IM Zdenko Stupavsky

A great coach Review by fabrice

Rating

Zdenko is a first-class coach. I would recommend him to anyone wishing to improve their chess skills. He has a deep understanding of strategy and positional play, and will help you harness the ideas behind your favourite openings. Unlike other coaches, he does not focus on long, complex theoretical lines that average players like myself will have a hard time memorising. Instead, he concentrates on explaining the strategic ideas and plans that are embedded in each position, helping you improve your sense of analysis and understanding of the game. More importantly, he has a capacity to "put himself in your shoes" and analyse your games from YOUR perspective, so you can understand the reasoning behind your errors and why you chose the wrong plan, rather than simply pinpointing what you should have done. As he once said to me, "a lost game is not a big deal, but a lost lesson is".

I should also point out that Zdenko is a straightforward, friendly guy who does not "impose" his knowledge on students, but rather shares it with them in an entertaining and instructive way. I take a weekly lesson from Zdenko, and it’s worth every penny of it. (Posted on April 10, 2015)