A
Antonio
When I started this 30 day journey my current rating was 1410. As rating fluctuates and given the types of opponents I was losing against, my honest feeling is my real rating was closer to 1350-1400.
After the course, my current rating is 1514 with my highest ever peak now being 1543. During this time I've had winning positions vs 1600-1700 level opponents. I feel like the past days I've been on a downswing but now certainly feel closer to 1600 than to 1350.
I found that most of the value came from spending time calculating - as Yevhenii says it doesn't matter if you find the right move. The videos brought value as well (in particular the bonus analysis of my game). Despite the fact that there was some repetition in the videos (e.g. 1000 times "you never play alone") maybe this brainwashing did help and it's impossible not to remember things you've heard repetitively for 30 days straight. :D
Yevhenii's philosophy of never moving backward, finding the most active move, 1 piece 1 move and using the initiative worked wonders in instilling the importance of time in chess which leads to more dynamic games.
Definitely a good investment of time!
Dec 23, 2024
MW
Matthew Wetherbee
My name is Matthew Wetherbee. I play on both lichess.org and chess.com as leafofrage. I am rated 688 on chess.com and 907 on lichess.org.
I would say my biggest struggle before the course was bishop blindness. I still seem to have it a bit but am better at noticing threats before making a move than I was prior.
The 30 day course seemed to help me connect my pieces better and give me better attacking ideas. Also developed good habits. I didn't do as many puzzles or analyze my games as often prior to the course.
I think the really solid, simple openings that help you get the pieces developed and are adaptable for multiple different opponent openings are super great.
Jan 23, 2025
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Chris Smith
My name is Chris, I am 64 years old and started getting more serious about chess around 6 months ago. I got my rating up to 430, and it fell to 280. I had no idea why. I was hoping that this free (!) course might help.
And it does! I am currently at 380 and working my way back up. If I simply slow down and do what this course teaches, I do well. If I simply blast through the game, I lose. I need a STFD (Slow The eff Down!) sign to remind myself to slow down and follow the other principles taught, I do fine.
The UI was a bit glitchy on my Android phone, but the convenience of using my phone was great.
Wonderful course and a great teacher. Highly recommended.
Feb 5, 2025
Albert Bressler
Albert Bressler, ICCF rating = 1732 (109)
I knew two very solid openings (white & black), but struggled with the middle game afterwards. And when an opponent knew how to attack during my 10-12 opening moves, I consistently lost. Yevhenii’s course has given me a MUCH LARGER REPERTOIRE of openings AND an understanding of when they must be adapted to my opponent’s moves. The principles that he has taught has helped me TREMENDOUSLY in my middle game. I now know magnitudes more of practical chess strategies and principles along with an understanding of WHY they are important.
Feb 8, 2025
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William Tilburgs
Hi, i’m william, 43 years old and I used to Play club level Chess until the age of 14.
Now 30 years later I tried to start playing again.
I usually only play daily matches for 2 reasons. I get way too nervous when there is time pressure (need to work on that, but that is not for this course) and I like to think Some time, move the pieces without making a move.
My daily rating is around 1500.
This course helped me a lot to understanding that tempo and piece development is way more important than material advantage. I usually just grab a pawn, but than lose some material after a few moves, because my opponents pieces were more active.
The checks, capture, threats method, combined with the “stop for a moment and think about your opponent ideas” is working. I blunder less and my games feel a lot smoother.
Feb 13, 2025
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Derek
It's help change my focus I haven't had much of a rating boost but accuracy is improving. The course provides lots of helpful information and now it's up to me to use it consistently
Feb 15, 2025
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František Brokeš
* I am hobby chess player with 1700 rating
* My biggest problem was calculation
* After course I was able to calculate quickier and deeper
* I at all the time liked and enjoyed very instructive explanation of coach and his enthusiasm
Feb 19, 2025
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Jessika
My DWZ ist now 1284-1 and online rating between 1300-1400 depending on the time control and I want to understand chess more deeply, therefore I am in this ELO Accelerator Academy. Second reason I am here is, that I also bought Yevhenii's nice opening course and its really great to bring my games into the livesessions to understand the fine nuances that happens in the game with the help of direct explanations, when situations happens in my games so that I understand the opening much better.
What I like, that through group lessons, that I have the opportunity to learn also from other students and their games and Yevhenii manage it to explain it in a way, that even its not your game, which is analyzed, you understand really good the principles and how they actually works on the game so that you benefit also from the other games.
And for sure, when he analyze your game its also very worthy.
Also what I like is, that the livesessions are not only analysis of games. He brings topics to the livetrainings what I personally enjoy really much (for example endgame) or we play simul, where he also comment the moves that we made, why its good or not good, so you learn also through direct feedback and also its nice to play against such a strong chessplayer, so that you directly see, when your move is not working. This raise the quality of your chessplay really much and its also a lot of fun.
Also sometimes there is a long calculationworkshop, where you also improve your skills with really high quality puzzles, that are not that easy, but it helps to understand, for what you have to look for, when you calculate.
The community is still young and I am looking forward how the Academy will improve and grow over the time.
Feb 19, 2025
Kamil Machnik
I'm an adult improver who started playing chess in December 2021. I often struggle to find time for chess, I'm a dad of a 2 year old so my daily life is pure chaos 😆 I can usually manage 30mins - 1hour 3 or 4 times a week. This 30-day Training Plan is a simple training system which allows you to squeeze some quality knowledge in between daily tasks which helped me a lot. I would definitely recommend subscribing to a YouTube channel of the author as well for even more good, educational chess content. The best thing about this project was that you can work through it at your own pace. One more thing I would like to add is that there is a sense of community which provides a little bit of extra motivation to play a good game of chess and share it with fellow improvers who are on the same journey.
Feb 21, 2025
Patrick Schmidt
I am a playing chess for 1 year now and my rating is 800.
Before this course i struggled to find the right opening and have a solid setup, so i can especially timewise , focus fully on middlegame / endgame situations.
The opening mastery course gives me two really good openings , which are described in absolute detail against so much variations. You will absolutly love it.
The best part is how mich time the coach is taking to go through all the stuff and it does not stuff with opening. He will give you a clear idea what to do, what are the goals and strategies and EVEN included some more advice on how to avoid blunders, how to think correct to improve.
Its an absolute blast
Mar 13, 2025
JN
Jim Nichols
My name is Jim, and my rating on lichess is 1620. My struggle was blundering. The 30 day course helped me mostly in using the four active possibilities for moves, both for my own moves and for my opponent's moves.
Mar 19, 2025
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Alain Laverdant
I am 71 and I play chess since 15 years. I am a middle level player. Sometimes I win in a spectacular maner and most often I loose stupidly sometimes against beginers. The 30-day training plan has helped me for the middle game. Your lessons are very lively bur I have a problem with the net to charge the videos. I suppose the this is independant of the team.
Mar 23, 2025
CJ
Carlos Martins Jr
900 ELO
My chess rating is only around 900 right now. Within the first few days of working through the course, I'm able to beat stockfish on a higher level than before and Yevhenii's explanations and system have really changed the way I'm looking at chess.
Apr 13, 2025
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Jacopo
My name is Jacopo. Before taking this course, I had taken a break from chess for about a year. After getting married, having a baby, and juggling work responsibilities, I simply couldn’t find the time or motivation to play anymore. Before the break, I had reached a 1600 level and read some chess books but everything came to a stop, including online games.
