Beginners and returning players
If you are just starting out or returning to chess after a long break, we will gradually build a solid foundation and fill the main gaps in your understanding of the game.
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ILYA DUZHAKOV · FIDE INTERNATIONAL MASTER
Online chess lessons for adults
Individual lessons for beginners, amateur players and tournament players — regardless of age or current level.
We analyze your games, identify your strengths and weaknesses, build a personalized training plan and work systematically on the areas that will help you play stronger chess.
INDIVIDUAL APPROACH
Who these lessons are for
I work with adults of different levels — from complete beginners to experienced tournament players.
Amateur players who want to improve
For those who already play online, with friends or at a club, but want to understand positions better, make fewer mistakes and feel more confident when making decisions at the board.
Rated and tournament players
For more experienced players, the work is built around game analysis, specific weaknesses, opening preparation and goals related to tournaments and overall improvement.
FIRST LESSON
First, I want to understand how you see your own game
Adult students can usually explain quite clearly what they enjoy about chess, where they feel they have problems and what they want to achieve through training.
01
We discuss your experience and goals
I listen carefully to how you evaluate your own game: what you think you do well, where you struggle, which types of positions you enjoy and which ones make you uncomfortable.
02
We play a game or analyze your games
We can play a game together or start by analyzing some of your recent games. This helps me see how you make decisions in practice.
03
We compare your impressions with your actual play
Sometimes your own assessment matches what we see on the board. Sometimes the analysis reveals completely different strengths and weaknesses.
04
We identify the main areas to improve
I look at calculation, positional understanding, opening preparation, recurring mistakes and habits that may be holding you back.
05
We build a training plan
Gradually, I develop a complete picture of your game. From there, I identify the main areas to work on and build an individual training program around your goals.
EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN REASON
Sometimes it all starts with wanting a rematch
People decide to take chess more seriously for all kinds of reasons. Some have loved the game for years and finally want to understand it on a deeper level. Others return to chess after a long break.
And sometimes the reason is much simpler: you started losing to your own child, lost a friendly game to a friend, or once made a bet that you could learn to play chess well.
I have seen many different stories. But in the end, they all have one thing in common: you enjoy chess and want to become a stronger player.
So it does not really matter what made you decide to take chess seriously. If you want to understand the game better and feel more confident at the board, I will be happy to help you get there.
INDIVIDUAL TRAINING PROGRAM
We focus on what is holding you back
Every chess player has different strengths and weaknesses, so I do not use the same training program for everyone. The main areas of work are determined after getting to know you, analyzing your games and understanding your goals.
Opening repertoire
We build an opening repertoire that suits your playing style. If necessary, we can create it almost from scratch or improve and restructure your existing repertoire.
Tactics and calculation
We work on recognizing tactical opportunities, calculating variations more deeply and making decisions based on concrete analysis rather than guesswork.
Strategy and middlegame
We study plans, typical positions, weaknesses and piece activity, helping you better understand what is happening on the board after the opening.
Endgames
We study important endgames and learn how to convert advantages, defend difficult positions and make more confident decisions in the final stage of the game.
Game analysis
We analyze your games, identify recurring mistakes and find the specific reasons that may be preventing you from improving.
Tournament preparation
If you compete in tournaments, we work on your form, opening repertoire, preparation for specific opponents and psychological readiness for your games.
TOURNAMENT PREPARATION
We prepare not only for the tournament, but for specific games
If you regularly compete in tournaments, tournament preparation becomes a separate part of our work.
We analyze your games, work on your opening repertoire, identify weak areas and decide what deserves special attention before your next event.
During a tournament, we can prepare for specific opponents. After each game, we can analyze the key decisions and, if necessary, adjust the preparation for the following rounds.
Psychological resilience is also an important part of this work. Mistakes, losses and poor decisions should not simply be forgotten — we need to understand why they happened and avoid carrying one bad game into the next.
01
Opponent preparation
We analyze the opponent's playing style and possible opening repertoire when enough information is available.
02
Game analysis
After the game, we analyze the key decisions, mistakes and missed opportunities.
03
Psychological preparation
We work on handling nerves, maintaining concentration, dealing with results and recovering mentally after a difficult game.
04
Adjustments during the tournament
We use the games you have already played to understand what should be adjusted before the next rounds.
RESULTS
Progress looks different for everyone
Some students want to play more confidently with friends or online, others want to understand their mistakes, while some are preparing for tournaments and aiming to reach a new level in their game.
Better understanding of the game
Instead of playing out of habit or simply guessing, you begin to understand the position: what is happening on the board, what plans are available and why one move may be better than another.
Fewer recurring mistakes
By analyzing your own games, we identify recurring mistakes and gradually turn them into specific areas that can be improved through systematic training.
