By Balaji Guttula, Professional Chess Coach
Recently, I took a small team of three children to an open rating tournament in Pune, which saw nearly 500 participants. What stood out to me was that despite solid training and promising preparation, the results didn’t quite reflect the effort we had put in. Our players got excellent positions against stronger opponents, clearly better prepared in the openings and often ahead in the early middlegame. But despite that edge, they were often outplayed or swindled in the later stages, either in the middlegame complexities or during endgame transitions.
And here’s something worth noting: the opponents our children lost to weren’t older or more experienced players. They were of similar age and rating strength. What made the difference was a new way of training, one that emphasizes better pattern recognition, independent thinking, and decision-making under pressure.
Having watched closely how children are trained over the past 25 years, I now feel there’s a paradigm shift underway in chess coaching. And it’s time we talk about it.
My current approach places greater emphasis on self-study. Instead of spoon-feeding lines and methods, the coach’s role today is more about being a guide, a monitor, and an analyst, someone who sets direction, tracks progress, and steps in only when the student is stuck or going wrong.
The availability of high-quality digital resources, video courses, online databases, and curated platforms, makes this shift even more efficient. You no longer need hours of over-the-board instruction to cover core topics. A smart blend of resources on openings, middlegame themes, endgames, and tactical ideas can help children cover more ground in less time.
One of the most effective tools I’ve come across is the Woodpecker Method. Though originally designed to sharpen tactical calculation through repetition, I believe its principles can be extended across other areas, like positional play, endgames, and even opening traps. The core idea is simple: repetition builds mastery. The more patterns a player sees and recalls, the faster and more accurate their decision-making becomes.
Some coaches and parents still debate whether learning on screen is as effective as learning over the board. But research shows that screen-based learning, especially when active, spaced, and reinforced, can accelerate pattern recognition and memory recall. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s no longer about how much time you spend, but how intensively and intelligently you use it.
That said, digital learning must be balanced with match practice, which remains non-negotiable. Players must test their understanding through real games, both online (Blitz or Rapid formats) and offline (weekend tournaments or regular sparring at the academy). This not only builds stamina and confidence, but also improves intuition and adaptability