The “30-day Training Plan” was exactly what I needed to get back into the right mindset. Day by day, it helped me reconnect with the fundamentals, provided clear guidance, and brought back the joy of training. I went from a puzzle rating of 2500 to nearly 2850 on chess.com, but more importantly, I completely changed my mental approach: I now ask myself the right questions, think in a more structured way, and play with greater awareness.
The best thing about the course is that now that I’ve finished it, I can start another one to learn two new openings, and in the meantime, repeat this one to keep building on the habit I’ve started. It’s truly been a turning point in my chess journey.
Apr 18, 2025
Albert Bressler
I am Albert Bressler. My current ICCF rating is 1842 (RD= 88)(I have played 45 games by correspondence). My current US Chess Federation OTB rating is 593 (I have only played 4 games in a Local tournament). Prior to the 10 Day Opening course my ICCF rating was 1732 (based on 26 games). I played the English Opening (Botvinnik variation as white and the Hippopotamus Defense as black. After I completed your course, my ICCF chess performance improved from 1732 to 1842. Not because of your openings so much (I now prefer your openings even though I won more frequently when playing the English - Botvinnick as white), but from the strategies and tactics that I learned from your course. As black I have won more frequently with your system than I did using the Hippopotamus system. I loved the course especially all of the strategies and tactics WITH EXPLANATIONS that Yevhenii constantly is teaching throughout the course. The additional instruction in principles, strategies, tactics and CALCULATION.
May 23, 2025
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Bharath
Hi! I recently started seeing you youtube videos and found out that you have a free 30 day course, and i immediately started using it. The last 30 days were amazing. I have applied your opening ideas too . yesterday was my first fide tournament and I think I'm officially a fide rated player now with 1450+ elo. Now I have hunger to learn more from you
May 26, 2025
MW
Matthew Wetherbee
Hello. My name is Matthew Wetherbee. I am rated 820 on 10 minute rapid games on chess.com. I am rated 981 on lichess.org 10 minute games.
I was probably slightly too green for a course this advanced, but it did help my ELO raise 100 on both those two sites.
Because of where I am at my biggest struggle seems to be the entire game. I feel as if I put in so much time and just can't seem to get better. So it was nice to make any progress at all.
Definitely feel as if I have solid openings now.
Best thing about 10 day Opening Mastery is that it over delivers. You got over much more than just openings, and there is far more than just 10 days worth of material to go over.
A great value for the price. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
May 28, 2025
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Emil Possmayer
I'm Emil and I've just finished the "Journey to Grandmaster" course. I started here at 705 Elo on chess.com and reached 771 today.
I've always tried to apply all the rules, recommendations and principles I've learned, which sometimes works better and sometimes worse. It's up to me to build on this with more and more exercises, puzzles and games!
My problem before the course was that I was always playing something without knowing why. Now I always try to do something meaningful that helps me progress and where I also know why I'm doing something.
The course has given me the understanding to see this better and to be able to plan more, now I still have to learn to apply and implement this regularly.
Taking part in this course was definitely the right decision!
May 29, 2025
S
Sendil
I'm a new amateur chess hobbyist would be in the ~1100 range. This course is an absolute hidden gem. It's hosted on a totally underrated channel, yet offers material that rivals — or even exceeds — courses worth several hundred dollars, all for free. The quality is consistently top-notch, with clear explanations and thoughtfully structured lessons.
What really sets it apart is the personal touch: the instructor shares insights from real-world experience, making the concepts both relatable and practical. Each topic is reinforced with carefully chosen practice puzzles or exercises, which help solidify understanding in a hands-on way.
Highly recommended for any beginner/ intermediate serious about mastering the game— you’re getting immense value without spending a dime.
Jun 10, 2025
JB
jah billy
I am 50 year old man new to chess. currently rated at 1107.
My struggle before taking this course was moving way too quickly, playing reaction chess, rather than allowing my self the time to see move options.
the 30-day Training Plan has helped me slow down so I can ask, what is my opponents plan with that move? it has also helped me prioritize move sequences, encouraging me to see out the most active move to make.
The best thing about the 30-day Training Plan was how it not only helped me reach my goal of greater than 1100 elo, it has helped me almost erase the word "blunder" from my vocabulary.
Jun 14, 2025
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Sam
Just finished the 30 days training plan and I am really happy with the results. I improved my rapid chess from 1057 to 1162 and my puzzle rating by from 1887 to 2087. The most insightfull advice I will remember is that you do not play chess alone and to always think about what your opponent is doing and plan to do.
Thank you Yevhenii !
Jun 15, 2025
DK
Darek Kuźma
The "10-day Opening Mastery" course has exceeded my expectations on many levels.
I have rediscovered chess only a few moths ago, when after many decades of not playing I had decided to sign up for chess.com.
Due to that my rating is at the moment very low- around 900.
After playing some games I have decided that I need some structured learning so I can improve fast. And I came across this course.
Firstly, it is done very professionally and covers much more materiał than I have anticipated.
Opening concepts are explained very clearly and very systematically.
I was and I am still overwhelmed with the plethora of different opening lines presented by Yevhenii.
Secondly, the structure of the course is very well thought through.
I loved the practical exercised, as well as the sample games.
And here comes a great bonus. During the games Yevhenii presented his thought process, and I have learned so, so much from that!
I would risk the statement that this might have been the most valuable part of the course.
Lastly, it is called "10-day” course. Certainly not for me. It took me more than a month to go over the material and I think this is just the beginning.
I need another few weeks to consolidate my knowledge, and remember the most important lines.
This is just the beginning of the journey!
But it is certainly fun, and I highly recommend that course.
Jul 10, 2025
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Manuel Perez
Hola mi nombre es Manuel Perez, estoy retomando el ajedrez y decidi comprar este curso y me parecio excelente, 100% recomendable, las ideas se exponen de manera muy clara, ademas en la pagina de youtube pueden ver bastantes videos; mi rating es 2173, pero recientemente jugue la veriante Colle Zukertor contra el bot Rey Enigma que se supone esta en 2500 (debe tener un rating menor) y pude obtener la victoria. :)
Jul 12, 2025
Quentin
I'm a casual player stuck at 1800 on chesscom, i'm a good fast player but i only win bad game. I'm shearching to improve the quality of my gameplay. This formation is free and good. He is not sending a miracle solution wining every time, but he make me more open mind. i think to upgrade the quality of a gameplay, it's perfect.
Aug 24, 2025
Marcel
My name is Marcel van Haren, and my chess rating is just above 2000. Before taking the 30-Day Training Plan, my biggest struggle was that I didn’t pay enough attention to my opponent’s moves and potential threats. I also didn’t analyze my own games thoroughly enough, which limited my improvement. This course has completely changed my chess habits. Now, every morning I start with 10 chess puzzles and one serious game, which I analyze first by myself and then with an engine. After that, I review the relevant opening variations. I’ve also shifted from playing many games to studying more deeply. First study, then digest — that’s been a key change for me. The best thing about the 30-Day Plan is how it helped me become more consistent and resilient. I’ve learned to: Play the opponent, not just the board Focus my play on the side of the board where I have the advantage Be more conscious in how I generate candidate moves Always ask myself what my opponent’s best response is — and sometimes just sit on my hands if I’m unsure The structure of the plan really helped me build discipline and clarity in my thinking. It’s a great resource for anyone serious about improving their chess through better habits and deeper understanding.
