Complete beginner seeking coaching

Hello all

I am brand new to chess. I've played the computer on chess.com a fair few times and one opponent here on chess.com. So far I am clearly a terrible player and have an unbelievable amount to learn.

I've noticed in the coaching section there's an abundance of grand masters offering coaching. Would it be worth approaching players with such high ratings to coach me as a complete novice? Would a grand master level coach take on a student who is a total beginner?

I should note that I'm not bothered about the cost of the coaching. I know there's an awful lot of free material out there but I just want the fastest route to becoming competent. 

My personal advice is too withhold getting a coach until you have consumed some free beginner content (or even lessons here on the site).  Knowing a lot basic strategy and thought could be taught by practically any skill level, and you would not gain much by having someone overqualified to tell you instead.

After that, keep in mind that good players don't necessarily make good coaches.  Don't think that only GMs would be the better coaches.  Take your time to find a coach that you seem to like - whether its personality or playstyle or something different altogether.

Beginners Advice.

1. Stop playing blitz, and bullet.  Play longer time controls of at least G45, or longer.  
2. Follow Opening Principles:

• Control the center.
• Develop minor pieces toward the center.
• Castle.
• Connect your rooks.

3. Study tactics...tactics...tactics.  One of my favorite quotes is this: "Until you reach Master, your first name is tactics, your middle name is tactics, and your last name is tactics”.
4. Double Check your moves.  Before making a move, ask yourself: "Are my pieces safe?"
5. After your opponent moves, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"
6. Analyze your games WITHOUT a chess engine, then have someone stronger go over the games, or post them online for review.
7. DO NOT memorize openings. Learn and understand the pawn structure, and piece placement for the opening you wish to learn.
8. Learn Basics Mates:

• K vs. KQ
• K vs. KR
• K vs. KRR

9. Learn Basic King and Pawn endings.

• KP vs. K
• Opposition

10. Have Fun!

Opening Principles:

1. Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5.
2. Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key. Centralized piece control more squares.
3. (King Safety)
4. Connect your rooks. There should be no pieces between your Rooks.

The objective of development is about improving the value of your pieces by increasing the importance of their roles (Piece Activity).  Well-developed pieces have more fire-power than undeveloped pieces and they do more in helping you gain control.

Now we will look at 5 practical things you can do to help you achieve your development objective.

They are:

1. Give priority to your least active pieces.

• Which piece needs to be developed (which piece is the least active)?
• Where should it go (where can its role be maximized)?

2. Exchange your least active pieces for your opponent’s active pieces.
3. Restrict the development of your opponent’s pieces.
4. Neutralize your opponent’s best piece.
5. Secure strong squares for your pieces.

Don’t help your opponent develop.

There are 2 common mistakes whereby you will simply be helping your opponent to develop:

1. Making a weak threat that can easily be blocked
2. Making an exchange that helps your opponent to develop a piece

Pre Move Checklist:

1. Make sure all your pieces are safe.
2. Look for forcing move: Checks, captures, threats. You want to look at ALL forcing moves (even the bad ones) this will force you look at, and see the entire board.
3. If there are no forcing moves, you then want to remove any of your opponent’s pieces from your side of the board.
4. If your opponent doesn’t have any of his pieces on your side of the board, then you want to improve the position of your least active piece.
5. After each move by your opponent, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"

All of this valuable advice i posted regularly retails for $999.99.  But i am giving it to you today for FREE!!!

Agree with all of Bacon’s stuff. Just want to share this site as I think it’s excellent to start with:

https://www.chesstactics.org

My friend @KingsBishop could help.

browse...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell

Maybe get some coaching after you have gone through the lessons and hit a roadblock with the tactics puzzles?  As it is, you've barely tried them...

• Puzzles
  14
• Lessons
  2

Well if money isn't an issue, hire at least 1 GM for 4hrs per day every day of the week. Better yet, you could fly to Russia and get a team of Russian GMs to work with you night and day for a year or more.

I can offer you this guide on how to improve for free:

https://www.chess.com/blog/nklristic/the-beginners-tale-first-steps-to-chess-improvement

As for everything else, it is your money so you should decide do you want to hire a coach. I am sure that they helpful, though you might try to initially improve yourself to some level, and then decide if you want to be serious enough with chess to hire a coach.

I think it's a great question! The short answer is that some high-rated players will make good coaches for beginners, but frankly you don't need to spend that money... yet.

You're already a full member, so work through the lessons, tactics, and puzzles. That will make you advance much faster than playing a bunch of games.

May I also suggest you then go on to work through my "Chess Boot Camp" videos? The point of Chess Boot Camp is to explain the thought process of chess in a slower and more accessible way than you'll get from watching master-level players blitzing out moves on YouTube. It's specifically aimed at getting beginners and improving players to the 1000 rating point and beyond.

Thanks so much everyone for the help and advice. I just really hate being bad at anything so I try to accelerate the learning path as quickly as possible.

I've learned guitar in the past year or so and hired a tutor as well as signing up for Fender Play. I found that having someone present me with material, rather than me hunting for it really sped things up. 

I've sent you a friend request so I can message you direct with an idea that may suit!

First of all do not think chess as hard. This mindset it was easy for me to get out of the beginner's area. I practice, practice, and practice. Until I get it right. 

Hello! I'd love you teach you how to play. I am about a 900 rating andy and I love the game of chess. I also think it would be an amazing exercise for me too! DM me on Floody#9272 if you want to