Going Above and Beyond: Kamil Plichta

Welcome back to our Going Above & Beyond series, where we celebrate authors who go the extra mile to keep their Chessable courses new and fresh.

Chessable courses are living things.  Theory gets updated, mistakes get amended and authors react to the latest information. The most dedicated authors take advantage of this and regularly offer updates.

FM Kamil Plichta recently added two whole new chapters to his Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense, updating the theory and giving you new ideas in the Winawer. We asked FM Plichta what motivated him to update his course - here's what we had to say:

What made you decide to update your course(s)?

I never treat a course as a piece of work that once done, it is published, and I can forget about its existence. I always want to keep the promise given to my students that I will offer high support for my courses. It is a matter of principle for me and I am taught that when I promise something, it is my obligation to keep my word. I also like the process of improving things. When I started in 2019, engines were substantially weaker and now some lines can be repaired/improved.

Are there any variations in your course that you are particularly proud of or enjoy?

I am very happy with the discovery of the 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.Bg5 line against the Chigorin in my Queen’s Gambit course - 4...f6 5.Nc3! being the main point. 

I also think that I am the first person who published any material on 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Ne4 Bb7. It was a relatively unknown line when I created the Four Knights Sicilian course but since then it has been tested by many strong grandmasters.

Regarding courses, I am really proud of my work on the Damiano Petroff which is one of my favorite lines at this time. It was a great moment when Hikaru Nakamura mentioned in one of his videos that he based his preparation on the Damiano Petroff by using my course.

What else are you working on these days?

I recently finished working on the Olympiad 2024 course for Chessable. Other than that, I am now taking a couple of months off from creating new courses, but I plan on doing updates for my existing courses. Outside of chess, I am trying my best to improve my cooking skills, I have lately picked up a few sports and am working on my condition and physical shape. Swimming, biking and tennis are the three sports I am enjoying the most. Unfortunately, considering that I am 34, there is a small chance that I will ever win a Grand Slam.

What’s your philosophy on course creation?

I have a few rules that I rely on when working on new courses:

• Create something new whenever possible. I feel quite bad when I offer lines that someone has already analyzed. Of course, sometimes there is just one good line so there is no choice but in general, I prefer to explore untrodden paths, even when it forces me to work more.
• Always give 110% and do my job the best way that I can. I once read a sentence that solidity is doing your job in the best way possible when no one is watching. I loved it and even though I work alone from my room, I give my very best.
• I usually work on the things that suit my style. I can't imagine giving an Exchange Slav or Berlin repertoire because these lines are too dry. I have a positionally dynamic style, and I like working on openings that fit this category.

FM Kamil Plichta has a great library of creative, unique and aggressive courses - and they’re all on sale now! Go check them out and unleash your inner madman.