Aug 31, 2025
CR
Cathleen Rackley
My chess rating is 447 on Chess.com. I was below 300 and started using the opening for black that is taught in this course. I have improved to 447. I still have a long way to go but I have learned so much! I recommend this course!
Sep 16, 2025
JM
John Mason
My name is John. My rating is around 1300. My biggest problem was applying the thing that I already knew. The 1000 ELO Blueprint helped me apply Developing my pieces, controlling the center and looking at the checks captures and threats. The opening section is also perfect for average players who want enough information to win but not spend all their time on theory.
Sep 21, 2025
Job ter Haar
Out of the hundreds of chess videos on YouTube that I watched, Yevhenii's video's on the Colle/Zuckertort system inspired me to check out this opening. I had started playing chess again after many years of not playing, and after quickly rising to 1200 on chess.com I kind of hit a wall and started to feel the need for a coherent opening repertoire. Also, I noticed that I often struggled to find the right plan right after the opening phase. So, I subscribed to the course and started watching and learning. Not only did I learn the Colle/Zuckertort properly, which was my primary goal, but more importantly I started to understand the general opening principles on a much deeper level. I am already getting better at recognizing and finding active moves, and it happens much less often now that I don't know what to do after the opening phase. This makes playing chess much more enjoyable!
The best thing about the course: it is very coherent, which helps you to remember the many possibilities - much more effective than just memorizing lines!
Oct 11, 2025
Stefano
Lately (I am 38 yo) I have been resuming chess, which I was very active in during my youth. Over the board, inactive for years, my current FIDE standard Elo is 1841. As a result of this 30-day training, my Lichess Elo in rapid is 2158.35, which (according to chessgoals.com) translates to a FIDE standard Elo between 1800 to 1900 OTB, that is roughly the same of my "real" Elo. Therefore, this 30-day training has not been sufficient per se to let my Elo progress, but represents a solid basis upon which to start improving from now on (see next sections). In detail: on the 30th and last day of training, having played one 10+0 game on Lichess every day, my score was 18 wins, 10 losses, and 2 draws (14 as White, 16 as Black), against opponents rated on average 2079.13 Elo (which according to chessgoals.com roughly translates to standard OTB Elo between 1700 and 1800). Before taking the 30-day training, I had three main difficulties, i.e., (1) formulating middlegame plans (2) tactics (i.e., calculation and blundering) (3) basic endgames technique (e.g., must-know rook-and-pawn endgames, knight-and-bishop checkmate). The 30-day training helped me in: (1) addressing the first one rationally, explaining clearly how to transition from any opening to the middlegame and how to design and fine-tune middlegame (and to some extent even endgame) plans; (2) using the CCTA Method to increase awareness of tactical opportunities for both sides, helping in both calculation and blundering prevention. This is the reason why I evaluated it four stars. Incidentally, "why not five stars?": the 30-day training lacks a section devoted to basic endgame technique (e.g., must-know rook-and-pawn endgames, knight-and-bishop checkmate). Best thing being the first of the following reasons for recommending the 30-day training: (1) IM Yelisieiev's teaching style is captivating and clear; (2) contents are deep and rational; (3) It is completely free.
Oct 12, 2025
JM
John Mason
I really liked the opening for both white and black focused on my level. The live lesson also made it clear exactly what I need to focus on to improve
Oct 22, 2025
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andrew dunn
fantastic course. well explained and communicated ideas, by yevhenii , with wit and passion.
Oct 23, 2025
Jason Nickels
Hi I'm a beginner and struggled with a lot of openings, etc. I'm on chess.com as White-Rabbit25 you can see my ELO improved from 400 to 1067 in last 90 days because of this excellent course 😄
Oct 28, 2025
Matej Korelc
I’m a passionate chess enthusiast without an official rating, though I estimate I’m around 1500 Elo. Before taking the course, I often struggled to transition from the opening to a clear middle-game plan, even when I followed basic opening principles.
The 10-Day Opening Mastery course changed that for me. It provided a small, manageable set of clear and consistent ideas that I can reliably use in my games. I no longer feel lost after the opening—now I know what typical plans and structures to aim for.
The best part of the course, hands down, is the practical tasks on Lichess at the end of each day. They help you immediately test what you’ve learned, see how much you actually remember, and evaluate your positional understanding in real positions. It’s the perfect blend of theory and hands-on practice.
Nov 29, 2025
Stefano Giovannini
I am Stefano Giovannini, FIDE rating 1841 as of December 2025.
Before taking the course, my main problem was to find quality material on the 1...d6 "Universal Defense" (as defined by IM Yelisieiev) for Black.
"10-day Opening Mastery" helped me in building a quality repertoire for Black in the 1...d6 "Universal Defense", thus saving a lot of time and effort in preparing as Black. As for White, it also offered extensive preparation with relatively simple opening choices.
The best thing about "10-day Opening Mastery" is the quality material and optional PGN file it features with the in-depth study of the openings, especially (in my unqualified opinion) about the 1...d6 "Universal Defense", which can really revolutionise one's overall approach to chess, e.g., by encouraging study of "endgame" (broadly meant as any position without both queens) dynamics.
Dec 8, 2025
Ron Thomas
Excellent course! I had to go over parts of the course several times as I couldn't remember everything, but once it started to click, my ELO score started to rise.
Dec 27, 2025
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Keunen Leon
Hi, chess friends, I am Leon, I loved every minute of these amazing and realistic chess course.Moreover i always play d4 with white and d6 with black.My Elo in Belgium was Almost 1700 and at Lichess now about 1760.
Jan 3, 2026
Tomas Amborn
My name is Tomas, and I have a rating of 923 on Chess.com.
I used to struggle with the middlegame, so your videos have been very helpful. I have really integrated CCTO into my thinking.
The best thing for me has been learning the White opening and doing the Lichess training after every video.
I will definitely go through the course once again.
Jan 11, 2026
CR
Cathleen Rackley
I'm Cathleen Rackley. My rating has been as high as 597. I'm new to chess. The biggest struggle for me was a set opening that I could handle as a beginner as well as the middle game. IM Yevhenii has shown me what I need to look for during the game and the steps to think about before moving. The CCTA System has has really helped me improve. One of the best things is the community and posting a game for analysis from IM Yevhenii. I would definitely recommend this course and others he has!
Jan 24, 2026
CR
Cathleen Rackley
Cathleen Rackley. I bought all of IM Yevhenii's programs. Highly recommend!
Jan 24, 2026
GL
Gabriele Di Lazzaro
Hi Yevhenii, thank you for organising your magnificent “10 day Opening Mastery”. Now I'm halfway through the course and every now and then I stop to see your instructive videos also in Italian that I find on YouTube. It's a real pleasure to listen to all your moves as you comment on your voice. It is essential to understand the reasoning that a player should do in the game. Don't listen to those who tell you that you talk too much! Keep it up, I'm very happy to hear how you reason in the game. For example: I remembered that against the Stonewall you had said that you had to attack on the woman's side. Yesterday I did it in the game against a 1761 Fide and I won in 30 moves! I would like you to comment on the game if I can put it in pgn format where you can see it. I joined the Fide list in 1994 with 2155 Elo. Now I'm down but vooglo, I have to go back to at least 2000. You are strong Yevhenii and thanks again for your course!
