Chess Coach vs Books/Vids/Lessons

I am a diamond member and i use chess.com lessons and puzzles, along with watching videos and reading books, to improve my game. I have considered a chess coach (online) but I have not been able to justify it to myself.

With hundreds of online coaches available, i don't know how i would compare them to get the most value out of my dollar. I feel like i could spend a lot of time and money weeding through coaches and, perhaps, never actually land on a "good" one.

Can i get some feedback on the whole "online coaching" thing? Money isn't the issue, it is more about wasting money for me. Am I served just as well doing my own study?

The reason I WANT a coach is because i feel like there is a more methodical way to learn, and on my current path I am learning some good stuff, but It isnt like I am building on a solid foundation; I am simply learning something new then backtracking to understand it.

lots of helpful, instructive resources for improving your chess here....you might discover something of interest...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell

Well, as has also been said, getting a good coach. Just because a person has a high rating, this does not mean the person is a good coach.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. 

@RussBell: I have been going through you links

I guess I don't have trouble finding content online; videos, articles, etc. The problem I am having with that is that I don't have a clear path forward, I just have hundreds of "textbooks" to read and understand, without a theme of building a solid game from the ground up.

You learn 4 basic opening principles "Attack the Center", "Develop Minor Pieces (Knights before Bishops)", "Castle the King", & "Connect the Rooks". That little bit of knowledge goes a long ways...working on it probably gets a person from ELO 800 to 1000. 

After that there are so many directions one can go:

• Study one or two openings and defenses
• Study traps/gambits/tricks
• Study endgame tactics

It seems like a small list, but I am doing all of those things randomly, and it helps...a lot...but, I feel like it would be better to have a methodology: A high school kid doesn't learn algebra before basic math. You have to teach someone first to use letters to represent "unknown values" before you throw a simultaneous equation at them.

So I feel like I am studying how to solve algebraic expressions, then backtracking to see what all the letters and functions mean, then circle back to the equation...there is no method to my madness.

Anyway, I'm sure I have thoroughly confused everyone by now so...

The first thing that needs to be determined is what are your goals?

Are you here just to have fun and kill some time?

Do you want to be a better online player?

Do you want to become a serious OTB tournament player?

which book is the best for the begginner?

if you are going to learn an opening for white i would recommend the london system. there are a few things in there that are easy to learn. the other website that gets mentioned that gives you things to repeat, they have a queens pawn opening book that is free. learn that as well. just playing the same opening allows you to learn things about that opening, like your weakness'. i dont use books. i like little tips that help with a game. example would be, black fianchetto and castling. attack the bishop that protects the king by exchanging your same colour bishop. that seemed to be a priority in that situation that i had not thought was important until mentioned in a video.

I don't intend to seriously compete for a title, but I would enjoy a couple of competitions a year OTB. I suppose my goal is to develop my skills beyond an intermediate level. 

I don't know enough yet to establish a metrics to measure how well or poorly I am performing to meet that goal.

Coaches I have seen here run anywhere from $5/hr to $30/hr, all rated players. But that rating doesn't really make a person a good instructor...certainly they are qualified to say "Here's what you did wrong and why", but a coach should have a game plan on how he plans to raise my skill level. If I had a game plan I wouldn't need a coach HAHA.

Sounds like you are shooting for USCF C player.  Which is 1400-1599, and is considered your "average" OTB player.  I will send you a PM with some things to study on it.

excellent question! ive been wondering the same thing. i know i want a coach in the same (or at least close) time zone.  i want one that speaks english really well if not as a first language. (i've had a couple issues with communications with great chess players with poor english skills.) after that, im pretty much lost. hard to tell who wants to coach chess because they truly love to help others improve vs. those that teach chess because they have no other marketable skills.

A good coach can be really helpful. Ive been working with coaches for a long time now. I think though...you need to be willing to work really hard at chess to get the most out of coaching. To start with its a good idea to get in the habit of playing slow time control chess chess as in G30 or slower. One of the most helpful activities I do with my coaches is analyzing my own games with them. If all I did was analyze my games with them I feel it would be worth it. Other activities are also useful like tactical and endgame training including playing out some middlegame and endgame positions. I also do a lot of studying on my own that is not related to the lessons and occasionally I ask my coaches to explain some position I saw in a book that I dont fully understand....thats quite helpful too.

I think joining an online chess academy is very helpful. As you will learn in groups, its more affordable and you get to learn from professionals. Chess.com lessons can then become a supplement to learn further. I have joined https://prochesstraining.com/ and I like the way they teach.

@wfreitaspq Try Xadrez Básico, Orfeu D'Agostini or Manual de Xadrez, Idel Becker.

Once you have reached 1200 and have played 800+ total games (whatever time control), try Meu Sistema, Aron Nimzovitsch.

There are two sides to chess. One is a memory game.  When people play book moves, those people most likely memorized plays that have already happened in other games.  For those people, books and instructors are helpful.   Then there are people with poor memorizes that treat the game as a unique puzzle and that's where the puzzles come in.

Thanks