TricksofChess/Master Game Planning in Chess

Master Game Planning in Chess

A 12-lesson live course to build your chess planning skills, improve positional understanding, and start playing with confidence in all phases of the game.

What You Will Learn

This course is designed to fill one of the biggest gaps in chess education: how to plan in unclear positions. Step-by-step, together with the experiences chess coach you will learn how to evaluate positions, build a flexible strategy, and adjust your thinking as the position evolves — just like titled players do.

After these 12 lessons, you’ll be able to:

  • Understand pawn structures and their strategic impact

  • Build plans based on strengths, weaknesses, and imbalances

  • Play with clarity in open, closed, and dynamic positions

  • Recognize your opponent’s plans — and stop them

  • Transition smoothly from middlegame to endgame

Whether you're 1200 or 1800, this is the course that teaches you how to think, not just calculate.

Lesson Plan

Lesson 1 Why Planning Wins Games

Strategic thinking, dynamic vs. static play, planning model

Lesson 2 Understanding the Pawn Structure

Structure types, long-term weaknesses, central contro

Lesson 3 How to Use Space Advantage in Chess

Space control vs. overextension, how to convert space

Lesson 4 Planning in Open Positions

Files, diagonals, open board strategy

Lesson 5 Planning in Closed Positions

Maneuvering, pawn breaks, patience in positional play

Lesson 6 Fixing the Worst-Placed Piece

Finding and improving your worst piece to boost activity

Lesson 7 Attacking Weaknesse

Creating and targeting weaknesses with a long-term plan

Lesson 8 How to Time Pawn Breaks

When to break the structure — and when not to

Lesson 9 Switching the Plan Midgame

What to do when your plan doesn't work

Lesson 10 Planning the Middlegame-Endgame Transition

When to trade, simplify, or keep tension

Lesson 11 Recognizing Your Opponent’s Plan

Prophylaxis, anticipation, and plan disruption

Lesson 12 Live Planning Practice with Feedback

Integrating concepts in real-time scenarios

Many club players reach the middlegame and feel unsure what to do next. Instead of following a clear plan, they wait for something to happen — often reacting rather than taking control.

If your goal is to think more clearly, create purposeful plans, and stop playing move by move, this training is designed for you.

This course does not focus on memorizing opening lines or chasing tactics. Instead, it gives you a practical decision-making framework you can rely on in every game. You’ll learn how to evaluate positions, choose strong plans, and make confident choices at the board — consistently.

Hi! I’m FM Viktor Neustroev

Experienced chess coach specializing in tactics and openings. An author of educational chess courses. 

I’m playing chess since the age of 5, and after getting a Master's Degree in Economics at Novosibirsk State University (Russia) I realized that I want to connect my professional life with chess. 

Currently I am teaching chess online and offline, working with both juniors and adults. Almost all of my students were ranked. I also coached the champion of Siberia among girls under the age of 9!