Gabriele Di Lazzaro
Jan 25, 2026
Michael Abspoel
My name is Michael Abspoel I am a Dutch 1903 Fide rated player. I have had a lot of chess coaches, read a lot of books, followed many courses (Chessable), and have seen a lot of youtube video's. But Yevhenii totally changed my way of looking at chess. He is capable of explaining chess to players of all level. Which is unique. My problem was always a practical way of thinking, that I could easily and quickly apply in every situation behind the board. Knowing what exactly I should do under any circumstances. His "30-day Training plan" is fantastic. It helped me step by step to understand better and improve all my chess skills. Even after 60 years. The good thing is that he can explain every detail in chess in 'simple' words. And keeps repeating the same principles time and again. That system worked very well for me. Thank you so much Yevhenii for all your work and effort. Your passion for chess and your ambition to make us better chess players, is very inspiring! You convinced me completely as a coach and thats why I now confidently will purchase your "Ten day opening mastery course ". Good luck on your journey to become a Grandmaster! As a coach I think, you already are. Michael Abspoel
Feb 3, 2026
DG
Di Lazzaro Gabriele
I'm Gabriele Di Lazzaro and my Elo is 1801.
My struggle was find a good opening against e4.
10-day Opening Mastery gave me e4, d6 !!
For me the best thing is Jevhenii's explanations. Too bad they're not in italian, bat I've seen many videos in italian on You Tube.
Feb 8, 2026
DB
Dan Black
Coming back to playing chess after 50 years after discovering Chess.com. I have been playing bots successfully into 800 rating. The course has been great helping me to look for active or “best” moves rather than what “looks” good. My challenge is to take time to evaluate my opponents reason for the move as I have the tendency to focus on my ideas and then “blunder”. Along with this course I played bots on Chess.com and use the analysis to what my errors where.
Feb 15, 2026
AD
Andrew Daroux
Hi Yevhenii, I think your tutorial videos are very good and helpful. That being said after noticing an improvement in my ELO from 400 to 500 it has now gone back to the lower number. In game situations I have found it hard to consistently put into practice your plan and strategies, and instead continue to end up making silly mistakes and making moves reacting to the opponents aggressive moves rather than having a plan and sticking to it, I probably need to go back and watch some of your tutorial videos again on reflection, which I attend to do. I am definitely happy with the course, and I feel it is more about me investing more time studying the course content and less time playing games without studying beforehand and losing game after game. I must admit when I was more committed to the course I went on an 11 game winning streak, so this really backs up what I’ve said
Feb 18, 2026
Brownerd
Yevhenii,
I just watched all your videos on Youtube and just won my first match against a much stronger opponent due to your teachings! My opponent (~1900) just resigned to me (~900) in the endgame. He busted my attempt to use your Colle-Z opening at the start of the match. But your advice to ALWAYS make the most active move carried me to a hard fought win. I have not purchased a course yet, but I will now that I know that your teachings totally work! Thanks for sharing your wisdom. You are an amazing chess player and teacher!!! Much respect!
Feb 26, 2026
C
ChuckP
I'm a 71 yr old retired ER Physician, and had not played chess since high school. I never had any foundation or intelligent strategy...until I started watching Yevhenii's YouTube videos. I then decided to sign up for his 1000 ELO Blueprint, and then the 1000==>1500 ELO Blueprint which I just finished.
With the live coaching, I have begun to prevent my blunders, and follow his many incredible guidelines, like "fight for the center," "One piece--one move," "Move forward adding threats," etc.
My confidence and enjoyment has been steadily building, having started in the low 700's ELO to where I am now.
The things that have helped me the most are the progressive lessons, then playing the game from the lesson, the live coaching, and doing the lichess puzzles. It helped me a lot when I turned off the puzzle rating, and just worked on the best solution.
These courses are for anyone looking for a reliable system, strategy, and building confidence.
Anyone considering taking any of Yevhenii's courses, I wholeheartedly endorse his teaching methods. His manner is always friendly, organized, and well structured. He is someone who becomes like your friend who really cares that you improve and enjoy playing Chess. His free YouTube videos are very useful, but lack the comprehensive & progressive presentation of the courses.
I would give 10 stars if there were that many to give!
Mar 4, 2026
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Jack
the course helped me to prioritize the attack order and add in the concepts of bringing another piece to the attack, exchange versus capture and attacking with a lower value piece
Apr 2, 2026
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Tomas
My name is Tomas 78 years old living in Sweden
My rating was around 1000 (chess.com) when I started the Calculation course and now it is 1116. (ready with intermediate part)
One of my main struggles was and stil is time but this routine CCTA that YY is trying to brainwash :-) us with really helps.
So the best thing with the course is that insistence of CCTA but also that it is new pussels even for YY in the films which gives the lessons reality and genuineness.
Apr 3, 2026
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Tony Sims
Completed lesson 16 and so far I was able to solve all puzzles except two. For those two I was not following the steps of the process properly after the first move. So the course has helped me identify that deficiency in my thinking process.
Apr 4, 2026
JA
John Ammann
I am currently rated at 1350 on Lichess/ I have struggled at the higher rated puzzles in the 1600-1700 range. Some days I do well, other days I am terrible and lose 100 points. I know there are no hard and fast rules to solving puzzles. So I thought I would try this course to see if I could pick up a pointer or two. I played a game where I had a clear advantage but just couldn't close it out, because I missed a move to end the game.
Apr 4, 2026
JM
John Mason
I've gone from a puzzle rating of 1640 to 1761 in the first week. I used to jump at the first thing I thought looked good. The Calculation course is really helping me be more disciplined and go through all the steps.
Apr 5, 2026
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Robert Lapple
The "Beginner Level of the Calculation Course" consists of a good set of puzzles and good explainations by Yevhenii Yelisieiev but I was already pretty good at puzzles. After completing all these puzzles I've played a number of games but lost them all. It seems the openings are killing me....I loose a lot of time here & I never seem to get to to use CCT on offense because I'm usually having to be in a defensive mode by being the one in check! Therefore, so far, this "Beginner Level Calculation Course" wasn't much help to me at all. Maybe the 1000 ELO course would have been more approprite for me but I try the "intermediate level" training & see if it will help me more.
Apr 5, 2026
Lee
My name is Lee, my chess rating on chess.com is 1753 Rapid and 1520 Daily. On Lichess.org my Rapid rating is 1842. I only play Rapid and Daily.
My struggle before taking this course was moving too quickly without thinking or knowing how to think in specific situations. Building a plan once you get out of the opening requires deep positional understanding of chess along with understanding the endgame to tie up the win. However, with this course, it has made it easier to assess the situation and reduce mistakes. Once out of the opening, it really helps to slow down and use this methodology: 1. Assess the situation/material, 2.Checks, captures, threats and active moves for you and your opponent and finally ask the question "What does your opponent want?". It's been great learning about this approach using CCTA. Very helpful and something I wish I knew about when I first started out playing chess. Thank you.
Apr 5, 2026
Job ter Haar
Job ter Haar here! I am a senior chess enthousiast, used to be an OK youth club player but stopped entirely at 16. Recently took up chess again. I did the 'Opening Mastery' course which helped me a lot! I enjoy puzzles as well. My puzzle rating is 2100 on chess.com which is OK but I struggle to solve similar 'puzzles' in my real games. This calculation course is helping me to systematize my calculation. I have become more careful and check more variations before I make the first move. And it is fun, even slightly addictive - I did the intermediate level in a few days!
Apr 7, 2026
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Paul
I've just completed the first (beginner) level of the Calculation Course. I've found it quite insightful and I'm starting to apply the CCTA system to every move in my games. If I can slow myself down and apply the system to every move it should improve my win rate dramatically.
