I've only just begun working with a coach, but my initial impression is that it's a good idea.
You've now played a whole bunch of games, but your rating isn't great. Honestly, I'd encourage you to work with a coach if only briefly to boost your play.
Yes, a coach helps you improve.
Is it the best use of money when new? Not sure.
Oh, I see you've played a few hundred games already. Yeah, a coach can help.
I think a few lessons with a Coach will be of more benefit than chess software. A coach can help identify the things you need to work on inorder to improve
It will help you find tactics you missed.
When engines give you non-tactical suggestions it takes a lot of work to squeeze out useful ideas though. And sometimes the suggestions are not practical and should not be followed. A good book would be maybe 50x faster at helping you than an engine.
I'm seriously considering joing a physical chess club and start playing OTB games. A human chess coach sounds like a good idea for improving OTB.
Chess clubs are excellent. Little comments after games when people analyze with you can have a huge impact on your play / understanding.
Sometimes it's not useful. Other times it's like a mini coaching session.
Books for beginners:
1. Tactics Time - pure tactics practice, great for beginners. Do the entire thing, a a few times, and you'll get a lot better from beginner level.
2. Logical Chess. Try and memorize the games - you'll find after awhile that even if you don't truly understand all the positional aspects of each move, you'll get a much better feel for 'reasonable' moves in each position when there are no tactics.
3. Watch the free Akobian St. Louis chess videos on youtube. Probably the best videos out there for basic positional chess - totally understandable, even for beginners, yet surprisingly deep.
I looked up a coach who's active in the forum here. We've had a couple of sessions using skype.
A chess coach hopefully avoids learning you stuff that you could already learn from books.
A chess coach hopefully avoids learning you stuff that you could already learn from books.
Most probably tailor the coaching to the needs of the student, which has been my experience so far. A coach probably does provide information that can, at least on a conceptual level, be found in various books, but there's some value in having someone direct your attention to the specific material you should be reading and practicing based on what needs improving in your game.
I'm a new chess player, and I'm wondering if a chess coach would help me improve.
Finding the right coach is like trying on shoes. You have to try on a few before finding the right fit.
Ask yourself this question. "What will help me more?"
1. A chess engine telling you a position is +04
2. A chess coach explaining the position to you
I think chess coaches are more useful in the extremes of the bell curve.
A chess coach hopefully avoids learning you stuff that you could already learn from books.
Most probably tailor the coaching to the needs of the student, which has been my experience so far. A coach probably does provide information that can, at least on a conceptual level, be found in various books, but there's some value in having someone direct your attention to the specific material you should be reading and practicing based on what needs improving in your game.
True!!
I'm a new chess player, and I'm wondering if a chess coach would help me improve.