Coach needed

I want to make a step further in my pitiful chess career, so I am searching for a coach. I was thinking on this since months, but now I am convinced that this is the right thing to do.

1. "Qualifications"

(a) Something like a Elo around 2000+ would be great! But if you have good qualifications in the point (b), than I think a coach around 1900 would also be enough (about my estimated rating see below).

(b) I am looking for a coach who understand well 1.d4 d5 2. c4 for White, and 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 and 1.e4 e5 for Black, I am telling this because I think it is important to learn with a coach who understand well the studied opening. If I would not have invested so much in the openings already I would follow your recommendations, but I invested already a lot in the opening, especially on 1.d4.  With 1.d4 as White I have a rather good idea how to play the opening, but almost now knowledge about long-term plans. As Black in the lines 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 and 1.e4 e5 I did not invest much time yet, but I bought several books on this stuff and I think I should learn this. I am learning a complete repertoire written by GM Alex Colovic and is of course from high quality. This repertoire cover 1.d4, 1.c4, 1.Nf3, , but also things like 1.f4 or even 1.g4.

I would be prone to change my repertoire 1.e4 e5 as Black if you have good arguments to do so, as I did not invest much yet on this stuff; I could follow your recommendations here (but it would be VERY interesting if I could use an opening which is available in the website "Chessable", so go to this website and browse the books there to see if you find something that you know well and I can use.

Just to let you know:  I gave up a Scandi repertoire with Qd8 as Black, although I invested rather a lot in this defence. I would go back to this if you know this stuff and recommend it to me, or as a main repertoire against 1.e4 or as a backup.

I don't see a problem to have two different coaches, one specialist on 1.d4 and the other on 1.e4 e5 (or something else, as I wrote above)..

My "ambitions"

I am not very ambitious about chess, as I am already 55 years old and rather untalented. I just want to be more straightforward in my development and see how far I can get by training systematically openings, endgames, and middle games, at least for one or two years. My ability to visualise and calculate is certainly below-average. My main motivation is to improve my game to be able to teach chess for beginners and intermediate players (I am doing this already since many years). I stopped almost completely to play blitz (I know that this will not help me much to get a better player), and will go soon to a chess club for the first time since many many years. I can send you the game I played there.

I would like to improve every phase of the game, I need somebody to help me to go through my games, tell me my typical inaccuracies, how to use engines for analyses, how to use databases to go through games played by strong players, etc etc.

My rating...perhaps around 1550-1600?

I do not know my Elo rating, since I never played in a serious tournament. I went to the a website where you can measure your chess skills (Elometer). I got a surprisingly strong number, 1936, with a 95% confidence interval of [1811...2061]. However, after discussing this tool with people how have a rating, I found out that Elometer definitively overestimate your rating. One guy for example got an estimated rating of 2618 while his FIDE rating is actually "only" about 2200. I think my rating should be something between 1550 and 1600, if I compare with people who had a similar estimation in Elometer.

My skill in tactics, endgames and strategy

Unfortunately, I am not good in tactics, although I will give a go with it with different apps, especially with CT-ART 5.0. I trained several months also with Chessimo.

I do not know much endgames beside the basic stuff for beginners / intermediate players, but I am learning de la Villa's "100 Endgames You Must Know", also in Chessable, and I hope to have a rather good understanding of endgames within one year.

I have several books on strategy (actually I have a very good chess library - but I should also learn these books, not only buy them!). I am working now with "Simple Chess" by Michael Stean; I like it. I have also Silman's "The Amateur's Mind" and "How to Reassess...", but I did not really work hard with them. I have also other good books on the subject, like Nimzowitsch's "My System" and "Chess Praxis", and "Chess Strategy for Club Players" by Grooten.

Somebody interested?

.. Speaking, on behalf of Others ; Who Might be interested !?

I've left a post on your wall. I'm happy to discuss, but I'd prefer to do so over pm or skype as we can avoid trolls.

Hi,

Would love to hear more about your goals.

I am a National Master with 10+ Years of Teaching Experience. To learn more about me, see www.premierchess.com or Premier Chess page.

Email me at erabin66@gmail.com or call (917)776-1306 to ask any questions or set up a free 30 minute consultation.

Best,

Evan

Hi people, I forgot to see here that I decided to take lessons from a coach in a local club. Thank you very much for your kind offers and comments.

Glad to hear you found a solution! Go ahead and like www.facebook.com/premierchess anyways to keep up to date with tactics, news and other interesting posts.

I am not a chess coach, but I am a violin prof and sorry to tell you but you sound like the kind of student that we hate working with. 

If you are really willing to improve, then you will absolutely believe in your coach and you will quietly do whatever he tells you. He is the one who will decide what opening you will play (And if it means starting to learn a new opening from zero then you will do it), you are not at all in the position to say "I will just play this and this opening, so you better know it". 

You sound like you are making a big favor by offering the opportunity to coach you. 

I hope that you are aware that before knowing your ambitions, your favorite openings, etc. a coach will talk about the money (I hope you didn't expect free lessons). Here you basically told your whole curriculum and your life projects but you did not even mentioned the financial part. 

Are you really 55 years old?

'Microsoft', upload 'glitch'.  ] ;

Pashak1989 Just glad I'm not looking for a violin coach, but if I ever do you would definitely be at the very bottom of my list. I'd rather not get personal, but you're a real jerk. You owe torrubirubi an apology. I guess he shouldn't hold his breath waiting for one, though.

Well, I am not sure about the part of allow the coach to decide everything, including the opening. This will be perhaps true for a beginner, but I am already playing chess since a while (and yes, I am 55). 

I remember once I took some lessons with a guy, he was once a very talented young players, something like Roger Federer was. The guy wanted me to use a grip for my forehand that almost nobody use. He was good in it, as this was what he learned, but this kind of grip was just horrible for most players. What I want to say is that you should not accept everything a coach want to teach you. 

I thought I would discuss the financial aspect latter. In the meantime I found a coach (not online, but in a chess club), so I will try with him first. But thanks for the suggestions.