Apr 7, 2026
Ademar Barnabe
Hi there I am Ademar from Brazil and my rating is around 1.370 points but i watched all the lessons tailored for begiiners because I need to understand the system very well > I do a lot of blunders in my games because I need to incorportate deeply and automatically the way of thinking that our master Yevenii is trying to share with us. It is a great course. The best of the cours eof course is this way of thinking !!
Apr 8, 2026
Gordon Watters
I have just completed Level 15 which was problems up to 2100. This is my first progress review of the course. I began the course at Level 1 even though it started below a 1000. I am currently rated 1479 Chess.com Rapid and around 2000 for puzzles.
I am glad I started from the beginning and followed the structured approach to solving the puzzles/positions as I have become more confident with the approach to assist me with the more advanced levels. Yevhenii has put together a great course and it is great to watch him attempt to solve the puzzles immediately after I have attempted the puzzle.
This format promotes active learning.
All that said the next levels are going to be a huge challenge.
Apr 8, 2026
Albert Bressler
My name is Al Bressler. My tournament chess rating is a miserable 536 but my online rating is much higher. I won’t get an update until after the next tournament (that is the one that I want to improve). I have NOT been able to play in tournaments at the same level that I play online. In tournaments, I seem to forget most of what I learned after the opening. This calculation course is drilling me, so that I always use its calculation techniques whenever I make a move (most of the time). Best thing is counting the number of attackers and defenders before capturing.
Apr 9, 2026
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Michael Hanson
Very good description & implementation of a process for such calculation; clear; makes sense; going through Yevhenii's thought process for all those puzzles was extremely helpful; he delivered exactly what he promised. A key takeaway is to see how a strong international master deals with situations where it is not possible to fully calculate everything. Very instructive. Kudos to Yevhenii for also being upfront with some of his mistakes & blind spots! Yes, he has a couple that he didn't cover up. He also demonstrated the ability to visualize kings & multiple pawns moving in an endgame (12, 14+ moves). Well beyond my visualization skill.
Apr 9, 2026
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Alexander Ellis
Hi my rating was around 640 when I started the course about 2 weeks ago. It increased to 724 but dropped back cause I lost two games today.
I think my biggest problem wasis lack of attention/focus
The course has helped me to slow down and look for more options.
The course is incremental slowly increasing in difficulty
Apr 12, 2026
Ademar Barnabe
I was around 1350 in chessa.com when I started the course and now I am in the 1400 level .I am playing with very tough opponents now and I lack some confidence that i hope to gain with the continuation of this couse and right after i finish I will apply for the 30 days to improve my chess.
Apr 14, 2026
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Ian Faithfull
Hi, my name is Ian Faithfull and my chess.com rating when I started the Calculation Course was 1168. My current rating (after 4 games) is 1192.
My ongoing struggle with chess is trying to maintain a constant focus over the board. I attempt to achieve this by applying a series of steps (questions) on each and every move, without letting the emotionality of the game detract from these steps. Consequently, as a result of this struggle, my games often show a series of good moves peppered with some sub-par ones.
I'm not sure yet, whether or not the course has been helpful for me, as I've only played 4 games since I started the course. I believe it has though, especially as the constant repetition of 'checks, captures, threats, piece activity [+ unprotected/underprotected pieces]' is becoming more habitual.
The best thing about the course is Yevhenii's ongoing narrative as he goes through each of the positions. Knowing what he is thinking as he solves each position is extremely helpful.
Apr 15, 2026
Chris Lanning
Chris L. Currently rated 1621 USCF. I decided to get this course because I was often making calculation errors OTB and was losing or drawing in what should have been winning positions. The approach used in the course is logical and works well in most situations. Personally I find that I was not paying enough attention to the threats/ plans of my opponent. Going through the calculations in a structured manner is helpful.
Apr 15, 2026
Yitzhak zaken
Hi .my name it itsik and I am 50 years old. I started to learn chess 5 years ago. My rating is 1375. I am in a journey to 1500...
My Golas for the course:
Enjoy the process.
learning Philidor defence - moves, strategy, tactics.
reduce blunders.
improving my time management (if I will have more knowledge it will save time in the opening stage).
finding tricky lines.
I just started and I already see it is exactly what I need.
The best think is that it is easy to learn, solid opening, clear plan, and a very good videos.
Apr 16, 2026
Tomas Amborn
My name is Tomas Amborn.
My chess rating on Chess.com is 1130 today. I had been struggling just under 1000 for a long time.
The best thing about the calculation course is the routine to always look for the opponent's aim in their last move and then consistently use CCTO.
I feel more confident and secure when I play.
Apr 21, 2026
Michael Barry
I appreciated the way you articulated the process throughout the video program, and I especially enjoyed the mistakes you made. It let me know that perfection is not the goal, but focusing on the thinking process is! My biggest takeaway is don't let the occasional blunder stop me from continuing to learn and improve. Thank you!!
Apr 21, 2026
Hans van Bremen
I'm Hans van Bremen, a dutch chess player with a rating of +/- 1800. I struggled a lot with making a (good) plan for the rest of the game. The training helps me a lot, the last three wins are against players with rating of 1849, 1915 and 1834. That was the thing I missed in my games and I look a lot better to the possibilities in a variant.
Apr 24, 2026
Ademar Barnabe
Hi there my name is Ademar and i was around 1320 before the course of calculation and after almost 1 month i am near 1400 . I know that I still make some blunders but with the mindset i am trying to have after this course i will decrease them and be able to go a little furrther.
Apr 26, 2026
AB
Albert Bressler
Albert Bressler - my chess rating in Tournaments is unchanged (I have to wait until the next tournament to see my progress)
I consistently made huge capture blunders in tournaments or took too much time which resulted in losses
I can complete full games in Rapid (15 minutes) and win most of the games
The drills that force you to use the check-capture-threat-active method AND the simple counting of atackers vs defenders method for evaluating your opponent’s and your own moves
Apr 26, 2026
Gordon Watters
Gordon is my name I play as iamspoona on Chess.com over the last 30 days my 30 minute rapid rating has gone from 1476 to 1496 (my lifetime high)
My puzzle rating has gone from 2017 to 2147 (my lifetime high).
Before the course I struggled with not finding my most forcing move and then very often not finding / considering all of my opponents responses.
The courses exercises has improved this through the repetition and the excellent guidance by Yevhenii.
The best thing about the course was the format. Get a puzzle, do my best to solve it then watch Yevhenii work through it using the same process he recommended to us.
Great course well worth the money if you put the effort in.
Take Care Be Well
Gordon
Australia
Apr 29, 2026
Chris Lanning
I’m Chris- my rating declined from 1723 to 1621, but that had nothing to do with the course (I had lost a number of games to lower rated players prior to starting it). In fact I realized that I was losing games that I should have won or drawn because I was not paying enough attention to my opponent’s possible moves (in several cases I hung checkmates that I could have prevented). I need to “unlearn” some bad habits I developed from playing too much blitz chess and use a more systematic approach to my calculations. This course is useful in helping me analyze positions in a more systematic and logical manner. Also, I have come to realize that my play has been too much influenced by my opponent’s rating: the pieces can’t do anything in Magnus’ hands that they can’t also do in mine. Conversely, I need to remember that a lower rated player may still be able to find the best continuation and punish me if I make a speculative move. On the whole I would say this is a useful course to help make my calculations more accurate and consistent.
