Are You Ready for Russian Chess School?

I am going to discuss my own experience with the first book in Yusupov's chess school series — Build up Your Chess — as a lowly sub-1000 Elo player and whether it does what it says on the tin. Also, could it work for you?

Fifty years ago, before the fall of the USSR, there was a thing called the "Soviet Chess School". Children who showed signs of ability in the game would be sent to special academies. Train hard for hours each day. Become great players.

That was the theory and, in practice, it worked. Producing players like Kasparov. Botvinnik. Karpov. Alekhine. Kramnik. Tal. Spassky. The list goes on.

Another product of that school is Artur Yusupov who, fortunately for the West, has lived in Germany since the early 1990s after disturbing a burglar in his Russian home and being shot! He has reached the semifinals of the Candidates Tournament on three occasions. A renowned chess author, he worked with Mark Dvoretsky (of endgame manual fame) to set up a chess school, and then put that syllabus into a series of books.

There are ten books in total, including one which is completely examinations in the Orange series.

Every book has twenty-four lessons, with a test at the end of each lesson to assess if you have understood the material, and a suggested pass mark, as well as ratings of good or excellent based upon how many of the variations you wrote down as you studied the board.

Misconceptions About These Books

Firstly, there are many misconceptions about this series. I mean, just how difficult can they be, right?

A quick search of reviews on the Intermanets will show you players complaining that the books are too difficult and suggesting that you should be at a higher rating before you can fully benefit from them. Here's a sample:

As I see it, anyone starting from 1700 can enjoy the books.  Players lower than that should however download the excerpt of the first one and see for themselves, because it includes a complete chapter.

— Gollum's Chess Reviews: Review: Build up your Chess by Yusupov

The books include a lot of examples with variations, little text, and tons of puzzles, making them more suitable for a minimum of 1400 USCF level.

Yusupov’s books demand a lot of rigorous practice and shed light on increased in-game patterns, making them ideal for players around the 1400 to 1800 level.

— Review Of The Yusupov Series - The Chess Advisor

If you’re under 1500 (or even on the lower side of 1500-1800), know that the book will not be easy and you may get frustrated with the chapters

— Book review | Yusupov's Build Up Your Chess: The Fundamentals - Chess.com

But does someone who just begins making their first tentative steps towards not exactly lofty 1500 level have a chance?

— Don’t Buy Yusupov’s Books - Chess.com

But What Does Yusupov Himself Say?

Yusupov himself states: "Three groups were set up according to playing strength: under Elo 1500, under Elo 1800, and under Elo 2100." (Introduction in the first book)

These groups are equivalent to the three book sets – Orange, Blue, and Green. So, the author himself disagrees with the reviewers. Perhaps he expects his students to work a little harder than we are accustomed to in the West? (I'm not saying we're lazy here, but the work ethic seems to involve a lot of complaining instead of studying, doesn't it?)

I admit, those opinions I quoted above almost put me off this set of books, but I will show why I am glad that was not the case later.

Simply put – if the author says the books are aimed at Chess Beginners, then shouldn't we take him at his word?

Is This a Difficult Syllabus?

So let's just look at the early syllabus in the very first book, shall we? The first 9 chapter headings are as follows:

• Mating Motifs
• Mating Motifs 2
• Basic Opening Principles
• Simple Pawn Endings
• Double Check
• The Value of the Pieces
• The Discovered Attack
• Centralising the Pieces
• Mate In Two Moves

Does any of that look like advanced work that requires you to be some club-playing chess genius? I mean, "Opening Principles"? Surely these really are the Basics, as the author himself claims?

So How Do You Test Your Progress?

The testing process for each chapter consists of twelve game positions, which you are required to set up on a board (or a computer study board will do, if you don't have actual pieces) and examine for at least five minutes without moving the pieces. Writing down the variations you believed to be correct. Each position carries between one and three points, which gives you a clue as to how much you are expected to find.

You get no clues as to exactly what you're looking for, other than the theme of the chapter.

If you cannot find a solution after staring at the board for some time, you're allowed to move the pieces to try things out – not everyone can visualise well to begin with.

Once you have completed all twelve positions, written down what you think are the best variations, and any traps to avoid, you check the answers on the following pages and see which ones you scored points for. If you do not meet the pass mark, then you repeat that chapter at a future date and try again.

How Did This Total Patzer Fare?

Now we come to the proof of the pudding. How did this lowly, sub-1000, beginner do in the first lesson?

I subtracted 1 point from my final score of 14 because, even though it awarded me the point for finding the first moves of a variation, the continuation thereafter was one I had missed. I didn't feel I'd earned that one.

(Yes – I am very harsh on myself. Merely 13 points for me.)

The required Pass mark was only 9 points!

A result of Good required 12 points, and Excellent required 14, out of a possible 16 points total.

I only learnt to play Chess in December 2024, and have yet to beat any bot above 1400. Even so, I had very little trouble with this lesson, but I did put the time in. Around 4 hours total. Not exactly demanding for a week's work, was it?

My Puzzle Rating on Chess.com has risen significantly since I studied the Mating Motifs chapters too. (Around 2000 in that now.)

So, Should You Try the Book?

Do you listen to the reviewers, or do you listen to the Author? My money would be on the latter.

This is a well-organised training system, based on the old Soviet chess school methods, which if you're willing to put in the work will guarantee you become a better player. How could you not?

My advice is: try the first book. Borrow one, pick it up second hand, ask your local library to get it, or just buy it.

If you only work through one lesson and tests per week, in six months you will be a much better player than you are now. Happy learning!