Carlsson Chess Training!

Back in the summer, The Chess Drum chatted with Swedish Grandmaster Pontus Carlsson via Skype and got an update on his chess activities and his online teaching. He is well-known to The Chess Drum audience having earned his GM title back in 2007 and joining Sweden’s national team.

While Carlsson is still an active player, he has begun giving lessons via Internet and seeks to establish a wider reach. Carlsson teaches languages at secondary school in Sweden and will soon take Chinese studies in Guangzhou, China. Among the languages he speaks are Swedish, Spanish, English, German, French with plans to study Arabic and Russian in the future.

The burning question of chess these days is the role that computer engines play in training. There can be an over-reliance on these tools for insight and evaluation.

My experience also tells me that it is very difficult for club players to improve only by checking their games with Fritz, Rybka or Houdini since than no one explains why white has an advantage of 0.31 pawns or which plans that should be preferred in this type of positions.

~GM Pontus Carlsson

It can be affirmed that a student can learn certain concepts with an array of software tools and chess engines, however, there may be an element missing in this learning process. In many cases, guidance is needed. So, do you want to improve your ELO rating and skill level, but are not sure of how to do it, or which books you should read? Then perhaps its time for you to hire GM Carlsson! Why Carlsson? Read more below!

Why do I need a trainer with all available literature online and in bookstores?

Well the answer is easy. All literature available makes it even more difficult to navigate and to find the right books to read and to construct the right opening repertoire for both scoring points and improving the level of your play. Thus you need help to find your right path for improvement. It is better to learn from an experienced player and trainer who has taken the same journey from a beginner to a grandmaster.

OK… it sounds good, but what is the extent of your teaching experience?

Being both an experienced grandmaster and an educated teacher with 20 years of coaching and training experience I have developed an instructive and pedagogical way of teaching and explaining chess to my pupils.

Can you clarify what a typical training session is like?

In the trainings we will structure and sharpen your opening repertoire, practice tactics and endgames, improve your positional and strategic skills by analysing and going through instructive grandmaster games as well as analysing your own played games, which is a very important method on the road for improvement. My experience also tells me that it is very difficult for club players to improve only by checking their games with Fritz, Rybka or Houdini since than no one explains why white has an advantage of 0.31 pawns or which plans that should be preferred in this type of positions. Rather the opposite it can be very easy for club players to draw wrong conclusions from checking the games with the help of Fritz or other engines.

It all sounds very interesting how do I contact you for more information?

If you are interested in trainings and to improve your rating and chess skills you are welcome to contact me by email at pcarlssonchess@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pontus.carlsson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GMCarlsson
Website: pontus-carlsson.com
Skype: pintuz24

In order to further explain what you will learn during the trainings and what the trainings can give you, I will show two games of my own that well illustrates the importance of positional and strategical skills as well as what good opening preparation can give you.