The cover photo is a courtesy of Charlotte Chess Center.
The Charlotte Chess Center is one of the premier chess institutions in the United States. What began as a small community initiative has turned into a major American chess hub, hosting some of the most prestigious national and international tournaments in the United States. It’s also one of the top places for developing chess talent, offering many chess classes and camps for players of all ages and levels.
The architect behind it? The Center’s founder and executive director, FIDE Master Peter Giannatos, who has spent more than a decade shaping it into both a competitive arena and a place where improvers can develop and thrive.
Giannatos’ interest in coaching began in 2011, during his second year of college. At the time, it was a part-time job. But it didn’t stay that way. Teaching chess became his passion and he made it his full-time career.
This trajectory was shaped in part by his own experience as a learner. Having come to chess relatively late, at age 13, Giannatos brings a perspective that many coaches don’t. He remembers what it felt like to struggle in the early stages of learning. As a result, he connects with students on a deeper level. Over the years his students have included national champions, titled players and participants of World Youth Championships; but for him, long-term engagement matters just as much as competitive results.
“There’s no substitute for hard work in chess, so you might as well enjoy the process.”
In this edition of Coach’s Corner we learn about FM Giannatos’ chess coaching philosophy and recommendations for improvers.
What is your chess coaching philosophy?
I wasn’t a product of the Russian Chess School or any other formal institute. If the School of Random Chess Content exists, maybe that’s where I came from! My philosophy is simple: to excel at chess, you must have passion. Chess offers an infinite number of topics to explore, and a student must have the desire to keep going even when there’s no clear end in sight.
Too often, I see parents and students searching for a defined blueprint—a step-by-step path from one level to the next. But chess is both an art and a science. There’s no list of topics I can hand a student and say, “Master these, and you’ll be great.” Improvement in chess comes from a balance of learning and playing. What good is studying if you don’t apply it? And what good is playing if you don’t learn from your mistakes?
I’ve always believed in working with students who share that commitment. Locally, I was probably the only coach who would part ways with students for lack of will. If a student didn’t study on their own, I wasn’t interested in coaching them. If they didn’t play regularly, I wouldn’t be interested in coaching them. For me, chess coaching is a partnership—and passion and effort are non-negotiable.
Suppose a player has only 3 hours a week for chess training. How should they spend their time?
In general, I’d say any chess study is beneficial. Sure, there’s probably a “correct” answer to this question if you strip away all emotion. But for me, the best study routine is whatever keeps a student passionate and engaged.
As I mentioned earlier, one of the most important parts of learning is playing. And one of the most important parts of playing is learning from your mistakes. If you force me to give a structure, here’s what I’d recommend:
60 minutes of tactical training — I prefer structured courses (like Chessable tactics courses) over random tactics trainers. Good authors organize problems with purpose; algorithms don’t always do that.
90 minutes of play — Ideally, a rated over-the-board (OTB) game. Nothing beats real competition.
30 minutes of game analysis — But not just with a computer. Sit with a coach who helps you reflect on critical moments and decisions.
Keep in mind that casually watching YouTube videos while doing dishes, making dinner, and answering emails isn’t chess training. It can still be beneficial, but should not be considered training.
What is the biggest factor for improvement for players under 1200 (Chess.com)? Under 2000?
For players under 1200, the biggest struggle—hands down—is outright blunders. Period. At this level, the first goal is to become one with the chessboard. Too often, players under 1200 think chess is about strategy, but the reality is simpler: it’s about not hanging your pieces. Before you worry about strategy, focus on avoiding simple mistakes. The formula here is straightforward: do tactics, play, learn from mistakes, and don’t be afraid to fail.
For players under 2000, things start to shift. Blunders still happen (more than people like to admit), but players generally have a grasp of the fundamentals. At this stage, it’s time to layer in basic chess strategy—while remembering that most games are still decided by tactics. Strategy and tactics go hand in hand, and both must be studied together. Neglect one, and the other suffers.
What is your preferred way to improve at openings? What’s the approach to chess openings that you try to teach your students?
I think the most important factor in choosing and playing openings is understanding them. I remember when I was just starting out, one of the first books I picked up was Modern Chess Openings (MCO). At the time, it was considered a top opening reference. But while it was a great manual for looking up lines, it taught me nothing about openings—because it offered almost no explanation behind the moves.
An advantage out of the opening isn’t a prerequisite for choosing an opening. In fact, real advantages in the opening hardly exist these days. What’s more important is that players choose openings they’re comfortable with. Ask yourself:
Do you like active piece play or prefer controlling space?
Do you enjoy open positions or closed ones?
Do you understand why the moves in your opening are being played?
My only real advice: choose openings that offer depth—ones that aren’t just one-hit wonders. Don’t build your repertoire around trying to catch someone in a trap you saw on YouTube. That thrill wears off fast. Once your opponents catch on, you’ll be left searching for the next trick. Instead, pick openings with long shelf lives and learn their ideas inside and out.
And don’t obsess over preparing for your opponent’s openings, especially at the untitled level. Opening preparation is overrated for most players. The truth is, no one knows anything—it’s all in your head.
What is your preferred way to improve at the endgame?
There are very few endgames players actually need to know—aside from basic checkmate patterns and king + pawn promotion. Endgame study is one of the most overrated areas of chess improvement, at least for players under 2000 on Chess.com.
The key to improving at endgames is understanding what endgames are. Endgames don’t just magically appear—they’re the natural result of the middlegame, and sometimes even shaped by your opening choices. If you want to get a feel for endgames, you need to see how games transition from the middlegame into the endgame. One of the first books that really opened my eyes to this was Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings by Irving Chernev. It’s gold. That book shows how endgames unfold from the middlegame all the way to the final move.
As for studying theoretical endgames? Honestly, I don’t think it’s worth the time for most players. Whenever I see amateurs proudly say they own Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, I wonder if they’re trolling me—or just that naive. Have you seen that thing? It’s written for 2400 FIDE+ players—less than 1% of 1%. If you’re looking to impress your friends, buy yourself a nice chess set instead (or Chessable course, shameless plug).
Is there anything else you would like to share with ambitious chess improvers?
Over the last 13 years, I’ve dedicated a lot of time to coaching—and more recently, to creating content for our students at the Charlotte Chess Center. Both our materials and systems are designed not just to teach what’s important, but to inspire students to do what’s good for them (playing and practicing). There’s no substitute for hard work in chess, so you might as well enjoy the process.
My hope is to leave you with an alternative way to view your chess progress—a path that’s realistic, practical, and fun. Because improving at chess should be something you want to do, not just something you feel you have to do.
Everyone’s First Chess Workbook
Published by New In Chess, Everyone’s First Chess Workbook is a modern classic for beginners. In this work, FM Peter Giannatos features about 700 exercises covering fundamental tactics and checkmate patterns.
Everyone’s First Chess Workbook is available in both English and German on Chessable.
Check out Peter’s author page!