I have always been honest with you: Chess improvement is hard. There are no shortcuts. But recently, I realized I was making a critical mistake in how I spent my energy. I was spending 80% of my time trying to “save” the people who weren’t doing the work. Answering the same basic doubts, soothing their frustrations, and trying to pull them along.
And by spending so much time on them, I didn’t have time and energy to create even better content, tools & courses for those who are ready to do what it takes to improve.
Now, I am shifting my focus entirely to you.
The Prerequisites (What I Expect From You)
From now on, I am going to assume that you are here because you want to get better, and you accept what that takes. Here are 3 things I will simply expect from you. If you are reading my emails or taking my courses, we agree on this:
1. You Accept That It Will Be Hard
Chess improvement is not easy. Solving difficult positions, calculating lines, and facing stronger opponents is tough work. I assume you know this and are ready for the challenge.
2. You Accept That It Won’t Always Be Fun
You don’t have to love every second of training. You just have to do it. Just like brushing your teeth, some parts of chess improvement are just work. I assume you are mature enough to do it even when you don’t feel like it.
3. You Accept That You Will Struggle
There will be plateaus. There will be painful losses. There will be days you want to quit. I assume you understand that this is part of the process, not a reason to panic.
It Is Okay To Just Have Fun
I want to be clear: There is absolutely nothing wrong with playing chess just for fun. There is nothing wrong with having periods in your life where you don’t have the energy to train hard.
If you just want to relax, play some blitz, and watch streams, do it. Enjoy the game.
But if that is your approach, you cannot expect meaningful improvement. You cannot expect to break through plateaus if you aren’t willing to push through the discomfort.
My mission is simple: I want to help you improve your chess in a way that builds your character and helps you achieve results you can be truly proud of.
Real pride doesn’t come from a quick rating gain you got from a trick opening. It comes from knowing you did the hard work, the calculation, the analysis of your worst games, the deep focus in a highly distracted world, and seeing it pay off.
That kind of improvement simply requires the three prerequisites above. There is no way around them.
The New Deal: My Job vs. Your Job
Because I assume you have the basics covered, we can work together much better.
My Job (The Guide):
- The Plan: I show you exactly what to train so you don’t waste time guessing. The Simplified Chess Improvement System will remain the complete Map to training the right way.
- The Focus: I help you filter out the 95% of things that don’t matter so you can focus on the 5% that do.
- The Truth: When you get stuck, I help you find the root cause, whether it’s a tactical weakness or a mindset issue. The aim of my work is to help you self-diagnose always better.
- Simplicity: Especially through YouTube and new tools, I want to explain difficult concepts in simple, actionable ways.
Your Job (The One Doing The Work):
- Trust the Process: You don’t waste time doubting the plan every week. You stick to it.
- Be Honest: You don’t lie to yourself about why you lost. You admit when you lost focus or got lazy.
- Show Up: You accept that “hard” is not a sign that something is wrong. It is a sign that you are training the right way.
Who I Am Here To Serve
Let me be clear about who this is for.
I don’t care if you are rated 700 or 2200. I care about your attitude.
I am serving the Adult Improver with limited time.
You have a job, maybe a family, and other responsibilities. You might only have 45 minutes a day. That means you cannot afford to waste time on things that don’t work.
If you are successful in your career or other areas of life, you know that results come from consistency, not magic pills. You don’t need a cheerleader. You need a clear plan.
If you are a 1200-rated player who says, “I don’t know much yet, but I am ready to do the hard work,” , you are my ideal student.
What Is Coming Next
By spending less time trying to convince the world that improvement requires effort, I can spend more time building tools for those who already know it.
I am incredibly excited about the new tools I am building. I will have more time to go deeper and create resources that help you push yourself further.
Everything I’m working on has this one thing in common: it will help ambitious players improve their chess even more.
One major addition will be a membership designed for solving difficult positions, personally chosen by myself. When done properly, it will be the most powerful training you do on a weekly basis.
But here is the price of admission:
These tools are not for people who want to feel smart. They are for people who are willing to feel stupid.
Improvement requires the willingness to lose games, to make mistakes, and to sit with the discomfort of not knowing the answer.
If you are looking for a coach to tell you it’s going to be easy, I am not your guy.
But if you are ready to struggle because you know that’s where the growth is? Then we are going to do amazing things together. I’m so excited to start this new chapter.
If you have any tools and courses you miss in the chess world, let me know by replying to this email.
Here is to chess improvement that builds your character, and that you can be proud of.
Keep improving,
GM Noël
PS: This article was initially sent out to my Newsletter list. If you want to get chess improvement advice for free in your inbox, join 17,000+ chess improvers by signing up for Friday Grandmaster Insights here.
Whenever you’re ready, here is how I can help you:
- Want to know How to train chess well? Check out The Simplified Chess Improvement System. This course taught 800+ students the How of Chess Training. Create your high-quality chess plan and learn how to study each part of Chess, from tactics to openings & endgames. Click here to learn more.
- Rated below 1200 Chess.com? Need to refresh your fundamentals? Check out my course, Beginner Chess Mastery. You’ll learn all the fundamentals, from strategy to how to get the most out of your pieces, tactics, and endgames. You even get a full opening repertoire for free. Click here to learn more.