Improvement at your own level
For an amateur player, this may mean playing with greater confidence. For a stronger player, it may mean serious work on specific areas of the game and preparation for competitions.
For me, progress is not only about rating points. What matters is that you understand your own decisions better, repeat the same mistakes less often and gradually become a more independent chess player.
WORK BETWEEN LESSONS
Knowledge should become a habit
One explanation is usually not enough. Important chess principles need to be repeated, applied in games and gradually turned into habits that you can use independently.
That is why my students hear some rules and ideas from me again and again. This repetition is intentional: my goal is to make sure that when the right moment comes during a game, you remember the principle and apply it without your coach's help.
Between lessons, I give individual homework assignments and review them. The results help us understand what has already been learned well and which topics we need to return to.
If necessary, I create a personal Lichess study where we can keep positions, variations, opening material and assignments. Zoom lessons can also be recorded so that you can return to a difficult explanation or position later.
Individual assignments
Homework is selected according to your current goals and weaknesses rather than giving every student the same set of exercises.
Review and repetition
We return to completed assignments, analyze mistakes and repeat important ideas until they are truly understood and become part of your game.
Personal Lichess study
Positions, opening variations and other training materials can be organized in one place for your independent work.
Lesson recordings
If necessary, a Zoom lesson can be recorded so that you can return later to an important explanation or a position we analyzed.
LESSON FORMAT
45 or 60 minutes of individual training
The lesson length depends on your goals and training format. For regular lessons, 45 minutes is usually enough, while a 60-minute session is available for more in-depth work.
Standard format
Ideal for regular training: game analysis, learning new topics, working on openings, tactics, strategy and endgames.
In-depth training
A good option when we need more time for detailed game analysis, opening preparation or focused work before a tournament.
REGULARITY
Consistent training brings better results than occasional lessons
Chess cannot be learned in one or two lessons. New knowledge needs to be reinforced through games, mistakes need to be revisited and individual ideas gradually need to become reliable skills.
That is why regular lessons are the main format of my work. I usually recommend training at least once a week.
If your goal is faster improvement or serious tournament preparation, we can work together twice a week or more.
For regular students, I reserve a specific time in my schedule so that lessons become part of a consistent training process.
You can start with a trial lesson. After that, we will choose the most suitable lesson length, frequency and training plan for you.
ONLINE WITHOUT BORDERS
Chess lessons from anywhere in the world
Online lessons allow us to work together regardless of where you live. I have taught chess players from the United States, Australia, European countries and other parts of the world.
I teach in both English and Russian. For regular lessons, we choose a convenient time based on your time zone and my available schedule.
Lessons in English
Individual online chess lessons in English for students from different countries around the world.
Lessons in Russian
I also provide individual online lessons in Russian for Russian-speaking students around the world.
Lichess + Zoom
All you need for the lessons is a computer, a stable internet connection and access to an online chessboard.
Different time zones
We choose a regular lesson time based on your time zone and the available slots in my schedule.
TRIAL LESSON
Let’s meet at the chessboard
You can start with a 30-minute trial lesson.
We will discuss your chess experience and goals, play a game together or analyze some of your recent games. This will help me get an initial understanding of your play and identify the main areas we should work on.
After the lesson, we will discuss the most suitable lesson length, training frequency and format for your future work.
30
minutes for the trial lesson
1 : 1
individual training
ONLINE
Zoom + Lichess
PLAN
initial training plan
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
About the lessons
Answers to the most common questions before getting started.
Can I start learning chess from scratch?
Yes. I work with complete beginners as well as adults who have been playing chess for years and want to organize their knowledge and improve their understanding of the game.
Are the lessons suitable for experienced players?
Yes. For stronger players, our work can include detailed game analysis, opening preparation, calculation, strategy, endgames and tournament preparation.
How do online chess lessons work?
Lessons are held via Zoom and Lichess. We can play games, analyze your games, solve positions and work with training materials prepared specifically for you.
Do you give homework?
Yes. Assignments are selected individually according to your current goals and are always reviewed. If necessary, I can also create a personal Lichess study for your independent training.
How often should I take lessons?
For regular training, one lesson per week is usually a good starting point. If your goal is faster improvement or serious tournament preparation, we can work together twice a week or more.
Can I book individual lessons without a subscription?
Yes. One-off lessons are available, but the price per lesson is significantly higher than the price of a lesson within a package.
For systematic improvement, I recommend regular training. New knowledge needs to be reinforced, applied in games and gradually turned into reliable skills.
START YOUR TRAINING
Let’s meet
at the chessboard
Start with a 30-minute trial lesson. We will discuss your goals, assess your current level and identify the main areas for further improvement.