Chessable's Andras Toth Shares Top Coaching Games, Puzzles, And Tips

IM Andras Toth is an international master, decades-long chess coach, popular Chessable author, streamer, and more. Andras was the 2021 Chessable Author of the Year and has even co-authored a course with fellow Hungarian GM Judit Polgar. Now based in Australia, Andras's teaching and coaching experience makes him a natural choice for Chess.com Coach of the Month. In this article, Andras shares his favorite games and puzzles as well as insights into what makes a successful chess coach... and student. 

At what age were you introduced to chess, and who introduced you? What is your first vivid memory from chess?

I learned to play chess at the age of 10, and it was my father who introduced me to the game.

My first chess memory is winning my first tournament, which was a school championship in my hometown.

Which coaches were helpful to you in your chess career, and what was the most useful knowledge they imparted to you?

Every coach I worked with played a significant role in shaping me as a player and a person! I spent the most time with IM Laszlo Hazai, who had an immense impact on my development. He not only helped me grow as a chess player, but also taught me valuable lessons about coaching techniques, psychology, and the art of teaching itself.

What is your favorite or best game you ever played?

I have not been playing OTB chess for more than a decade but I try to remain fresh by playing a fair bit of online rapid. The following victory against GM Felix Izeta Txabarri is a fond memory for me, as I managed to combine nice positional chess with tactical strikes:

Additionally, here is a nice blitz victory against fellow Aussie, super nice guy GM Zong Yuan Zhao: 

How would you describe your approach to chess coaching?

Each student is unique, with their own strengths, challenges, and ways of learning. To truly support their growth, it's essential to coach, teach, and engage with them in a manner that resonates with their individual needs. I take great pride in tailoring every lesson to fit the student, ensuring that no two sessions are ever the same.

By remaining adaptive and attentive, I strive to create a personalized learning experience that empowers each student to reach their full potential. Last but not least, my goal is to foster an environment where their individual development is not only supported but celebrated.

What do you consider your responsibility as a coach and which responsibilities fall on your student?

I think the main job of a coach is to identify the student's strengths and weaknesses correctly and then tailor the coaching sessions in a way that caters for both improving the weaknesses while also nurturing the strengths.

The student's responsibility is a tough one. Most people look upon coaching as the time and space where the main learning takes place. While this may be true on occasion, coaching is generally where we diagnose issues and find what needs to be done to fix it. The actual 'fixing,' however, requires consistent effort beyond the 60-minute lesson, which typically happens only once a week. It is up to the student to dedicate time and effort to work on the areas identified during coaching, ensuring steady improvement.

What is your favorite teaching game that users might not have seen?

GM Wesley So vs. GM Levon Aronian in the 2021 Magnus Carlsen Invitational. It is a fantastic game that features many instructive ideas such as central control, lead in development, king safety, material versus initiative, and much more.

What is the puzzle you give students that tells you the most about how they think?

I show this little pawn ending to almost all my students when we start working together. With this one position I can immediately learn a lot about the student: Calculating habits, visualization, accuracy, tactical vision, etc.:

Do you prefer to teach online or offline? What do you think is different about teaching online?

When I started coaching nearly 20 years ago, all my students were taught face-to-face. Today, about 95% of my coaching is conducted online.

Personally, I don’t find a significant difference between the two formats in terms of effectiveness, but teaching online does require certain skills. You need to be an above-average communicator and develop the ability to read students more effectively, as you’re often interacting with them through a small Zoom or Skype window.

What do you consider the most valuable training tool that the internet provides?

It is the internet itself! The abundance of sources and the ability to share things with each other at the click of a mouse makes chess learning much more accessible—and faster too!

Which under-appreciated chess book should every chess player read?

Everyone should read Best Lessons of a Chess Coach by FM Sunil Weeramantry and CM Ed Eusebi, and higher-level players should also read Dynamic Chess Strategy by GM Vlastimil Jansa. Both books are fantastic!