What you'll learn:

  • A 6-step approach to evaluate ANY position

  • The difference between 1000 and 1500

  • Practical tricks that masters use to save time when calculating

  • A complete opening system you can play as white or black

  • How to separate tactics from positional strategies

  • When and when not to trade pieces

  • What to focus on in the endgame

  • How to use the engine to help you analyze your games

  • Why the endgame matters in the middlegame

  • And much more!

Course curriculum

    1. Lesson 1: Welcome and basic assumptions

    2. Lesson 2: Why this course is different

    3. Lesson 3: Different types of 1000's

    4. Lesson 4: The major difference between 1000 and 1500

    5. Lesson 5: How long will it take to reach 1500?

    6. Lesson 6: A bad habit

    1. Lesson 7: Should you memorize opening lines?

    2. Lesson 8: What's an opening repertoire?

    3. Lesson 9: The importance of an opening repertoire

    4. Lesson 10: Don’t make the mistake I made!

    5. Lesson 11: One size fits all!

    6. Lesson 12: Practical opening examples

    7. Lesson 13: Should you worry about opening traps?

    1. Lesson 14: The two most important tactics

    2. Bonus Lesson: Solving Puzzles from 0 to 2000 rated

    3. Lesson 15: Books or online puzzles?

    4. Lesson 16: The best way to study tactics

    5. Lesson 17: Why you can't spot tactics in your games

    6. Lesson 18: Training exercises with explanations

    1. Lesson 19: Where did the tactics go?

    2. Lesson 20: Pawn structure matters

    3. Lesson 21: Weak squares are critical

    4. Lesson 22: When and why to trade pieces?

    5. Lesson 23: This secret trick will change how you think

    6. Lesson 24: Why the endgame matters in the middlegame

    7. Lesson 25: Training exercises with explanations

    1. Lesson 26: Why random is wrong

    2. Lesson 27: How to evaluate a position

    3. Lesson 28: This tip will save you tons of time!

    4. Lesson 29: How to prioritize

    5. Lesson 30: Separating tactics from strategy

    6. Lesson 31: Training exercises with explanations

    1. Lesson 32: You must know these mates!

    2. Lesson 33: Kings and pawns

    3. Lesson 34: Essential endgame concepts

    4. Lesson 35: Prioritizing

    5. Lesson 36: Training exercises with explanations

About this course

  • 44 lessons
  • 4 hours of video content

Student Reviews

Peter Chastin

5 star rating

“This course was so helpful in focussing my mind and improving multiple aspects of my game. The chess master is friendly, clear and a superb teacher. I can’t thank him enough and it’s worth every penny. Cheers Nelson.”

“This course was so helpful in focussing my mind and improving multiple aspects of my game. The chess master is friendly, clear and a superb teacher. I can’t thank him enough and it’s worth every penny. Cheers Nelson.”

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Andy Woodall

5 star rating

“As a player who has been stuck around the 900-1000 range, this course has really helped open my eyes to make informed, strategical moves based on plans when in those "what next?" positions. It's opened up a new way of thinking about chess at my le...”

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“As a player who has been stuck around the 900-1000 range, this course has really helped open my eyes to make informed, strategical moves based on plans when in those "what next?" positions. It's opened up a new way of thinking about chess at my level that is straightforward and comprehensible. I've been having success and fun practicing these concepts in my games and quickly noticed improvements, especially against players who make wild moves just because when the position is unclear (like I once did... well ok still do lol but working on it). Now I have a range of ideas to guide my play. Thanks Nelson, definitely my favorite YouTuber to learn chess from!”

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Joey Flores

5 star rating

“This course was fantastic. Nelson is a true chess educator who has a way of communicating complex ideas simply. His Youtube channel took me from an 800 rating to 1300 in well under a year. I believe this course will be the thing that takes me to 1...”

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“This course was fantastic. Nelson is a true chess educator who has a way of communicating complex ideas simply. His Youtube channel took me from an 800 rating to 1300 in well under a year. I believe this course will be the thing that takes me to 1500 in the next few months.”

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Alain Savard

5 star rating

“So much content and very clear explanation of chess concepts. Very well done! Love his YouTube channell too.”

“So much content and very clear explanation of chess concepts. Very well done! Love his YouTube channell too.”

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Robert Lubinsky

5 star rating

“Nelson does a great job of explaining the thought process he takes on common scenarios, all through short modules that make it easier to absorb.”

“Nelson does a great job of explaining the thought process he takes on common scenarios, all through short modules that make it easier to absorb.”

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Todd Ferson

5 star rating

“Worth the money enjoyed it”

“Worth the money enjoyed it”

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Michael Stokes

5 star rating

“I started learning chess a few months ago after retiring. I have looked for books and video lessons to just show me the basics but had trouble finding them or the video instructor went so fast, I could not keep up. This course was perfect for me, ...”

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“I started learning chess a few months ago after retiring. I have looked for books and video lessons to just show me the basics but had trouble finding them or the video instructor went so fast, I could not keep up. This course was perfect for me, and Nelson is easy to listen to and understand. I highly recommend this for someone that needs to get back to the basic principles before trying to become a GM in a few months!”

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James Jimmerson

5 star rating

“This is a great course for those who need a bit of guidance in how to plug the holes in their game and improve.”

“This is a great course for those who need a bit of guidance in how to plug the holes in their game and improve.”

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1000-1500 Strategic Thinking Chess Course