GM Valeriy Aveskulov

I am a Ukrainian Grandmaster, the 2007 Ukrainian Champion, and a professional chess coach. Since 2009, I have been helping players of all ages and levels improve their chess.

My goal is not only to increase your rating, but to teach you how to think independently, make better practical decisions, and enjoy the game more deeply.

I became an International Master in 2002 and a Grandmaster in 2006. My greatest achievement is winning the Ukrainian Championship in 2007—one of the strongest national championships in the world.

I have represented my clubs and country in numerous international tournaments, winning prizes in events across Europe, Asia, and North America. In 2008, I won three medals at the World Mind Sports Games in Beijing.

Although coaching has become my main profession, I continue to compete in international tournaments. Staying an active player helps me understand the practical challenges that modern tournament players face.

I have been coaching professionally since 2009 and have worked with children, ambitious club players, titled players, and future masters from many different countries.

My lessons focus on long-term improvement rather than quick fixes. Together, we develop positional understanding, opening preparation, endgame technique, practical decision-making, and effective independent study habits.

From 2014 to 2021, I worked as a lecturer at Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University.

I am also the author of a chess book published by Gambit Publications and numerous online courses created for Modern Chess and Chessable.

My background in sports psychology helps me address the mental and emotional challenges of competitive chess and has become an important part of my coaching philosophy.

My main strengths are endgame technique, positional understanding, decision-making, sports psychology, and the ability to identify the recurring problems that limit a player's progress. I build clear, individual training plans rather than offering isolated lessons.

Equally important is the relationship between coach and student. I believe that trust is the foundation of successful coaching, and I strive to create an atmosphere in which students feel comfortable asking questions, thinking aloud, and speaking honestly about both their successes and their struggles. Real improvement begins when students are not afraid to make mistakes.

I have been coaching online since 2009. Over the years, my approach has become increasingly systematic and individualised. Rather than simply pointing out mistakes, I try to understand how a student thinks: how they make decisions, build their opening repertoire, work with engines, manage their time, and organise their independent study.

I pay particular attention to recurring weaknesses—the patterns that repeatedly lead to mistakes and lost points. At the same time, identifying a student's strengths is just as important. Understanding your own style helps create the types of positions in which you are most likely to outplay your opponents.

My coaching is built around three main pillars.

The first is the endgame. A painful loss to Alexander Moiseenko in 2009 inspired me to study this phase of the game in depth. Over the years, I analysed hundreds of theoretical and practical endgames, which eventually led to my Improving Endgame Technique series on Chessable.

The second pillar is sports psychology. Strong chess is not only about calculation but also about handling pressure, recovering from mistakes, responding to unexpected moves, and making good decisions in time trouble. My background in sports psychology has become an essential part of my coaching.

The third pillar is the study of classical games. I firmly believe that the masterpieces of the past still provide a significant competitive advantage. They broaden a player's strategic and tactical vision and develop a much deeper understanding of typical positions than opening memorisation alone.

Above all, I simply love chess. I have been playing since the age of six, and I still enjoy competing, analysing games, and helping my students improve. If you would like to understand both chess and yourself better over the board, I would be delighted to work with you.