AMA - Ask Me Anything

Hi everyone! I’m David, a 1912 FIDE-rated chess player, and I’m hosting an AMA.

I’m happy to answer any questions, chess-related or not, whether it’s about training, tournaments, improvement, mindset, or anything you’re curious about.

Ask away, and I’ll do my best to give thoughtful, honest answers that might help you in some way.

What are your best chess tips to improve for a 1500 FIDE classical player?

Do you have professional aspirations in chess? Or plans to have it just as a hobby? Or have you nnot decided on it yet?

For a 1500 FIDE classical player, this may sound typical, but I genuinely believe tactics are the most important area to focus on. Speaking from personal experience, I committed to doing tactics seriously and consistently for 365 days, and during that time I gained over 400 FIDE Elo. Even now, I still feel tactically weaker than I should be, which shows how crucial this skill is. Many games at this level are decided by missed or miscalculated tactics. The key is not the quantity of puzzles, but the quality: calculate fully, don’t guess, and understand why the solution works. If needed, I can recommend excellent tactics books that, if taken seriously, will almost certainly lead to a noticeable rating increase. Alongside tactics, I strongly recommend learning basic endgames, as they are relatively easy to study and give a huge return in practical results. A great resource is 100 Endgames You Must Know by Jesús de la Villa, which helps you convert winning positions and save worse ones.

Thank you!

I wouldn’t say I have ambitions to become a full-time professional player in the classical sense. I started chess relatively late, so reaching the absolute top level isn’t a realistic goal for me. That said, I’m still very ambitious competitively, and I strongly believe I can reach a solid title like FM or even IM with serious, long-term work. I don’t see competition as something I’ll ever give up, I plan to keep playing, improving, and testing myself in tournaments.

In the long run, though, my biggest goal goes beyond my own results. I genuinely believe that the chess education system in our country is outdated, especially when it comes to developing talented players properly. Together with a very good friend of mine, I’d like to create a chess academy for promising young players, focused on quality training, modern methods, strong sparring, and real competitive preparation, giving them opportunities that many of us didn’t have growing up.

Alongside that, I’d also like to stay involved in chess from multiple angles: continuing to compete, coaching, and even organizing tournaments as an arbiter, helping build a stronger and more professional chess environment overall. So for me, chess isn’t just a hobby, but it’s also not only about being a player. It’s something I want to contribute to in a meaningful, long-term way.

You’re welcome! Feel free to DM in case you need some books.

what is an AMA

when the war in Rusia/Ucraina will end?

It is the abbreviation of Ask Me Anything.

It’s interesting that you’re trying to question my future while struggling with basic spelling in the present.

My father always told me: if you don’t have something positive to say, it’s better not to say anything at all. It’s advice I’ve always respected.

As for your question — I haven’t realized that, because I’m still improving, still working, and still far from my limits. Whether I reach 2300 or beyond will be decided by my work and my results, not by someone else’s assumptions. Time will decide the rest.

I honestly don’t know, and I don’t feel knowledgeable enough about politics to make predictions. I prefer to stay focused on my own work and hope the conflict between Russia and Ukraine ends peacefully as soon as possible.

What are some of the best openings that can fool some of the best players in the world? I have a very low Elo rating and I want to know how I can improve that.

Ok if u press alt F4 u win with en passant?