FIDE Candidate Master · Peak rating 2245

The coach behind multiple national‑team selections, in three countries.

Mr. Jyothilal has spent 25 years teaching chess — the last 14 entirely online — helping students move from club-level players into national team members and rated, tournament-ready competitors.

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CM Jyothilal analyzing a position on a chessboard
25
years coaching chess
14
years coaching online
~20
national team selections, 3 countries
2245
peak FIDE rating
CM Jyothilal at the board

About the coach

Twenty-five years at the board, most of it spent teaching.

As a Candidate Master with a peak FIDE rating of 2245, Jyothilal has spent two and a half decades studying and teaching the game at a competitive level. Over the last fourteen years, his focus has shifted almost entirely online — and the results have followed: students he's trained have gone on to represent their countries at national level nearly twenty times across three countries, alongside sustained, measurable FIDE rating gains.

Who this is for

Coaching built around where a player is right now

Young competitors

For juniors building a foundation — piece coordination, tactics, and the habits that carry into their first rated tournaments.

Club players stuck on a plateau

For players who've stalled around a rating band and need a structured plan to break through — openings, middlegame planning, and endgame technique.

Tournament‑bound players

For players actively preparing for national or international events, with game analysis and opponent-specific preparation.

How the coaching works

A structured plan, not a loose set of lessons

  • 1:1

    Private sessions

    One-hour sessions, held online on Zoom and ChessBase.

  • Plan

    Personalized study track

    Openings repertoire, tactics sets, and endgame targets set per student, reviewed periodically.

  • Review

    Game analysis

    Post-tournament and post-game review, with clear feedback on what to improve.

  • Track

    Progress tracking

    Rating progress and milestones are reported back to students and parents.

Recorded classes

Watch a class before you book

A sample from Jyothilal's YouTube channel, Chess With Lal: the first episode of his Secret of Chess Strategy series.

View all recorded classes

Results

What students and parents say

“ Mr. Jyothilal is a highly experienced chess trainer with a total of 25 years in chess training. During the last 14 years of online training his students have made it to their respective national teams almost 20 times in three countries. Also they made phenomenal increases in their FIDE rating besides substantially improving the quality of the chess they played. He has a peak rating of 2245 ”

Nilomi Desai

5 times Grand Prix Winner

Shreyas Royal

Later became a Grand Master

Shravan Renjith

Later became an International Master

Coaching plans

Choose a starting point

Questions

Before you book

What ages and skill levels do you coach?

Jyothilal coaches players aged 8–15 years.

What happens in the free trial class?

The free trial is a single session to assess the player's current level. The player leaves with a recommended study track.

What platform and tools are used for online sessions?

Sessions are held online on Zoom and ChessBase.

Do you coach students outside India?

Yes. All sessions are online, and his students have represented three different countries at international level.

Get started

Book a free trial class

Tell us a bit about the player and we'll get back within 24 hours to schedule a free trial session with Mr. Jyothilal.

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