Become Top 10 Percent In Chess

Learn the frameworks for getting to 1800-rated online.

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Course overview

Become The Top 10% In Chess

A 4-week boot camp packed with new ideas, private training, and tournaments to help you get past your plateau.

Who is this course for

01

You've hit a rating plateau that you can't seem to overcome, no matter how much you practice.

02

You want to improve quickly but don't have time for a Masterclass.

03

You daydream about beating that one friend that brags about how he never loses.

Learn the basics taught to Russian schoolboys.

Man plans, God laughs (but we won't)

Understand why you fall into bad positions by relearning basic frameworks.

Learn from your f***-ups

This class includes two private sessions: one for game review and another for learning endgames.

You'll learn actual openings, not the Bongcloud Attack.

We'll cover a full opening repertoire for white and black, the "first principles" of chess, and endgames.

Dominate the tournament

Practice learned skills during the final session against the cohort.

See what people are saying

        Misha’s classes are engaging and dynamic with the right balance of encouragement, competitiveness, and praise. We highly recommend Misha as a chess tutor for any student as he instinctively knows how to adapt his teaching to the students.
Aliza B.

Aliza B.

        Without Steven's help I may never have been able to reach my dream rating of 1700 online! I was stuck around 1300 for countless years, and he taught me how to eliminate my mistakes.
Howard Anderson

Howard Anderson

        I am over 50 and have been taking lessons for about a year now. The lessons have given me a deeper appreciation of the game. I learned openings, mid-game tactics, and formulas for a successful endgame. I play only casually but think my rating has gone up markedly.
Tanya White

Tanya White

        Misha has been teaching our 8 year old son for over a year now. Our son enjoys the lessons, and feels he is learning a lot. We are happy with the lessons and instructions. Misha has a plan, monitors progress, and is able to change to circumstances --- we feel he puts a lot of himself into the work. We have recommended Misha to a friend...
Alexandra Ruban

Alexandra Ruban

Meet your instructors

Misha Vilenchuk

Misha Vilenchuk

National Master

Misha Vilenchuk is the founder of the Mindful Masters Chess Academy, a chess master, and many-time scholastic national and Ohio chess champion. He has been teaching for close to 15 years.

Steven Breckenridge

Steven Breckenridge

FIDE Master

Steven Breckenridge was the two-time Oregon chess champion and was a member of the famed Texas Tech team. Today, his students include those rated from 500 to 2300. He coaches Misha Vilenchuk weekly.

Course syllabus

10 live sessions • 13 lessons

Week 1

Sep 6—Sep 11

    Sep

    6

    Unlearning What You Know Through Opening Tricks

    Tue 9/64:30 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

    Sep

    7

    Lessons from Paul Morphy

    Wed 9/74:30 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

    Sep

    9

    Optional: 1-1 Class: Endgame Technique

    Fri 9/912:00 PM—12:45 PM (UTC)
    Optional

Week 2

Sep 12—Sep 18

    Sep

    13

    Openings with White

    Tue 9/134:30 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

    Sep

    15

    Openings with White Pt.2

    Thu 9/154:30 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

Week 3

Sep 19—Sep 25

    Sep

    20

    Opening Theory with Black

    Tue 9/204:30 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

    Sep

    22

    Openings with Black: Part 2

    Thu 9/224:30 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

Week 4

Sep 26—Sep 29

    Sep

    27

    Big Games, Bigger Ideas

    Tue 9/274:30 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

    Sep

    29

    Optional: 1-1 Game Review

    Thu 9/291:00 PM—1:30 PM (UTC)
    Optional

    Sep

    29

    Tournament & Graduation

    Thu 9/298:00 PM—8:45 PM (UTC)

Bonus

    Attacking Chess

    We'll introduce basic principles, review famous games, and analyze not just what to do, but how to think.

    4 items

    Opening Theory: White

    After a short intro to opening analysis, we'll go into two breakout rooms: Misha will teach an upper-level understanding of the Scotch Gambit, and Steven will prepare the Fried Liver.


    You'll have the ability to review files on Lichess Studies.

    • 📄

      Scotch Gambit

    • 📄

      Fried Liver Attack

    • 📄

      Evans Gambit

    • 📄

      Wing Gambit (Against French)

    Week 3: Opening Theory With Black

    We'll go into two breakout rooms: Misha will teach the Sicilian Dragon, and Steven will teach 1.e5 lines. We will also cover the King's Indian Defense after 1. d4

    • 📄

      Play 1...e5

    • 📄

      Play the Sicilian

    Famous Games, Tournament, and Graduation

    • 📄

      King's Indian Defense

    • 📄

      Famous Games

    • 📄

      9/29 Tournament

Course schedule

1-2 hours per week

  • Tuesdays & Thursdays

    12:30pm - 1:00pm EST

    Classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday in September.

  • Expected Review/Game Play

    1 hour a week

    We'll be covering a lot of material in a short time. We expect you to play chess during the week and test the material for at least 1 hour a week.

  • Tournament

    9/29 12:15-1pm EST

    While most classes are 30 minutes, this class will start at 12:15 and end at 1pm to allow us to maximally test our skills.

Sample Lesson

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Learning is better with cohorts

Learning is better with cohorts

Active learning, not passive watching

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Interactive and project-based

You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams

Learn with a cohort of peers

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you

Frequently Asked Questions

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