Mohammed Abdul Ullah

Format options
• 1-to-1 coaching or a small sibling / friends group (max 4).
• In-person anywhere in Hertfordshire—I bring the boards and teaching kit.
• Online via Lichess with screen-share, lesson recording and interactive puzzles.

What are my chess lessons actually like?

Every session is designed to feel like a mini-adventure on the 64 squares. Here’s the nuts and bolts:

Warm-up (5 minutes)
• A quick tactics puzzle or “spot the check-mate” to switch their/your brain to chess-mode.
• Celebratory high-fives when they/you crack it!

The day’s theme (15–20 minutes)
• We unwrap one clear idea—maybe “forks,” “castling safety,” or “how to finish a king-and-pawn end-game.”
• I demonstrate on the board, your child/you asks/ask questions, we re-create famous positions or puzzles and let them discover the winning move.
• When appropriate, we glance at a chess engine or classic book to see how the masters handled it—kept short and sweet so it stays fun.

Guided play (20–25 minutes)
• We jump into a live game against me, a classmate or an online sparring bot.
• Your child/you talks/talk through their plans out loud; I prompt with gentle questions (“What’s your opponent threatening?”).
• We pause at key moments to explore alternatives—no rush, no clock pressure.

Cool-down & homework (5 minutes)
• Together we save the game, run a quick engine check for missed tactics and write one sentence on “today’s takeaway.”
• They leave with 2–3 bite-sized puzzles that cement the lesson’s theme.
• Parents/Individuals receive a two-line summary plus their current Elo progress on our shared tracker.

Lesson dynamics
• Highly interactive—children move the pieces, set the goals and do the talking.
• Visual and hands-on—demonstration board, coloured arrows, mini whiteboard sketches.
• Positive reinforcement only—mistakes are “learning turns,” never failures.
• Short bursts of instruction mixed with play to match young attention spans.

Progress & support
• Ratings tracked through safe online games or local junior tournaments (I handle registration paperwork).
• Plateau-breaking study material introduced exactly when needed.
• Fortnightly email update for parents: rating graph, strengths, next focus.