October 2025 brings another month of high-quality, structured training at the Modern Chess Academy. This month's focus is on mastering fundamental strategic concepts, developing sophisticated calculation skills, and understanding advanced attacking techniques. Whether you're looking to improve your understanding of pawn structures, positional sacrifices, or attacking patterns, the Academy has you covered.
1. Strategy Wednesday – Pawn Majorities - From the Opening to the Endgame
Coach: GM Ioannis Papaioannou
📅 Dates: 22.10.2025 and 29.10.2025
💡 Focus: Master one of the most fundamental and enduring strategic concepts in chess—pawn majorities. Learn to recognize, create, and exploit pawn majority advantages while understanding how to neutralize your opponent's majority structures across all game phases. The first two lectures examine how pawn majorities are established in the opening and leveraged in the middlegame, while the final two focus on endgame technique and precise conversion of majority advantages.
🗓 Program Schedule
22.10.2025
🕠 17:30 - 19:00 | 11:30 - 13:00 – Part 1
🕢 19:30 - 21:00 | 13:30 - 15:00 – Part 2
29.10.2025
🕠 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 – Strategic Calculations and Positional Sacrifices
Coach: GM Swapnil Dhopade
📅 Dates: 09.10.2025 and 30.10.2025
💡 Focus: Bridge the gap between pure tactics and positional judgment. Master the art of calculating strategically and develop reliable evaluation techniques for assessing positional sacrifices in complex middlegame structures. Learn to understand compensation factors beyond material and build the judgment needed to execute sophisticated non-forcing sacrifices that create lasting positional pressure.
🗓 Program Schedule
09.10.2025
🕠 17:30 - 19:00 | 11:30 - 13:00 – Part 1
🕢 19:30 - 21:00 | 13:30 - 15:00 – Part 2
30.10.2025
🕠 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 – Attacking Techniques
Coach: IM Siegfried Baumegger
💡 Focus: Master the art of attacking chess across different game scenarios. Develop your understanding of attacking patterns when castling on opposite sides versus the same side, learn to execute effective sacrifices, and discover how to maintain attacking pressure even in the endgame.
📅 Training Stages
✅ 06.10 – Stage 1: Attacking the King I - Castling on Opposite Sides
✅ 10.10 – Stage 2: Attacking the King II - Castling on the Same Side
✅ 17.10 – Stage 3: Sacrifices
✅ 24.10 – Stage 4: Attack in the Endgame
✅ 31.10 – PGN + Video Summary Lessons
4. Opening Radar (Formerly Opening Lab)
💡 New 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
✅ 31.10 – Opening Radar Video Release featuring expert analysis and Q&A
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
✅ Access to recordings, PGN files & digital resources
✅ Exclusive anniversary bonuses with Gold Membership
💡 Join now and make October 2025 your most inspiring and productive chess month yet!