Apr 29, 2026
Ian Faithfull
Hi, my name is Ian Faithfull. I am 68 years old and have been playing chess since I was 7.
My Chess.com rating at the start of the Calculation Course was 1144. After completing the 15 required rapid games, it increased by 107 points to 1251.
My over-the-board (OTB) Australian Chess Federation rating was 1397 when I began the course, although it is currently marked as “unreliable” due to the limited number of recent games I’ve played.
My biggest struggle, especially in OTB games, is maintaining a consistent emotional state. At various points during a game, my focus, concentration, and will to win often waver.
The Calculation Course has helped by introducing a more systematic approach to thinking, i.e. checks, captures, threats, and piece activity. Listening to Yevhenii repeatedly explain his thought process while solving puzzles has started to shape how I approach each move, encouraging me to treat positions more like structured problems to solve.
I am trying to use this type of approach in all my games. My best result during the 30-day Calculation Course was a 75 minute / 10 second increment OTB chess against a 1850 rated player that resulted in a draw.
Due to time constraints, I found completing the course within 30 days, in order to qualify for the money-back guarantee, quite difficult. However, I managed to do it. I believe this incentive is an effective way to encourage full engagement with the course material, something that others in the community have also indicated.
By far, the most valuable aspect of the course is the “chess thinking” narrative that Yevhenii provides throughout. This same approach is evident across all of his videos.
I believe the Calculation Course is ideal for lower- to mid-rated players looking to improve their calculation skills, which should, in turn, lead to rating improvement.
Thank you, Yevhenii!
Apr 30, 2026
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Tomas Amborn
I am a 78-year-old retiree living in Sweden. My chess rating on Chess.com has steadily increased during the course and is now over 1100. The Calculating Course has mainly helped me maintain a consistent routine when I solve puzzles, which are taught very effectively in the course. This also applies, of course, to games both online and in real life. I highly recommend the Calculating Course — it’s very useful to be able to repeat the harder puzzle-levels.
Apr 30, 2026
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Antoine Goujon
A wonderful course !
You explantions ar so cear and you give more than a calculation course.
You tacckle alos endgames.
Your advices are very practical and we can follow them live ! That te best. It's great the real thinking process and how somme time you miss. Very usefuel course and very pratical. I am very happy of have done it ! It remais the lasr lesson !
May 1, 2026
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Antoine Goujon
The last part of the course is still great but ver y hard !!!
Nevertheless, it reamisn completly accessible to a 1700 elo player.
Great course my dear, I 'll advise your work to my friends.
May 1, 2026
G
Gauachoo
FYI, the JG 'Calculation Course" is essentially a series of puzzles that gradually increase in difficulty. A solution for each puzzle is provided by Yevhenii Oleksandrovych Yelisieiev using the CCTO Methodology.
I took the course hoping to get to at least 1,ooo ELO in my rapid online games. However, although my current puzzle rating is 1219, I haven’t seen a significant improvement in my ELO scores in rapid online games.
I do feel that I’m playing a bit more consistently and making fewer blunders. This might explain why, since mid-April, my ELO score has fluctuated between 450 and 475 after playing 40 games. Before I took the 30-day challenge, my ELO score was all over the place, ranging from 100 to 500.
Yevhenii Oleksandrovych Yelisieiev was empathetic and supportive.
May 3, 2026
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Felix Oorthuis
I’ve finished The Opening Mastery Course and I can only say it’s well worth it.
I’m currently 67 and have just retired. I played chess from the age of 15 to 20, and I haven’t played since. That’s a break of almost 50 years. Last October I joined a club and they immediately asked me if I’d be interested in playing for their team in official competitions. In this case, the Catalan League. Of course, over all these years my standard had dropped considerably and my knowledge of openings was minimal. By that time, I was already following Yevhenii’s opening videos on YouTube, and they gave me a lot of confidence because he doesn’t just teach simple tricks but aims to teach an understanding of the opening, and he also gives ideas on how to transition from the opening to the middlegame with a plan. That’s why I signed up for the Opening Mastery course. I’ve finished it and now I feel much more secure and confident. Obviously, you can’t complete the course in 10 days; you need quite a bit more time. But it’s well worth it. I’ve been able to put it to the test in real games with good results. It’s a very well-structured course and covers almost every possible variation. It’s absolutely comprehensive. You’ll love it!
May 4, 2026
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Steven Michael Mondschein
I am Steve M., and 67 y.o. I had been a reasonable player up to age 14. But then sports became my passion and provided college scholarships. So, it was over 50 years ago that I have not played almost any chess. I am a retired physician now. Yevhenii is a brilliant teacher. He is very energetic and encouraging, He explains the reasons for the moves. When I was young, one had to study from books. One variation after another without understanding the whys behind it. Chess became a stressor. It was no longer fun. If I could survive the opening, then there was the fun and the beauty of chess. Yevhenii begins with a simple repeatable opening. Other levels will dig deeper. But, I have totally enjoyed this course. I look forward to it and play the videos several times. I really appreciate that the videos are short, and there is no struggle to absorb the material. Playing on a screen is light years away when we had to set up a board and follow cryptic suggestions. If you are as I am an older person who once enjoyed chess at a younger age, I cannot recommend Yevheii's course more highly. He is a chess coaching genius!
May 6, 2026
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Robert Renk
Robert Renk my USCF is about 2023 and my FIDE rating is 2054.
My main chess problem is not see my opponents best possible moves.
I’m much calmer in my calculations because of this course. My thinking is structured better and my mind isn’t hopping around the board jumping from one idea to the next and back to the start.
The structured thinking is by far the best part of this course so far! Only worked on levels 13-16 so far. Purchased this course late last night and don’t with to go too fast though everything.
Again, so far the course is just what I need for my calculation problem.
Thank you.
May 7, 2026
Rex
HI, this is Rex and my current rating is around 1200 on chess.com, I've try a lot of study before taking this course such as end game study or middle game plan, some of those are paid content, I've learnt a lot but its hard to put it in my game since I can't find a consistent opening plan, so I must say this course is like the blue print for me, and I already can feel it after put more study, and I am able to reach my goal, which is become a 2000 rating on chess.com. The content of this course is pure gold and totally worth it, highly recommended if you have a chess goal to achieve but feel kinda lost. I'm totally feel grateful and happy for the content like this.
Feb 26, 2024
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Tony Sims
The best thing about this course is that it presents a comprehensive and flexible opening repertoire for white and black that will reduce the amount of study time for openings by focusing on principles and ideas instead of memorization of specific lines. I am very satisfied with the course and look forward to further study in order to master these ideas. I have not played chess since 2002 but I am now interested in playing again. My struggle in the past was mostly due to trying to memorize good responses to all of the possible openings. The course has helped me by simplifying my opening preparation by just focusing on just a handful of openings with similar set-ups. Yevhenii provides valuable instruction with practical tips for improving your chess.
Feb 15, 2024
CG
Christopher Gauch
My name is Chris, I started the "Journey to Grandmaster" 30 day training plan a little over a month ago. When I started I had been suck at a plateau bouncing between 1000-1050 elo & ~1500 in puzzles on chess.com for a few months.
I started this course at 1054 and upon completion of the course I am now at 1190 elo. (+136 elo in ~30 days)
I also saw a drastic increase in my ability to complete chess puzzles going from ~1500 to 2296.
