Improving yourself. Part 1

The most important thing for teachers and coaches is opportunity to improve his own knowledges. With every next day you must be better than yesterday. Like Botwinnik said: "You have to accustom yourself to practical study at home, you have to devote time to studies, to the history of chess, the development of chess, of chess culture".

You cannot teach students if you stuck on the same level. As, usually chess coaches already not so active in tournaments, but you need be ready for improving your coaching. Actually is so impressive when you can improve yourself by coaching your student. You can find blind spots in your own education, you can find new algorithms which you do not realize before. That is why I am sure that good coach must be highly active in improving process.

This year was so abnormal, which was crushed bunch of plans for everybody. But this situation was good for chess. It is one of the few kinds of sport which was available from home. Regular offline tournaments were changed by online events. Lots of kids at home had chance to meet chess or just continue improving. Also was extremely hot period for chess coaches, when you can made 9 lessons per day (my personal record). 

So, during pandemic chess coaching was my only job. I am sure that everybody should do what he like, but sometimes it is not possible. So Covid just push me in this direction and I am incredibly happy now, because I do what I am really love.

In that article I want to share my adventures during pandemic and share experience about chess camps and online lectures with Grandmasters.  So, first of all, in the end of June I joined Academy of Ukrainian Olympic Champions. Three days of intensive lectures (twice per day by 2 hours) with Ukrainian Olympic Champions: Pavlo Eljanov, Zahar Efimenko, Volodymyr Baklan, Yuriy Kuzubov and World Champion- Ruslan Ponomariov! For join this event I woke up at 4 in the morning during 3 days! But anyway I was so excited about this event.

During these three days I find lots of instructive information, advice and knowledges. The final day we heard lecture by World Champion- Ruslan Ponomariov and than I was happy to join his team for analyzing games. So, each participant was able to analyze 3 own games with World Champion, so it is like private lesson in zoom. During this analysis you can talk with GM, you can ask questions and other. It was unforgettable moment for me!

After few days all participants of Academy played in simul against Eljanov. I was lucky that day and won my game against GM. Here is my game:

After week or two was happy to play in simul again another Olympic Champion Yuriy Kuzubov! And again I was lucky. You can check my game here: 

Conclusion: 

• -Make sure that you know lectors or at least you heard good words about his level 
• -Huge advantage for you if lessons on your native language
• -Make notation during lectures
• -Ask questions or advice about your level, books etc.
• -Never wait to much from GM, because in other case you can be discouraged.