John Neely, aka Benedictine, is an adult chess improver turned course creator. He is one of the most, if not the most, prolific community authors on Chessable.
As a player, John is an inspiration and a living proof that "you CAN teach an old dog new tricks."
He played his first chess tournament at the age of 36. Yet his late start didn't stop him from achieving an over-the-board rating of 150 ECF or 1800 FIDE. That's a milestone most chess players don't even come close to!
His secret?
Daily tactics training and needle-like focus on the fundamentals.
John approach to self-improvement is clearly reflected in his Chessable courses.
He was the first author to use MoveTrainer for visualization training — a topic that has been neglected in chess literature and instruction. His Visualise Series earned countless five-star ratings and sparkling reviews from students, who appreciate the near-instant improvement brought by John's training methods.
John also published courses on basic tactics and pattern recognition. All of which have been warmly received by the Chessable community.
While he still plays online, John has retired from over-the-board tournament play to focus on writing a series of detective novels. Nevertheless, his valuable contributions to Chessable's growing library of courses and the positive impact he had on many club players live on.