Raghunandan KS

Hello! I am 24 year old International Master Raghunandan KS from India. I have 1 GM Norm and a FIDE rating of 2441. I started learning chess in 2008 when I was around 7.5 years old. I became an IM in 2016 at the age of 14 years and 12 months. I have won medals in World Youth, Asian Youth and Asian Junior Championships.

Personal Goal
While my current focus is on streaming and coaching, I remain deeply committed to my own growth as a player. My goal is to fulfill my potential and reach the highest levels of competitive play.

Achievement	Location / Year
GM Norm achieved	Dubai Open, 2019
IM Title achieved (Age 14y 12m)	World Stage, 2016
Asian Youth U-12 Gold	Iran, 2013
World Youth U-12 Silver	UAE, 2013
Asian Junior U-20 Silver	Indonesia, 2019
Asian Schools U-12 Gold (Std & Rapid), Bronze (Blitz)	India, 2012
Asian Youth U-14 Rapid Bronze	India, 2014
World Youth Olympiad U-16 (4th Place - Team)	Slovakia, 2016
Asian Junior U-20 (4th Place)	Sri Lanka, 2021
Asian Youth U-16 (4th Place)	Mongolia, 2016

I stream regularly, sharing high-level chess insights while solving tactics and playing blitz for both fun and the improvement of my own game.

Availability
I offer lessons and can help players above the rating of 1800. I am available for regular sessions as I am not actively playing in tournaments at the moment. Consistency is vital for significant progress; 4 sessions/month is standard, but 8 or more sessions/month is recommended for rapid progress.

Coaching Experience
I have been working as a coach for over a year. I can adapt my teaching approach to the individual needs and preferences of the student. I am currently working with several students who have gained hundreds of rating points in less than a year.

Methodology
1. Evaluation: First I will look at the recent tournament games of the student. If no recent games have been played, a set of positions will be shown, and the student will be asked to speak aloud their thought process. This will help me clearly evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

2. Work: Once that's done, we will work on all areas of the game with a specific focus on fixing their weaknesses. I can help students in all areas of the game: Deep Calculation, Positional Play, Endgames, Tactics, Opening preparation, and Deep analysis of games.

3. Guidance: Guidance will be provided on exactly "how" and "what" they should work on in order to improve quickly. I also provide text support outside of classes.

Rate: €30 / hour

Success in chess requires a balanced approach to study and practice. Below are my recommended resources and methodologies for players at various levels.

Recommended Reading List

0-1400 Rating:

• Yasser Seirawan - Play Winning Chess
• Yasser Seirawan - Winning Chess Tactics
• Masetti & Messa - 1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners
• John Emms - Discovering Chess Openings

1400-2000 Rating:

• Artur Yusupov - The Fundamentals Series (Volumes 1-3 & Revision 1)
• Artur Yusupov - Beyond the Basics Series (Volumes 1-3)
• Artur Yusupov - Mastery Series (Volumes 1-3)
• Jesus De La Villa - 100 Endgames You Must Know
• Jan Markos - Under the Surface

2000-2400 Rating:

• Johan Hellsten - Mastering Strategy Series (Opening, Chess, Defense, Endgame)
• Lars Bo Hansen - Secrets of Chess Endgame Strategy
• John Nunn - Understanding Chess Middlegames
• Ramesh RB - Fundamental Chess - Logical Decision Making
• Mauricio Flores Rios - Chess Structures & Chess Imbalances
• Sakaev & Landa - The Complete Manual of Positional Chess (Volumes 1-2)

How to Study Chess Books

Many chess books include both illustrative examples and exercise positions. Illustrative examples should be played through on a physical board while carefully reading the explanations and attempting to understand every concept. For exercises, try to solve them without moving the pieces, generally allowing up to 10 minutes per position (writing down the solution is optional), and then check it against the provided answer afterward.

Software & Tools

Applications: ChessX (Free), Chessbase (Professional), or Hiarcs Chess Explorer Pro (Professional).

Databases: Big Database is recommended; Mega Database is only necessary if you require annotated games and is generally not worth the additional cost.

Analysis: Stockfish is the industry-standard engine for preparation and analysis.

Tactics Training: Puzzles on Chess.com, Lichess, and Chesstempo are the best sources for daily practice.

Training Habits

Working Hours: For serious players, 4-5 hours of study per day is recommended; naturally, more is beneficial.

Division of Labor: Dedicate the majority of your time to middlegames and endgames. Below 2400, opening theory is less critical; spending 20% of your total study time on openings is sufficient.

The Role of a Coach: A coach plays a small but important role in the development of a player. A coach can provide essential analysis of tournament games, identify and address weaknesses, and offer guidance for home practice. While not strictly essential, working with a coach can significantly accelerate improvement.

Tournament Play

Volume: For professional players in the 1400-2400 range, I recommend 8-12 classical tournaments per year.

Selection Strategy: Facing stronger players more frequently is optimal for both rating and strength improvement. To achieve this, select tournaments by focusing on two factors: first, the average rating of the field should be close to your own; second, your starting rank should ideally be lower relative to the total field. For instance, in a 100-player tournament, a rank of 51 or higher ensures you face a higher-rated opponent in the first round, while 50 or lower results in a lower-rated opponent. You can similarly estimate the rating of opponents in future rounds based on your initial rank and decide whether to participate based on how many lower-rated matchups you are willing to face.