Finding a coach for 2200-2300 OTB player wanting to get to FM/IM
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There is a difference between being able to play at a 2200-2300 level or “probably” being 2200 as estimated by me...and actually becoming an officially titled IM/FM. That requires a level of consistency and structured training that he is currently lacking. He has weaknesses he needs to shore up, build an opening repertoire etc. Thanks for the constructive reply though.
No problem. I’m definitely not a troll lol. I have not been active in chess for some time and am now getting into chess. He has always had a real talent and it’s a travesty he’s not already officially a master so I’m trying to help (I know him irl). His rating is around 2600-2690 in 3|0.
Only reason I don’t have any previous posts is because I’m typically not a forum or post-making kind of person lol. I’m actually only making this one to help a friend otherwise I’d probably continue without a post haha
He’s tried a few GM coaches we randomly saw but the experience hasn’t been great. Overall it’s been sort of “I’m a grandmaster and that’s why I deserve the money” experience. What I mean by that is they have shown up without being prepared or organized for the lesson and without a real game plan. It was pretty surprising tbh. So I figured rather than trying really expensive GMs that we have no real info on as far as their ability to coach, I’d reach out and see if anyone had actual experience with anyone in particular or any other recommendations
I should have said he ranges between 2450 and 2650 in 3|0 because of the variance.
He has checked out Aagaard's GM preparation series but he said he’s not much of a fan of his style and had trouble sticking with it. But overall you think books are better for trying to accomplish this than a high level coach?
He has played in otb tournaments with good success way back when he was lower rated. I remember in 2007 he tied for 3rd place in the 1800-1999 section of the World Open in philly. And that’s with him not playing nearly as well as he could have. I don’t think he’s played in any otb tournaments since then though
I'll just make a couple of comments.
First, your friend will not know what his OTB strength is until he has played enough OTB tournaments for his rating to stabilize. Assuming that his OTB strength is 400 to 500 points over his old OTB rating is quite possibly overoptimistic and may be setting him up for a major disappointment.
Second, from your mention of a 2007 tournament I am guessing your friend is an adult. I don't personally know a single adult who broke 2300 OTB who did it by to taking lessons (and I know dozens of players who broke 2300 as an adult, including myself). I see lessons as being primarily for talented kids who lack the self-discipline or organizational skills to work on their own, or for older players who have stalled out and think that they can solve their problem by throwing money at it (hint: they can't).
What your friend really needs to do is play 50 to 100 OTB games, preferably against players around his own strength and stronger, at which point he will (a) have a much better idea about where he actually stands; and (b) have enough OTB experience to draw some conclusions about where he needs to improve. Of course, this is not easy to do right now, but this is what he really needs.
TLDR: The best lessons your friend can get are OTB games against strong players, and other than the entry fees, these lessons will be free.
Thanks for the input and I would normally agree on the assumption and fear of setting him up for failure. The only reason this situation may be different is that the 2007 world open was very early in his chess learning and he was nowhere near where he ended up peaking at. Back then he could barely ever beat a master we both know and now it is the other way around. That said, I think me may still be right on the rest. I think his opening repertoire is not very extensive for a person of his level. I suggested really digging into opening and building a solid repertoire. Then also just a lot of longer time control games with a real board in front of you against very strong competition. He was wondering if a coach would help so I wanted to reach out for opinions.
Hi all! Wondering if anyone had any advice or an actual coach recommendation for a 2200-2300 otb player (2600-2700 in blitz) player looking to get to master level? First of all, this is NOT me lol, it is a friend. The 2200-2300 otb is an estimation based on his ability to regularly beat players of that level in classical chess. He is "officially" 1800 something USCF because he stopped playing otb tournaments many years ago. Anyway, any advice of what to look for in a coach at the level would be great as I would assume it would require different types of coaches than a coach for a 1500 player looking to become an expert. If anyone knows an actual coach that fits that bill or is an actual coach that would be great too. Thanks ahead of time for all input!