Coach’s Corner: Jose Gonzalez

Before he became a grandmaster, Jose Gonzalez had an eye-opening experience.

Along with the top players in his country (including a grandmaster and other four strong international masters), Mexican Champion Gonzalez was assigned a trainer. The trainer had a reputation for “not working hard enough.” But in time, Gonzalez realized that this reputation wasn’t entirely fair. His methods were just unconventional.

“He made us do the heavy lifting—analyzing our own games (or one he provided at the beginning of the session), documenting our findings in written form, and preparing to discuss them with him in depth. Only after we had put in the effort did he join us to guide and challenge our conclusions,” Gonzalez recalls.

The approach turned out to be highly effective, but it required discipline and initiative. This episode inspired Gonzalez to try similar methods with his own students. Throughout three decades as a trainer, he’s witnessed that only the most dedicated and ambitious students can truly embrace this process - but when they do, it’s completely transformative.

A bronze medalist in the Chess Olympiad of Calvia 2004, Gonzalez worked for many years as a coach of top youth talents in Yucatan, Mexico, and Barcelona, Spain. Among them have been many top talents, such as GM Manuel Leon Hoyos, GM Daniel Alsina, and WIM Diana Real. “Their work ethic helped them achieve significant successes, both in chess and in their professional lives,” he says.

In this interview, GM Gonzalez shares his insights on chess coaching and practical advice for players.

What is your chess coaching philosophy?

I'm highly influenced by the work of Mark Dvoretsky and what I would call the Hungarian chess school. I believe in a well-rounded preparation. The study of the opening is my main framework and I use it to address deep middlegame and endgame ideas. However, I hold the study of theoretical endings in high regard. I believe in balancing the acquisition of knowledge and the development of other important practical skills such as effective calculation, good time management, good defensive mindset, etc. All of these to be developed in well planned training sessions. 

Suppose a player has only 3 hours a week for chess training. How should they spend their time?

It depends on the goals and the proximity of tournaments. As tournaments approach, organize your time among the following activities: studying openings, solving puzzles (middlegames and endings), and analyzing your own games. When there aren’t tournaments coming up, I’d include studying the classics because it’s a wonderful way to study all the phases of the game and to discover forgotten but interesting opening ideas. I would also recommend studying theoretical endgames while diminishing the time devoted to openings and puzzles.

What is the biggest factor for improvement for players under 1200 (Chess.com)? Under 2000?

Consistency in developing good learning and skill-building habits is the biggest factor for improvement.

What is your preferred way to improve at openings? What's the approach to chess openings that you try to teach your students?

I believe in playing and teaching mainstream lines with small deviations to avoid being predictable. I discover plenty of ideas by studying the games of grandmasters from the past. Forgotten lines are my favorites, as they often provide a competitive advantage. I try to avoid openings or defenses that rely heavily on numerous forcing and irrational lines.

When it comes to teaching openings to my students, my approach depends on their level. For talented beginners, I focus on lines that are easy to understand and appropriate for their skill level. I introduce these lines by showing complete games to create a strong and lasting impression. During the analysis, I emphasize the ideas behind the variation, common tactical themes, and long-term strategic objectives. This sets the foundation, and then the memorization process begins to ensure these ideas remain fresh in their minds.

What is your preferred way to improve at the endgame?

My approach is a combination of solving puzzles and studying essential theoretical positions–what I call an "endgame repertoire," which is an idea I learned from Dvoretsky and that Jesús de la Villa famously refined in 100 Endgames You Must Know, as well as analyzing complex and strategic endgames. I focus particularly on positions that are either played by endgame virtuosos or positions that are closely related to an opening or middlegame idea I’m currently studying.

Is there anything else you would like to share with ambitious chess improvers?

My advice for any chess player is this: no matter who your trainer is, the responsibility for your improvement ultimately lies with you. The best results come when you take ownership of your training, work hard, and fully engage with the learning process.

Courses by GM Jose Gonzalez

GM Gonzalez has published 5 opening courses, with two of them in English and three in Spanish:

100 Repertoires: The Spanish Four Knights: Part of the “100 Repertoires” series, this compact course offers a comprehensive guide to an ancient, time-tested opening in just 100 trainable variations. Combining principled lines with strategic nuances, Gonzalez breaks down the lines in a way that is easy to understand for beginners but that is rich enough for advanced players.

Dethrone the Queen's Gambit: A Beginner's Repertoire: Solid and simple, the Orthodox Defense is at the core of this course. This opening is Gonzalez’s trusted weapon against the Queen’s Gambit because of how principled it is. As such, he has taught it to his students with great success and now he has distilled that knowledge in a very manageable way for beginners.

Gonzalez has gathered glowing reviews for his courses in both languages. Check out his Chessable author page!