November 2025 – Modern Chess Academy Celebrates One Year
November 2025 marks a special milestone: Modern Chess Academy celebrates its first anniversary! This month brings not only our proven training structure focused on endgame precision, tactical awareness, and defensive mastery—but also the launch of an exciting new interactive project that transforms your own games into powerful learning tools.
1. Strategy Wednesday – Typical Mistakes in Practical Endgames
Coach: GM Ioannis Papaioannou
📅 Dates: 19.11.2025 and 26.11.2025
💡 Focus: Identify, understand, and eliminate the common errors that turn winning endgames into draws and drawable positions into losses. Learn to recognize when to simplify versus when to maintain tension, understand the critical difference between technically winning and practically winning positions, and develop the patience and precision required to convert advantages against resilient defense. The first two lectures examine typical errors in pawn and minor piece endgames, while the final two focus on mistakes in rook endgames and complex multi-piece endings.
🗓 Program Schedule
19.11.2025
🕠 17:30 - 19:00 | 11:30 - 13:00 – Part 1
🕢 19:30 - 21:00 | 13:30 - 15:00 – Part 2
26.11.2025
🕠 17:30 - 19:00 | 11:30 - 13:00 – Part 3
🕢 19:30 - 21:00 | 13:30 - 15:00 – Part 4
🕤 21:00 - 21:30 | 15:00 - 15:30 – Q&A Session
2. Tactical Thursday – Prophylactic Thinking and Spotting Hidden Tactical Ideas
Coach: GM Swapnil Dhopade
📅 Dates: 13.11.2025 and 20.11.2025
💡 Focus: Master the dual skills that define tactical excellence. Learn to think one step ahead defensively by anticipating and neutralizing your opponent's threats before they materialize, while developing the pattern recognition skills needed to spot the subtle tactical motifs that stronger players see instantly. Build a systematic approach to candidate move selection that balances offensive and defensive considerations, eliminating tactical oversights while discovering hidden tactical opportunities in seemingly quiet positions.
🗓 Program Schedule
13.11.2025
🕠 17:30 - 19:00 | 11:30 - 13:00 – Part 1
🕢 19:30 - 21:00 | 13:30 - 15:00 – Part 2
20.11.2025
🕠 17:30 - 19:00 | 11:30 - 13:00 – Part 3
🕢 19:30 - 21:00 | 13:30 - 15:00 – Part 4
🕤 21:00 - 21:30 | 15:00 - 15:30 – Q&A Session
3. Guided Practice – Defensive Techniques
Coach: IM Siegfried Baumegger
💡 Focus: Master the art of defensive chess through systematic training in prophylactic thinking, tactical defensive resources, and endgame defense. Learn to anticipate threats, eliminate dangerous variations, employ various tactical defensive tools, and hold difficult endgame positions.
📅 Training Stages
✅ 07.11 – Stage 1: Prophylactic Thinking
✅ 14.11 – Stage 2: Method of Elimination
✅ 21.11 – Stage 3: Various Tactical Defensive Tools
✅ 28.11 – Stage 4: Defence in the Endgame
✅ 01.12 – PGN + Video Summary Lessons
4. Opening Radar
💡 Format: GM Grigor Grigorov and GM Petar Arnaudov present fresh opening ideas played during the month and answer submitted opening questions.
✅ Submit your opening-related questions to academy@modern-chess.com
✅ 30.11 – Opening Radar Video Release featuring expert analysis and Q&A
🎉 ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: Inside Your Games with GM Ioannis Papaioannou
The most important addition to Modern Chess Academy is here!
We are thrilled to announce a brand-new monthly project — Inside Your Games, led by GM Ioannis Papaioannou.
This innovative format brings your own games to the center of the learning process. Each edition will feature 15 real games submitted by Academy members, carefully selected and anonymously analyzed by GM Papaioannou.
Through these instructive examples, you will discover typical mistakes made at different rating levels, understand the underlying thinking errors, and learn how to avoid them in your own games.
How It Works
Important Details
Publication and Access
The first edition of Inside Your Games will be published in the 📅 second week of December 2025.
It will include:
🎓 Free Access: All Academy members who had an active membership during November will receive this course free of charge as part of their benefits.
The course will also become available as a standalone Modern Chess product for non-members.
Why This Project Matters
Inside Your Games turns Modern Chess Academy into a truly interactive learning community. It's not just about watching lessons — it's about learning from real mistakes made by real players.
Every month, GM Papaioannou will open the door to authentic chess thinking, revealing:
This project combines high-level insights, anonymity, and inclusivity, making it one of the most exciting educational initiatives in Modern Chess history.
5. Mentorship Program (For 6-Month Subscribers)
💡 Focus: Personalized guidance, game analysis, and monthly check-ins.
How It Works
🔹 Fill mentorship form
🔹 Submit 20 recent games
🔹 Receive a mentor
🔹 30-min kickoff meeting
🔹 Monthly 30-min check-ins
Why Join Modern Chess Academy?
✅ Live GM-led training in strategy & tactics
✅ Weekly guided practice with test positions
✅ Opening Radar – direct answers to your questions with fresh ideas
✅ Mentorship – 1-on-1 progress tracking
✅ NEW: Inside Your Games – learn from real games by real players
✅ Access to recordings, PGN files & digital resources
✅ Anniversary month with exclusive interactive learning opportunity
💡 Join now and make November 2025 a historic month in your chess improvement journey — submit your games, learn from others, and celebrate one year of Modern Chess Academy excellence!