Every chess player asks this question at some point: “What is the most effective opening in chess?” Is it a wild gambit that crushes opponents in 10 moves?A grandmaster-approved main line?Or something the engines secretly prefer? After 20 years of studying competitive games — from beginners to titled players — here’s the honest answer: The […]
Chess Blogs
What Is the Deadliest Chess Opening?
(And Why Most Beginners Ask the Wrong Question) If you’ve ever searched for the “deadliest chess opening,” you’re not alone. Every beginner and club player wants a weapon — something sharp, aggressive, unstoppable. An opening that crushes opponents in 10 moves. But after 20 years of reporting on tournament chess and studying thousands of club […]
Is 70% Accuracy Good in Chess? What Your Accuracy Score Really Says About Your Game
If you play chess online, you’ve almost certainly seen this number after every game: accuracy percentage. 70%.75%.82%. And sooner or later, the question pops up in every player’s mind: “Is 70% accuracy actually good in chess?” The short answer: Yes—at some levels. No—at others.The long answer is where real improvement begins. As a coach who […]
Tata Steel Chess 2026: Tough Days for Indian Stars as Gukesh, Arjun Stumble and Pragg’s Wait for a Win Continues
The Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee is famously unforgiving. Often called the “Wimbledon of Chess,” it has a long history of testing even world champions at their emotional and technical limits. Round seven of the Tata Steel Chess 2026 Masters proved exactly that, as several Indian stars faced a sobering reality check […]
What is a chess game?
What Is a Chess Game? A Beginner-Friendly Explanation of the World’s Greatest Thinking Game A chess game is not just about moving pieces on a board.It is a long, thoughtful conversation between two minds, where every move asks a question—and every mistake gets answered. At first glance, chess may look complicated. But once you understand […]
Is 17 Too Late for Chess? A Coach’s Honest Answer
By Sunil Hireholi | Chess Coach since 2005 | Founder, Hire Chess Academy This question reaches my inbox more often than you might expect: “I’m 17. Is it too late for me to start chess seriously?” Let me answer this clearly, honestly, and without false motivation—based on two decades of coaching and reporting on chess. […]
Does Chess Help Your IQ? What Science, Experience, and Chess Masters Reveal
By Sunil Hireholi | Chess Coach since 2005 | Hire Chess Academy One of the most common questions I’m asked by parents, students, and working professionals is: “Does playing chess actually increase IQ?” The short answer is:👉 Chess may not magically raise your IQ overnight—but it absolutely trains the skills that intelligent thinking is made […]
What Is the 80/20 Rule in Chess? How to Improve Faster by Studying Less
By Sunil Hireholi | Chess Coach since 2005 | Hire Chess Academy If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by chess books, opening theory, or endless YouTube videos, let me tell you something important: You don’t need to learn everything in chess to become strong. In fact, after coaching chess players for nearly two decades, I can […]
Does Playing Chess Online Make You Worse at Live Board Games? A Coach’s Honest Answer
By Sunil Hireholi | Chess Coach since 2005 | Hire Chess Academy This is one of the most common—and most misunderstood—questions I hear from modern chess players: “I play well online… but why do I struggle when I sit at a real chessboard?” If you’ve ever felt this disconnect between online chess and over-the-board (OTB) […]
Best Online Platforms to Play Chess for Free in India (2026 Guide)
Chess in India is no longer limited to parks, clubs, or school competitions.Today, millions of Indian players—students, working professionals, and hobbyists—play chess online for free, anytime, anywhere. But with so many platforms available, a common question arises: Which are the best online platforms to play chess for free in India—and which one is right for […]