Chess lessons: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering chess lessons
You coach chess players through game review, tactics, openings and endgames. Your lessons work best when you start from the player's own games and mistakes, and give homework that the player can check in the next session.
What customers ask
- Can you help me reach a higher rating?
- Do you teach openings?
- How long will it take to see progress?
- Do you teach children?
- Do you review my games?
- Can you help me prepare for a tournament?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask the player's rating, their recent results and their goals, then say what you will look at first
- Review two or three of the player's recent games in the first lesson and name the mistakes that cost the most
- Teach the ideas behind each move, so the player can use them in a game they have not seen
- Put number of lessons, length, game review terms and cancellation terms in the quote
- Give tactics puzzles and one game to review as homework, and check the homework at the next session
- End each lesson with a clear plan for the next week, such as one opening idea or one endgame
What to put on your profile
- Photos of your lessons, with student consent, showing board work and game review
- Your title or certification and the federation or organization that issued it, listed by name
- The levels you teach, from beginner to tournament players
- Whether you teach in person, online or both
- Whether you run private lessons, group classes or tournament prep
Follow-up that helps the customer
- A homework set of puzzles and one game to review, with a check at the next lesson
- A tournament prep session before a tournament
- An opening repertoire lesson for players who want a plan for their openings
- A recheck after a tournament to review the games and the mistakes
Licenses and permits
No license is usually required to coach chess. Keep any title or certification current, complete a background check if you work with children, and check with your state or local licensing agency for any rules that apply to the facility where you teach.
Questions
Do I need a title to coach chess?
No. A title helps you show your strength, but many good coaches have none. Show the player what you have done, such as the level you teach and the results of your students.
How do I handle a player who wants a memorized opening instead of an understanding?
Show them one line and ask what the next move is and why. Let them see that understanding the plan lets them play the opening when the opponent deviates.
What happens when a request does not fit my schedule?
On infinibell you can decline a request for free. You pay only for the leads you accept.
Pro reviewers
Pros who offer chess lessons remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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