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Feedback from chess students

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BernardGoesPlayChess

Here is the feedback from past students:

Cookie_90

Bernard really helped me understand chess more in our lessons, from working out what is a fair trade and what isn’t. 

Bernard also taught me to get my pieces out more quickly and develop a position that was more to my advantage as both black & white.

I got to understand chess more as a whole under Bernard’s guidance.

regards,

Sean.

Average_Omar

Bernard's lessons are always straight forward and easy to understand, He answers any question I have with in depth examples and talks through every point with lots of detail.

He also tailors the lessons and has a variety of different exercises to ensure the lessons are kept engaging, I never felt like a session was wasted or unproductive.

Thanks to Bernard I have managed to dive into the complex aspects of chess and learn about the more difficult board structures as well as methods to ensure I make strategic choices in such situations.

Overall I find Bernard's lessons to be great, since he is so friendly it almost feels more like an educational conversation than a lesson.

MFMilli

I started chess lessons with Bernard in November 2022 and we've had a weekly lesson ever since. In that time I've seen my rapid ELO rating on chess.com rating from ~800 to a current peak rating of 1850 - a huge part of that increase in my skill is down to the tuition from Bernard. Bernard is happy to focus on areas I'm particularly interested in learning that week (specific opening prep, endgame theory, tactics, OTB game reviews etc.) but he also looks at my online games to look for areas of development I'm not able to see. Bernard's always been reliable, is happy to answer questions between lessons and clearly cares about his students development... I wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend Bernard!

paul91158

Bernard has helped me increase my rating from around 500 to my current rating of 1000.

His lessons are well structured and tailored to suit my needs each week. I find he is always patient and would rather push and guide me to find the solutions to tactics and mistakes myself rather than simply telling me, which I find helps cement the lessons further.

Would highly recommend!

PepperChess

Bernard lessons have helped me reach a highest rapid Elo so far having hit a bit of a wall before finding him.

His style of teaching is fantastic. He is patient (while I am looking for the move/tactic) and does not just tell you the move he has a way of encouraging you to keep looking at what options and find it yourself. Then he has a natural way to him of explaining move/ideas, this has (in my opinion) helped me in my Chess.

He will in his own time look through my online games, or my games I have input for OTB tournys. He will look to show me what I can do to strengthen my chess and he has great ideas.

He is friendly, very helpful and extremely knowledgable and approachable. I encourage anyone looking for a coach to at least have one lesson with Bernard and see for yourself. You will not be disappointed and have a very large and friendly chess brain to pick.

adamkwiatkowski

I would definitely recommend Bernard as a teacher.

He gives clear , easy to understand advice and keeps lessons interesting.

He's happy to focus on any areas that you may want to look at, or suggest things he thinks may be useful to develop your game.

He is a friendly and engaging tutor!

blazejohnson

Bernard really helped me find direction with my chess. Rather than trying to memorise opening moves, I was given a clear objective which allowed me to develop middle game plans and understand chess on a completely new level. One of my biggest revelations was looking at chess both positionally and tactically simultaneously. This wouldn’t have been possible without Bernard’s lessons.

professor_eggs

More than being good at chess, Bernard is an excellent teacher who is able to explain concepts to people of any level. I really enjoyed my lessons with him and would definitely learn with him again if I decide to take up coaching again.

TeseoDori

Bernard is an all around great guy. Fun, polite, and engaging. I highly recommend him as a chess teacher.

LangDav

Bernard was a fantastic instructor and really helped me understand the idea of looking for an opponent's weaknesses to help come up with a plan. He was able to help me identify weaknesses in my thinking and actively turn these into strengths. I'd recommend Bernard to anyone looking for a chess coach.

bijanin

Bernard is a very skilled teacher that identifies my weaknesses early and helped me improve in a fun and exciting way. There’s enough books, classes, videos in the market but none of them outweigh being taught 1 on 1 with Bernard. I recommend him if you want to improve, enjoy and explore the depths of chess fun. 
Bijan

morganpicko

Bernard really helped me with game analysis and coming up with plans in my game. Following on from my lessons with him I was able to surpass 1200 ELO on chess.com. I highly recommend him as a coach, and when i am in a more financially stable position (darned cost of living crisis) i will like to have him back as a coach

AnnaKasper

Yeah thats make a logical

FireLavaWithPea

Bernard is a fantastic teacher and has really helped me develop as a chess player! His lessons are always exciting and engaging, making the game of chess very fun. He gives you clear ideas around how to improve your performance, so I would definitely recommend him as a chess teacher.

Cobweb-Calculus

Bernard, as you would hope, is an excellent chess player. But he also understands the mindset and thought process of players, and the problems they face when learning chess, in a manner that only a talented teacher can. He very quickly worked out my weak points and gave tailored pointers. In one lesson, I described an issue I was having and on-the-fly he changed the lesson plan to address the problem I was having. He's also understands that a lot of us just play casually, and is able to tailor his suggestions to fit around those with busy schedules. I sadly had to give up my chess lessons as a cost saving measure, but I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to improve.

Olloydy

I’ve recently started having lessons with Bernard!

He’s quickly studied my games and organised a plan of attack on how we can work on my weaknesses.

His lessons are extremely well structured and planned utilising the games I’ve previously played.

Alongside this a nice level of homework to complete between the lessons which compliment the ongoing studies.

If you’re in doubt in regards having lessons I would highly recommend having lessons with Bernard.

I look forward to progressing my chess journey.

JohnRocks1

Bernard is great. Bernard provides me with some solid principles and serious wisdom that I have been able to apply to my games.

My chess.com rating has improved faster than I expected and I am confident taking on opponents graded far higher than me.

I especially like that Bernard prepares for each lesson, reviewing recently completed games. This forms the basis / theme for lots of what we discuss that week. I would recommend Bernard to anyone looking to improve their chess.

TeddysDad

Having worked with Bernard for a number of months, I can say with absolute confidence that he has improved my chess.

He is a patient and knowledgable teacher, who has a talent for explaining complex concepts in a way that makes them easier to understand.

Bernard also has a humility in that if you are going through positions and happen to find an idea that is better than the one he had thought to use as a teaching point, he will tell you - this is a great confidence boost and shows an integrity as a teacher that is not common.

I whole heartedly recommend Bernard as a chess teacher.