Self-taught Grandmaster (2026)

Can we become a Grand Master through self study? - Chessable

The course is built on the philosophy that modern players often "know" too much but "do" too little, leading to inconsistent results. It focuses on transforming passive knowledge into "unconscious competence"—skills that trigger automatically during a game. Self-Taught Grandmaster

Some users find the older video format and Smirnov’s accent a bit dated compared to modern Chessable or Chess.com courses. Can we become a Grand Master through self study

is a specialized chess training course created by Ukrainian Grandmaster Igor Smirnov . Unlike many courses that focus on specific openings or tactical patterns, this program is designed to be a comprehensive "training system" for players who want to improve without a personal coach. Core Content & Structure Some users find the older video format and

Includes a set of 20 special training tasks and 200 commented games and puzzles designed to automate the thinking algorithms Smirnov teaches.

The course covers the "Main Problem" of self-taught players (lack of a clear system) and moves into advanced concepts like planning, style development, and the "High School" of chess.