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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.

Michael Abspoel

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

Albert Bressler

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.

J

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.

Stefano

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.

Marcel

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.