This 30 day course has a lot of great material that really makes you reassess your chess and see the board differently. I saw the most benefit from the lessons on calculation, playing proper defense, and board vision. Implementing the teachings in these lessons stopped me from hanging pieces and allowed me to notice more tactics during games.
I would advise anyone who is looking to genuinely improve at chess to give this course a shot and to trust the process; do the puzzles, watch the lessons, play the game and try to implement the lesson, and analyze the game after.
Jan 3, 2025
Hasan T. Warren
Hello my name is Hasan Warren, I completed the 30-day training program. My ELO increased by 200 over the past month. When I started the program my ELO was around 550. Now my ELO is currently at 766. I learned how to play chess at 11 years old and was only taught the basics. I was able to reach an ELO of 785 on my own before plummeting to 550. This 30-day course was very beneficial to me because I never learned any of these concepts covered by the course when I was taught how to play chess. I noticed a significant difference in how I plan strategies, calculate, attack and defend. Thank you IM Yevhenii Yelisieiev.
Dec 26, 2024
Diego H. Moritz
I'm Diego Moritz from Brazil, FIDE 1904 standard, and my struggle before taking the course was not having a clear and organized way to think everything that really matters during a chess game. The 30-day Training Plan helped me to have a mind map, a well structure thinking process that really makes my life much easier from now on whenever it comes to look at a chess position and understand right at the spot how to procced and what should be done. The best thing about the course is the way it's structured, offering us the chance to be active in the full process, as well as the straigthforward approach that IM Y. Y. has to conduct the lectures and his special skills on recognizing and teaching what really makes the difference for whoever wants to reach the next level. I can barely define the happiness of this moment in time. I'll now manage to acquire the 10-day-oppening course as well as binge-watch all his youtube videos. Thank you a lot dear master, thank you!
Dec 16, 2024
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Asaf
Hi, I’m a physicist by profession and a lifelong chess enthusiast. My current rating is around 1600 on Lichess.
Before taking this course, my biggest challenge was opening preparation. I’ve always preferred making my games tactical and creative rather than memorizing long theoretical lines, but that often left me unsure how to reach good positions without falling behind early on.
The 10-Day Opening Mastery course helped me tremendously by providing a clear, practical repertoire built on understanding rather than memorization. IM Yevhenii Yelisieiev explains each position in a calm, structured way, making it easy to grasp the key ideas and typical plans.
The best thing about the course is Yevhenii’s teaching style: approachable, insightful, and focused on helping you truly understand chess. It’s clear he put a lot of thought and effort into crafting the material.
Overall, the course gave me confidence to enter the opening without fear of being out-prepared, and it made studying chess genuinely enjoyable again. Highly recommended!
Oct 4, 2025
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Gabriel
Im Gabriel, young chess player who took this course a year ago, my struggle was general, no real strentgh stuggling at about 1400 rapid on chesscom, the course helped me learn and understand profound chess, the best part is that you can see results months after, you skyrocket
Nov 26, 2025
Ron Thomas
Excellent course, it must have been arduous work and dedication to develop this and I'm very appreciative. I am retired from both the military and Federal Service, my career in the military was cryptologist (code breaker and analyst) and a Certified Criminal Analyst in Federal Service. Ive always loved chess, but never new openings or tactics, I just played against the person in front of me :-). I finished the ELO 1000 Course in one day (maybe to fast) and started playing, the players don't always do some of the steps provided in the course, but it gave me a great foundation and I plan on taking the Openings course and expand my journey. Thank you Yevhenii for all the work in putting this together and you can be assured that we will meet in the future sitting across from each other over a chess board :-) Don't give us all your secrets, you will need them.
Nov 28, 2025
Paul Rice
Hello! My name is Paul, and I last played chess about fifty years ago. Since then, I've only played around 50 online games on Lichess, where my rating hovers around 1200. I could remember how to move the pieces, but that was about it. I had no real understanding of openings, middle games, or end games. My strategy was simply to look ahead enough to avoid making obvious mistakes. However, the 30-day opening course has set me on a path to address these gaps, and I've noticed significant improvements in my chess skills. The course material is well-structured, progressive, and detailed, reinforcing and building on previous lessons, all at my own pace. The highlight for me has been discovering Lichess and chess puzzles, which have allowed me to see my chess skills gradually improve. I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to enhance their chess game. It truly is a fantastic resource that must have required an immense amount of effort to create.
Nov 19, 2025
Jason Nickels
I'm Jase a 56 year old chess beginner.
I really clicked with the training design.
I'd struggled previously failing to Memorise a multitude of openings
This approach worked.
I moved from 400 to 1200 ELO.
More importantly I've learnt solid principles and enjoyed my games even when losing as thats learning too.
I'd give this a full 10 out of 10
Nov 13, 2025
Amelito Calimlim
I am so glad that I took this course. Prior to taking this course, I felt something was missing in my chess game.
I started playing over the board competitively this past June. I had won a couple of local quad tournaments. After the provisional rating period, my rating was 938. Then in games that followed, I started committing blunders in rated competitions and consequently my rating dropped to 775. My mindset was such that after the opening is completed, I felt lost as to what to do in the middlegame. Taking this course has increased my confidence and knowledge on how to handle the middle and end game. One of the many things I learned is the CCTA( Checks, Captures, Threats, Active moves) principle. I know that this principle will serve me well in my chess future. I am very excited to implement everything that I have learned. Also, I feel I am using my time wisely now and therefore not have the time pressure towards the end of the games. I felt this difference in the last games I played online, even before I finished the course.
Three days ago, I participated in a Simultaneous exhibition or Simul with 17 others to play against a chess master. During that game, I felt confident in my moves. Usually, the master would spend less than 1 minute at each board to make his next move. But at one time, it took him more that 2 minutes to make his next move against me. At that moment (which was captured on video), I felt that my 1000 ELO Complete Blueprint education was starting to pay off already. I was 1 of 4 players who lasted the longest, even though at the end, all of us lost to the master. Had I not started taking this course, I would not have had the courage to participate.
I believe this is just the beginning of the benefits of taking this course for me. This course gives me a strong foundation to play much better and consistently increase my rating. I am confidently looking forward to competing in 2 or 3 day competitions here in the NY/NJ area. I wouldn't be surprised if my rating jumps to over 1000 ELO in the next competition or two.
I enjoyed and learned so much from this course that I highly recommend it.
Nov 7, 2025
James McAteer
Hello,
I am a 65 y/o beginner of chess, been playing just over 1 year. My rating is 544 on Chess dot com. My biggest struggle was when playing black, my first few opening moves seemed ok but I lost the plot in the middle game hence losing the game. I saw the Philidor opening on Youtube for the 1st time i played by IM Yevhenii Yelisieiev, it was just what I was looking for. After watching his games where he is taking you through every move I needed to learn more. Playing the Philidor made me slow down as I knew my opening was going to lead me to a better middle game. Watching the training videos in the "1000 ELO Complete Blueprint" course helped me learn about my opponents moves something that I had never done previous to this training course ..
Oct 30, 2025
Rob Chatburn
I am a 70 year old retired professor. I have played chess informally all my life, struggling with textbooks and even had some of the first chess computers. I never had a mentor and never got interested enough to study hard. And I found playing chess perhaps more stressful than enjoyable. Since then I have discovered your training on YouTube and now the 10 day opening course. It was exactly what I was looking for and is very well designed as a learning platform. Also very well designed course. I am enjoying it and seeing results in my informal play.
