From 1300 to 1877 in a Year: The Story of Pranav, a 10-Year-Old

Meet Pranav — a brilliant 10-year-old with an aggressive style and a gift for tactics, whose chess journey over the past year speaks volumes about what dedication, structured training, and the right guidance can achieve.

When we began working together, Pranav had a rating of around 1300. Today, as shown in the graph above, he's surged to 1877 on Chess.com, a stunning climb of +562 points. His Lichess rating has crossed 2100, and his official OTB rating is already 1420. But more than the numbers, it's the way he plays that inspires — fearless, tactical, and razor-sharp on the board.

How did he do it?

🔹 Live Zoom Lessons Twice a Week: We meet regularly to go deep into strategy, positional understanding, and sharp tactics tailored to his playing style.
🔹 Daily Training Tasks: He completes specific, high-quality homework assignments every day — not just solving puzzles but thinking critically and applying principles.
🔹 2 Hours of Chess Daily: Pranav maintains a strong work ethic, practicing consistently on both online platforms and with targeted exercises.
🔹 Structured, Personalized Guidance: I focus on developing each student’s strengths — in Pranav’s case, his tactical intuition and aggressive flair were nurtured and sharpened through intensive middlegame and endgame training.

What makes this transformation even more special is that it happened without overloading the child. Just two live lessons per week, and consistent, smart effort in between — that’s the formula.

If you’re a parent looking for the right coach for your child, or a young player eager to break through plateaus and rise in the rankings, I invite you to join my program. Whether your child is a beginner or already playing tournaments, I tailor every session to bring out their full potential — with structure, positivity, and a deep understanding of chess education.

Let’s build the next success story — maybe yours.

FIDE Trainer Darko