FM Samuel Zenelaj

Hey, I'm Samuel, a 22 y.o. architecture student and a chess FIDE Master.

For a while I didn't want to coach, as I felt I wasn't able to fully invest the time and effort necessary for the improvement of potential students. Since my schedule is a bit more relaxed now, I thought giving coaching a try, it also being a fair way of supporting my studies.

I love chess and view of it as an art, believing that it should primarily be enjoyed as such. With this in mind, I have seen that the games where I invest myself, and in which the hidden efforts of training are displayed, give me the most pleasure- this is the science and sport part, the foundation for producing those cool ideas which we all enjoy. I want to present chess in this way.

On a practical note, for students who wish to work on a more long-term basis, I am happy to offer discounts.

I am looking forward to meeting you :)

Here are some useful links:
Gmail: samuelz.chess@gmail.com
FIDE profile: ratings.fide.com/profile/4701631

This is my 13th year of playing chess, and I can assure you that I have made plenty of mistakes (repeating each 2-3 times, just to be sure, you know :). In some sense this helped me not taking them as close to heart, and generally being more compassionate when I see similar situations happening to other players.

Nonetheless, I also did a few things right, which resulted in qualifying for several World and European championships by winning the nationals in respective age groups; and earning the FM title in 2022. I've played many tournaments, and frankly just been in chess for a long time.

As I mentioned earlier- this is a new experience for me. However, I have had the pleasure of working with a few coaches throughout my career (especially with my first mentor, who really laid the foundations of my chess and largely shaped how I view and understand it) and I believe that the insight I have from my own training can be beneficial in this regard.

Additionally, I can testify that the biggest mistake that I made for a while was expecting that the lessons with my coach will automatically make me good. They were important as they opened my eyes to the things I had to work on, and seeing the depth of chess, but it was only when I actually put in the individual work that I made steady progress. It is difficult, sometimes boring, and can even be disappointing, but I promise that it is exactly that which makes it all worthy in the end.

I think a strong skill, which is also tied to my character in a way, is striving to get to the core of things. Translated to chess, I see myself commonly thinking: 'why do most players put the bishop here in this variation?' or 'aha, this is why they play this move order', and 'in this structures, this plan seems to be the best'.

Following this, I definitely have an affinity for the strategical part of chess- the principles, common ideas, game plans, etc. I intuitively think in this way, and have noticed that I can deconstruct my intuition into these factors very well.

Finally, I'm just curious about chess in general, checking what is happening in the chess world, following the top events and further analysing some ideas they play, reading about chess history, etc. I just like the game.

I would first like to express that I am willing to work with anyone, despite their chess level, it is an honour to help someone reach their goal. In saying this however, I do believe that I can offer much more to students in the 1500-2000 FIDE rating zone, as some practical concepts that I can share are just right for this level.

Regarding training games, my proposal is to play them while being in a call, so if you have some question on the spot I can answer it immediately, and after the session finishes, I would record myself analysing them and sharing that recording with you. Of course, I am open to suggestions on what works better for you.

The individual training sessions should be a bit more personalized, which is why it would be good to have a brief conversation about your goals, schedule, discuss chess generally, and where you feel you are weak/strong, and so on. This would also help you decide whether I'm a good fit for your needs or no. This would be free.

Then, before our first session, I would analyse your games and try to notice patterns and areas needing improvement and prepare the materials. I think analysing master games (especially the classics) and comparing them to ours works as a mirror where we see both the effects of the correct application of principles, and the results of ignoring them. I would focus on this as our main methodology.

It is important to also mention that openings are necessary, of course, and there are situations where the tedious process of studying and memorizing lines is the correct thing to do. However, most of the time incorporating them inside the overall training by covering entire games where plans, structures, practical problems, and specific areas are much better displayed are a more effective use of the session, while I can also teach you how to prepare for opponents and work on openings yourselves.

Practically, we could hold the sessions via google meet, but I'm flexible about this. Oh, and if the meeting lasts slightly longer, it's fully fine.