of thinking a move ahead. 50 Poison Pieces has been endorsed by respected chess players and is available on Amazon. For any player looking to significantly improve their tactical awareness and avoid common blunders, this book is an essential read. It's a simple, targeted tool that will help you get better and win more games.

The second book I wrote, which I'm holding in the photo, is Queen For A Day: The Girl's Guide To Chess Mastery. I wrote it to inspire more girls and women to play chess. The book is endorsed by WGMs Jennifer Shahade and Jennifer Yu, along with other respected master players.

Anything else you'd like to share?

I'm the creator of an approximately 501-foot, chess-themed crochet scarf—longer than a football field! It took me 4.5 years to create this masterpiece, using about 35 miles of yarn. It even broke the initial Guinness World Record for the longest crochet scarf crocheted by an individual, which is 150 meters long.

The scarf is a symbol of my passion for chess, creativity, and the environment. I'm currently looking for a museum, airport, or another public place to display it. I believe a public display would inspire more people to play chess and could even encourage more sign-ups for Chess.com accounts. I'm also open to selling the scarf to a company, organization, or individual. Additionally, I'm willing to partner with a non-profit and donate 10% of the proceeds to their cause.

If you or anyone you know has leads on potential venues, please let me know. You can find more information about the scarf here or watch the video below:

Finally, readers are welcome to join my club on Chess.com: Chess by Lauren. It's a great community for players of all skill levels. Once you join my club, you can compete in a monthly blitz arena tournament. It's free to enter and open to everyone. The tournament is always held on the last Saturday of every month at 10 a.m. PST (which is 1 p.m. EST), so it's easy to mark on your calendar. Plus, the winner gets a $10 Amazon gift card!