Self-taught Grandmaster May 2026

Includes a set of 20 special training tasks and 200 commented games and puzzles designed to automate the thinking algorithms Smirnov teaches.

The course covers the "Main Problem" of self-taught players (lack of a clear system) and moves into advanced concepts like planning, style development, and the "High School" of chess. Self-Taught Grandmaster

The course is built on the philosophy that modern players often "know" too much but "do" too little, leading to inconsistent results. It focuses on transforming passive knowledge into "unconscious competence"—skills that trigger automatically during a game. Includes a set of 20 special training tasks

Some users find the older video format and Smirnov’s accent a bit dated compared to modern Chessable or Chess.com courses. It is particularly valuable for "lone wolf" players

The course is ideal for who feel stuck and don't know what to study next. It is particularly valuable for "lone wolf" players who prefer a structured curriculum they can follow independently.