Our Staff Picks Sale is almost over! It’s no secret that our staff members are some of our most active Chessable users. Part of the job, after all, is a love of educational chess material. So we’re taking the opportunity to highlight some of the authors and courses that our staff members really love.
Here’s a taste of what’s in the full sale, which has over 70 courses in total.
First up, Famous Sender of Emails and Writer of Blogs (his official title) Andrew Kauffman is a huge fan of IM Kostya Kavutsiky’s Endgame Studies 101.
“This course is a masterpiece, if nothing else for the teaching method it uses! Endgame studies might seem like an obscure or niche way to improve your chess, appealing more to hardcore puzzle enthusiasts than practical players. But the practical methods in this course really show you how to THINK differently, in a way that can improve your entire game.
Kostya brilliantly breaks the course into 3 parts. In the first part, you’ll learn and practice various endgame tactical themes. But it’s the second part that is really wonderful and unique: chapters about *thinking differently* – mental tricks you can use to find answers to problems when you’re stuck. He then masterfully has you put knowledge into practice with exercises by level (organized by USCF rating bracket), meaning that players from a wide rating range can benefit from this course.
Not to mention, you have Kostya Kavutskiy presenting the course – one of the most down-to-earth and relatable chess instructors, who is a master at breaking down things in a way beginner and club players can understand.“
Andrew’s honorable mentions:
Timeless Technique
Improve Your Chess Calculation
Winning Chess Strategies
Attacking Repertoire for Club Players
Publishing Manager Dylan Mize had a tough choice to make but he ended up with Techniques of Positional Play.
“My top 5 were courses which changed my perception of chess in some way, and Techniques of Positional Play epitomizes that for me. It’s hard to imagine how a classic with such well-selected examples on a topic which I so strongly resonate with could possibly be improved.
But, Peter Heine’s lucid and experience laden coverage is worth its weight in gold. Buying this course without video is a crime against chess. After downloading the video for offline viewing, my recent plane rides have been a lot more thought-provoking and by the time I land, I not only feel equipped with new techniques, but with fresh eyes for chess. “
Dylan’s honorable mentions:
Game Changer
Mastering Endgame Strategy
Leningrad Dutch: Simplified
Queens of the Chess Board
Community Publishing Manager Erwin Koning put the Complete Chess Swindler at the top of the list – a big warning for future opponents to avoid letting their guard down!
“To swindle or not to swindle, that is the question. As someone who considers himself a swindler, this almost needs to be my top pick. It’s well written, witty, and includes great examples of how to get the most out of every position.”
Erwin’s honorable mentions:
Chess Traveler: 64 Chess Compositions
The Value of Pawns: Material, Quality & Time
The Systematic King’s Gambit
Play Black and Attack (for casual players)
Christopher Kuberczyk is our German Publishing Manager and he went for Don’t Panic by FM Martin Kreuzer as his top pick.
“Martin’s enthusiasm is infectious. 50 hours of video explanations speak for themselves, but also in his writing, you can see how much he enjoys chess and, in general, sharing his knowledge.
Martin not only selected really instructive examples, he also went through every single one of them and improved them to highlight the beauty and the importance of the intended solution. Martin does not only add a lot of background information, he also has a great sense of humour.
He receives bonus points for referencing “the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy!”
Shankland’s Calculation Workbook
Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual
Lifetime Repertoires: Jones’ 1. e4 e5
The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement
And last but not least, VP of Publishing Juan Almaguer chose Play the Open Sicilian by GM Miguel Santos. He also wanted to highlight Dubov’s Explosive Italian, which he believes is the best mini-course on Chessable.
“He went the extra mile and shared great analysis for all these lines. In most Sicilians he takes a secondary line that is sharp enough to spice your game and punish the opponent if they don’t find the best move, which happens a lot. I’ve beat several higher rated players with it in classical time control. And there’s a reason why Fabiano brought him as his second.”
Juan’s honorable mentions:
Endgame Studies 101
d4 d5 Krishnater’s Killer Repertoire
Dubov’s Explosive Italian
Techniques of Positional Play
Don’t forget to check out Part 1 of our blog for even more fantastic recommendations by the people who spend their lives working on Chessable courses. There are dozens of courses on sale today from authors such as Matthew Sadler, Jeremy Silman, Judit Polgar and many more. Check out our Staff Picks Sale today.
