Chess Academy - June 2025
🧠 Modern Chess Academy – June 2025 Edition
June 2025 brings another month of high-quality, structured training at the Modern Chess Academy. This month’s focus is on strategic mastery of pawn structures, defensive calculation, and the power of the bishop pair. Whether you're looking to improve your understanding, calculation, or decision-making, the Academy has you covered.
1) Strategy Wednesday
Topic: Understand the Stonewall Structures
Coach: GM Ioannis Papaioannou
📅 Dates: 18.06.2025 and 25.06.2025
💡 Focus: Learn how to handle the Stonewall structure from both sides of the board. The lectures cover the strategic ideas, typical plans, and transitions from the opening to the middlegame. The Stonewall arises from many openings, including the Dutch, London System, Exchange Slav, Semi-Slav, and Catalan.
Program:
📍 Paris Time | New York Time
🕠 17:30 - 19:00 | 11:30 - 13:00 – Understand the Stonewall Structures – Part 1
🕢 19:30 - 21:00 | 13:30 - 15:00 – Understand the Stonewall Structures – Part 2
📍 Paris Time | New York Time
🕠 17:30 - 19:00 | 11:30 - 13:00 – Understand the Stonewall Structures – Part 3
🕢 19:30 - 21:00 | 13:30 - 15:00 – Understand the Stonewall Structures – Part 4
🕤 21:00 - 21:30 | 15:00 - 15:30 – Q&A Session with GM Grigor Grigorov and GM Petar Arnaudov
2) Tactical Thursday
Topic: Calculation in Defense and Tactics in the Endgame
Coach: GM Swapnil Dhopade
📅 Dates: 12.06.2025 and 26.06.2025
💡 Focus: Learn how to defend resourcefully and uncover tactical opportunities in the endgame. This edition trains your ability to stay resilient under pressure and convert (or save) complex positions with precise calculation.
Program:
📍 Paris Time | New York Time
🕠 17:30 - 19:00 | 11:30 - 13:00 – Calculation in Defense and Tactics in the Endgame – Part 1
🕢 19:30 - 21:00 | 13:30 - 15:00 – Calculation in Defense and Tactics in the Endgame – Part 2
📍 Paris Time | New York Time
🕠 17:30 - 19:00 | 11:30 - 13:00 – Calculation in Defense and Tactics in the Endgame – Part 3
🕢 19:30 - 21:00 | 13:30 - 15:00 – Calculation in Defense and Tactics in the Endgame – Part 4
🕤 21:00 - 21:30 | 15:00 - 15:30 – Q&A Session with GM Grigor Grigorov and GM Petar Arnaudov
3) Guided Practice
Topic: Mastering Positions with a Bishop Pair
Instructor: IM Siegfried Baumegger
💡 Focus: Deepen your understanding of the bishop pair across all phases of the game—positional play, attacking chances, endgame domination, and strategies to counter the pair.
📅 Training Stages:
✅ 06.06.2025: 15 test positions (Stage 1 – Positional Play)
✅ 13.06.2025: Annotated solutions for Stage 1 + 15 new test positions (Stage 2 – Attacking Play)
✅ 20.06.2025: Annotated solutions for Stage 2 + 15 new test positions (Stage 3 – Endgames)
✅ 27.06.2025: Annotated solutions for Stage 3 + 15 new test positions (Stage 4 – Fighting against the Bishop Pair)
✅ 30.06.2025: PGN file with solutions to all 60 positions + a 2-hour instructional video
4) Opening Lab
📅 Dates:
✅ 23.06.2025: Deadline to submit your opening questions to academy@modern-chess.com
✅ 30.06.2025: Receive expert video answers by GM Grigor Grigorov & GM Petar Arnaudov
💡 How It Works:
Academy members can submit their opening-related questions. Our team selects the most relevant and interesting ones and provides detailed video answers.
5) Mentorship Program
📌 Exclusively for 6-month subscribers
💡 The Mentorship Program offers personalized chess guidance, structured training plans, and monthly progress tracking.
How It Works:
🔹 Fill out the Mentorship Questionnaire (after subscribing)
🔹 Submit 20 recent games
🔹 Get assigned a mentor based on your style
🔹 Kickoff Meeting (30 minutes): Set goals, analyze games, build a plan
🔹 Monthly Check-ins (30 minutes): Review progress, update goals
📌 Who Can Join?
✅ New 6-Month Subscribers: Auto-enrolled after the questionnaire
✅ Existing Subscribers: Eligible immediately, with mentorship continuing even after expiry
💡 Why Join Modern Chess Academy?
✅ Live GM-led training in strategy & tactics
✅ Weekly Guided Practice – hands-on learning with annotated tests
✅ Opening Lab – answers to your personal opening questions
✅ Mentorship – one-on-one training & feedback
✅ Recordings, PGN files & full digital access for all training events
📌 Modern Chess Academy is your structured training platform.
💡 Join now and make June 2025 your most inspiring and productive chess month yet!