Outpost Chess is continuing its series of interviews with Outpost users and valuable chess personalities. Dive into the story about the amazing chess trainer Martin Istvanovszki. If you enjoy it, feel free to get in touch now via the Outpost Chess profile, CLICK HERE and get in touch.

1. Introduction and Chess Journey:

When did you start your chess journey (present yourself and tell us a little about your chess career)

Answer MI:

My name is Martin Istvanovszki, and I hail from Hungary. I achieved the FIDE Master title in 2010 at the age of 18, a milestone that followed my victory in the U12 European Championship in rapid chess – an accomplishment that fills me with pride. Since 2012, I've been dedicated to coaching both beginners and advanced competitive players.

In the past year, I've rekindled my passion for competitive chess, setting my sights on attaining the International Master title. Currently, I actively participate in various national championships, involving extensive travel. This complements perfectly with my chess coaching activities, which I conduct seamlessly from any corner of the world.

Describing my playing style, I identify as a hyperactive positional player, thriving in sharp and complex positions.

2. Transition to Coaching:

At what point in your playing career did you feel you were mature and skilled enough to start teaching others? When did you make the transition to becoming a chess coach?

Answer MI:

Honestly, my transition into chess coaching wasn't a conscious decision. Throughout my life, I've always got on well with younger peers, and for some reason, they've tended to appreciate and look up to me. It so happened that at about around the age of 18 when a local talent, then 12-13 years old, approached me with a request to go through the Sicilian Dragon variation with him. He really liked it and knew it was my favourite weapon. I gladly accepted, and later this interaction evolved into a friendship and a coach-student relationship.

In parallel, my childhood coach occasionally invited me to give lectures and share my experiences at our hometown club for local youngsters. From there, I began receiving concrete requests for coaching.

3. Preferred Teaching Audience:

Do you have a preference for teaching chess to kids, adults, or perhaps a specific skill level? What unique challenges and rewards do you find in teaching different age groups?

Answer MI:

It may sound unusual, but I find the most joy in teaching adult hobby chess players. The reason is quite straightforward: they have a clear understanding of their goals, and I can tailor my teaching to meet their specific needs. Their satisfaction is my greatest reward. The ultimate success for me is witnessing my students not only learning, but genuinely enjoying the learning process.

I'm not saying I wouldn't like to get involved in coaching a young talent in competitive chess, but unfortunately, throughout my career, I've often experienced situations where a parent wants their child to become a competitive chess player more than the child does. This can be a nightmare for a conscientious coach. Nevertheless, I'm motivated and open to challenges, but above all, it's essential that everyone finds joy in this journey!

4. Teaching Approach:

When structuring your classes, do you typically start with openings, delve into the middle game, or focus on endgame strategies? In your opinion, which aspect of chess is the most crucial for a student's development?

Answer MI:

I remember that as a child, endgames were not a focus for me, so I always felt the pressure to gain a decisive advantage in the middlegame, or else I would be at a significant disadvantage. That's why, when teaching my own students, I approach it differently. Learning from my own experience, I like to teach at least the basic endgames to my students because I believe they need to be familiar with endgames to understand what to aim for in the middlegame.

Breaking it down to the elements of the middlegame, I try to convey that the objective of the chess game is checkmating, but they need to set numerous sub-goals for themselves before reaching that point. I place minimal emphasis on openings, aiming to teach simple, logical, and not overly specific opening strategies.

5. Character and Playing Style:

How much do you believe a chess player's character influences their playing style? Are there any specific traits or characteristics you've noticed in players that tend to shape their approach to the game?

Answer MI:

Absolutely, I believe it does have a significant influence and impact! Personally, I consider myself to be an individual who tries to avoid failure. While this trait is often beneficial in personal life, it may be less advantageous next to the chessboard. In chess, success-oriented players who literally hunger for victory tend to excel. Based on my experience, these players often exhibit a similar mindset in real life as well. Nevertheless, even when coaching a less 'hungry' competitor, I find it important that they play out the game instead of opting for quick, peaceful draws. This way, they can develop in every aspect of the game.

6. Online Chess Classes:

With the rise of online learning, do you teach online chess classes? Which platforms do you use for online classes?

Answer MI:

Yes, nowadays I almost exclusively conduct online lessons. I have students who prefer the chess.com platform, while others favor Lichess. However, I feel quite uneasy without my ChessBase databases, like a balloon vendor in an arrow storm. Additionally, there is, of course, a need for a communication platform, which can be Skype or Google Meet. Each person has their own preference, which is why I am eagerly anticipating the Outpost "Learnground" platform, where finally everything will be at my disposal to conduct excellent lessons!

7. Financial Transactions:

Which platform do you use for money transactions for chess classes, probably not the same as the one where you teach?

Answer MI:

I typically use bank-to-bank transfers or PayPal for financial transactions related to chess classes. However, it's worth noting that the official currency in my country is not the euro, which I prefer for my lessons. Due to this, I had to open a separate foreign currency account. I am looking forward to the 'Learnground' platform as it seems to provide a great solution for these financial transactions as well.

8. Opinion on Outpost Chess Learnground:

What are your thoughts on Outpost Chess Learnground for chess training? How does the idea of an integrated platform for connecting with students, conducting interactive classes (with online video call and interactive board feature), and getting payments sounds to you?

Answer MI:

I see that I may have jumped ahead a bit :) Personally, I am eagerly anticipating the release of 'Learnground' because I believe that only a comprehensive solution can address complex problems. The idea of an integrated platform for connecting with students, conducting interactive classes (with online video call and interactive board feature), and handling payments sounds fantastic to me. I think it will provide a seamless and efficient experience for both educators and students, making the teaching and learning process more effective and enjoyable. Overall, I believe it will greatly enhance the quality of chess training for many of us!

9. Sharing Coaching Materials:

Would you consider publishing your coaching materials, such as PNGs, PDFs, or videos, on platforms like Outpost to make them available for purchase by other chess enthusiasts?

Answer MI:

Absolutely! I've had similar ideas, but faced challenges in their implementation as I haven't found satisfactory solutions in every aspect yet

10. Do you have anything to add that we haven't covered in this interview?

Answer MI:

I feel that's it; this was a very comprehensive interview. Thank you for the opportunity!

Thank you for this amazing interview, If you liked it, sign up for Outpost Chess and get in touch with trainer Martin, schedule your first lesson and learn how to become a chess master.

Outpost team