Midas’ Chessable courses: https://www.chessable.com/author/MidasRatsma/
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00:00 Introduction
01:26 Jobava London Course
05:50 Thematic Tactics
10:10 Coaching Philosophy
18:28 The Step Method
23:32 Collaborating on Courses
28:43 Advanced Puzzles from Beginner’s Guide to Chess Tactics
51:40 Testing Midas on Positions from My Upcoming Blunder-Check Course
1:03:24 Outro
In this episode, I sit down with FM Midas Ratsma from the Netherlands, a renowned Chessable author with eight successful courses. Midas is known for his practical and engaging approach to teaching openings, making his courses favorites among club players and beginners. We dive into his opening philosophy and the strategies behind his course design.
We also explore Midas’s chess coaching philosophy, where he emphasizes interactivity, consistent plans, and repetition for effective learning. Midas shares how his experience as a coach has shaped his courses, ensuring they address real-world struggles of students while offering actionable solutions. Along the way, we tackle topics like how to link opening preparation to middlegame strategies, the importance of chunking and pattern recognition, and the critical role of tactics in chess improvement.
In addition, Midas tests us with some of the toughest puzzles from his Beginner’s Guide to Chess Tactics, offering a glimpse into the depth and creativity of his course content. We also chat about the collaborative process of creating courses, and his upcoming Jobava London repertoire.
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I listened somewhat half of the podcast, I like it! Great you interviewed Midas Ratsma from the Netherlands haah!
The second half I watch soon as there are chess positions as a test. Really interested! 😀😀
Interesting… as always! An interview of Yevhenii Yelisieiev, international Master, would be interesting too, IMHO.
In the last puzzle (the draw puzzle), I think you and your respectful guest missed the forced draw! Just switch the order of ythe ladt two moves of White, and you'll get a forced draw! Before checking the Black King with your Rook and then taking the Black Bishop on h3, first tale the Bishop and then check the Black King with your Rook on g8!
Excellent. I have his black course and really like it. Along with your calculations and elevator ones.
Great podcast guys throughly enjoyed that and the advanced puzzles were a lovely aspect for a discussion would love to see more of this as it shows how we can combine those tactics when we start putting them together in sections like you both showed, I know it's a bit more advanced but the principal and breakdown of these techniques I think is very much lacking when it comes to the more advanced scenarios, I really hope you'll produce a lesson on the combination of more advanced tactics as you are so good at explaining the why!!! And for us mere mortals that I believe would be so benificial 👍
Fun studies at the end
Good episode. The positions presented were very interesting. I like Midas's point that opening study needs to be tailored to the rating level of the student.
chess is such weird game and all this UFOs after Gukesh became world champion is it coincidence ? and yours multilevel puzzles are you one of them ? soon we will find out , the truth is out there .
56:45 Wow. Outstanding composition. Great job with this. Thanks to you and Midas for such a fun episode.
Interesting discussion, even though I'm not really into openings all that much
Yes, yes, yes! I've been waiting for this podcast.
I own Midas' Attacking Repertoires for Club Players, the Beginner Repertoire and also the Attacking Repertoire for Beginners Jobava London.
I think his courses stand out not only because of the tactics chapters, but also because of the way he conveys the content. He always follows a clear structure that is easy to learn and remember. What I particularly like about Jobava London is the different attacking plans and the fact that there is a clear priority, so you always have ideas for the middle game.
I also have his tactics and strategy course and I find the exercises very interestingly put together and cover everything from simple pattern recognition to more complex examples. I think the strategy course in particular to be a good primer for Can's courses.
I'm really looking forward to the Blunder course and found the example in the podcast really exciting again. I don't think it's a less popular topic, but rather the opposite. Everyone has experienced a blunder that has cost them a game, and a structured approach certainly helps, especially in classic games. I already liked the simplified version from the Elevator course.
Bieng a beginner was the hardest part of chess for me in trying to decide what is best to learn,🤔i like the idea of starting out with set up opening as it may be easy to grasp, for beginners and then moving on t more complex opening as time very time saving 🎉👏🎉 great video