Furthermore, I have finally developed a unique philosophy about playing chess:
I don't play to win, I play to find the most beautiful move (similar to mathematics or computer programming) - for me or my opponent.
There are many benefits but mostly no emotional rollercoaster (it does not matter much who wins apart from being a learning metric), just pure zen chess
Sep 26, 2025
BF
Brian Fairman
My rating is now 1616. It was around 1300 when I started the course. I believe that this course helped me refocus and was instrumental in getting me were I am now. I had stopped playing for about 35 years and this course not only taught me a lot but it forced me to train regularly. Very important as it has helped me develop a focused, directed and consistent training program. Thank you very much and as a consequence, I'm considering taking your 10 day opening course.
Sep 23, 2025
MH
Morten Bahrami Haugshøj
I can highly recommend this opening course! I started playing 9 months ago and bought this course only 4 1/2 months ago, when my Elo rating was around 850. Today - 4 1/2 months later my Elo is almost 1300! It's incredible! :) And most of this progress is due to this opening course! No Doubt! I love how lines are explained so you get the ideas behind. Very helpful! And the best part is that I don't even have to play the specifik lines in the videos, but you get the general ideas and that will for sure ''improve your chess'' :) High recommendations from here!
Sep 9, 2025
Benjamin
Not sure how typical I am, but I'm 45 years old now and I struggled for years to get back into chess, although I really liked it when I was (a lot) younger. Chess is complex and it's really hard to make progress, when you are not great in memorizing things and so I failed year after year and lost motivation. This opening course (which I bought after Yevheniis free 30-day-course on youtube) was finally the turning point in 2025. From the 30-day-course I already knew how Yevhenii structures his lessons, so I was quite sure the new course would also fit my way of thinking. The big promise (and hope): to not have to memorize endless lines of moves.
To be honest: of course it helps a lot if you are good in memorizing main and side lines. In the beginning I was so overwhelmed, that I couldn't handle all the input and my rating dropped drastically, because I got confused during my games, when I tried the new ideas. BUT there are reocurring principles throughout the course, which are pointed out every time, that I could focus on and which made life a lot easier. And of course you have time to learn at your own pace and adapted to your life situation (in the end it took me ~ 7 months). When I started focusing on the essential ideas and moves my rating went up from 1000 to now 1250 on Lichess. And the good thing: the more I played those openings and the more I trusted the ideas, the less I paniced, even when I made mistakes). Although I do not have all the lines in mind, I can play solid openings and then focus and analyze special situations when they happen. Normally I find solutions in one the videos or the pgn file (or you can just ask in the forum, if you miss something).
Important to mention: You do not only learn an opening repertoire, you also get a plan how to proceed after the opening (something I often struggle with). AND the whole course is growing, in reaction to user feedback. I finished all the main videos, but there are tons of bonus videos, new practical puzzle tasks after each "day" to internalize the learnings (I will use them as reminders in the future), there was a live Q&A (which was recorded for those who couldn't participate) that motivated me a lot and just a few weeks ago we got a new quickstart path for under 1000 and 1000-1500, where the most important knowledge is compressed into ~ 1 hour, especially for those ratings. I rewatch those videos from time to time, just to keep the main ideas in mind. And I'm sure, there still more to come :-)
All in all: I can absolutely recommend the 10-day Opening Mastery :-)
Jan 5, 2026
C
ChuckP
I cannot say enough good things about how useful this 1000 Blueprint course has been. It cements the nearly foolproof opening for black and white with reinforcing practice sessions. I am so much more confident. Now just have to work on my end game which takes time & experience. I no longer worry about my rating or running out of time because I am building a reliable foundation. I can only say that anyone under 1000 rating will be amazed at how this helps.
Jan 27, 2026
A
Antonio
When I started this 30 day journey my current rating was 1410. As rating fluctuates and given the types of opponents I was losing against, my honest feeling is my real rating was closer to 1350-1400.
After the course, my current rating is 1514 with my highest ever peak now being 1543. During this time I've had winning positions vs 1600-1700 level opponents. I feel like the past days I've been on a downswing but now certainly feel closer to 1600 than to 1350.
I found that most of the value came from spending time calculating - as Yevhenii says it doesn't matter if you find the right move. The videos brought value as well (in particular the bonus analysis of my game). Despite the fact that there was some repetition in the videos (e.g. 1000 times "you never play alone") maybe this brainwashing did help and it's impossible not to remember things you've heard repetitively for 30 days straight. :D
Yevhenii's philosophy of never moving backward, finding the most active move, 1 piece 1 move and using the initiative worked wonders in instilling the importance of time in chess which leads to more dynamic games.
Definitely a good investment of time!
Dec 23, 2024
MW
Matthew Wetherbee
My name is Matthew Wetherbee. I play on both lichess.org and chess.com as leafofrage. I am rated 688 on chess.com and 907 on lichess.org.
I would say my biggest struggle before the course was bishop blindness. I still seem to have it a bit but am better at noticing threats before making a move than I was prior.
The 30 day course seemed to help me connect my pieces better and give me better attacking ideas. Also developed good habits. I didn't do as many puzzles or analyze my games as often prior to the course.
I think the really solid, simple openings that help you get the pieces developed and are adaptable for multiple different opponent openings are super great.
Jan 23, 2025
CS
Chris Smith
My name is Chris, I am 64 years old and started getting more serious about chess around 6 months ago. I got my rating up to 430, and it fell to 280. I had no idea why. I was hoping that this free (!) course might help.
And it does! I am currently at 380 and working my way back up. If I simply slow down and do what this course teaches, I do well. If I simply blast through the game, I lose. I need a STFD (Slow The eff Down!) sign to remind myself to slow down and follow the other principles taught, I do fine.
The UI was a bit glitchy on my Android phone, but the convenience of using my phone was great.
Wonderful course and a great teacher. Highly recommended.
Feb 5, 2025
Albert Bressler
Albert Bressler, ICCF rating = 1732 (109)
I knew two very solid openings (white & black), but struggled with the middle game afterwards. And when an opponent knew how to attack during my 10-12 opening moves, I consistently lost. Yevhenii’s course has given me a MUCH LARGER REPERTOIRE of openings AND an understanding of when they must be adapted to my opponent’s moves. The principles that he has taught has helped me TREMENDOUSLY in my middle game. I now know magnitudes more of practical chess strategies and principles along with an understanding of WHY they are important.
Feb 8, 2025
WT
William Tilburgs
Hi, i’m william, 43 years old and I used to Play club level Chess until the age of 14.
Now 30 years later I tried to start playing again.
I usually only play daily matches for 2 reasons. I get way too nervous when there is time pressure (need to work on that, but that is not for this course) and I like to think Some time, move the pieces without making a move.
My daily rating is around 1500.
This course helped me a lot to understanding that tempo and piece development is way more important than material advantage. I usually just grab a pawn, but than lose some material after a few moves, because my opponents pieces were more active.
The checks, capture, threats method, combined with the “stop for a moment and think about your opponent ideas” is working. I blunder less and my games feel a lot smoother.
Feb 13, 2025
D
Derek
It's help change my focus I haven't had much of a rating boost but accuracy is improving. The course provides lots of helpful information and now it's up to me to use it consistently
Feb 15, 2025
FB
František Brokeš
* I am hobby chess player with 1700 rating
* My biggest problem was calculation
* After course I was able to calculate quickier and deeper
* I at all the time liked and enjoyed very instructive explanation of coach and his enthusiasm
Feb 19, 2025