FIDE Candidate Master · Peak rating 2245
The coach behind twenty 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.
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
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1:1
Private sessions
One-hour sessions, held online on Zoom and ChessBase.
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Plan
Personalized study track
Openings repertoire, tactics sets, and endgame targets set per student, reviewed periodically.
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Review
Game analysis
Post-tournament and post-game review, with clear feedback on what to improve.
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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 classesResults
What students and parents say
Coaching plans
Choose a starting point
A single session to assess current level and outline a study plan.
- Assessment of current level
- Recommended track
Ongoing private coaching with a personalized study plan.
- 1-hour sessions on Zoom and ChessBase
- Game analysis included
- Direct messaging support
Focused preparation ahead of a specific tournament or selection event.
- Opponent-specific prep
- Opening repertoire tuning
- Post-round debriefs
Questions
Before you book
What ages and skill levels do you coach?
Jyothilal coaches players aged 8–25 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 national 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.
Recorded classes
Learn from Jyothilal's recorded classes
Lessons and game analysis from his YouTube channel, Chess With Lal. Live coaching is one-to-one; these recordings show how he teaches.
Book a free trial classNext step
Ready for live coaching?
Book a free trial session and get a recommended study track for the player.