Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

---

✅ Just released: My BRAND-NEW FREE Masterclass, created after coaching thousands of students ► chess-teacher.net/masterclassyt

⌛ *GM Smirnov has spent years mastering chess—so you don’t have to.*
*Learn from his courses* ► online.chess-teacher.com/shopyd

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
🎬 About this video lesson:

Many players stay below 1500 ELO because of a few repeated thinking mistakes.

In this video, GM Igor Smirnov breaks down 5 key chess mistakes that separate lower-rated players from stronger intermediate players.

You’ll learn:

* Why rating progress is not just about openings
* Common calculation and planning mistakes
* How stronger players think differently
* Habits that keep players stuck below 1500
* What to fix to start improving faster

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
📺 Recommended Videos:

🔹Carlsen's 10 Simple Rules to Win [Copy His Easy Strategy] - youtu.be/T8GaQhVpbJg

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
📚 Games & Other Resources:

Find the examples and games shown in the video in this blog-post - chess-teacher.com/how-to-reach-1500-elo-in-chess

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Why Your Chess Rating is Stuck? [5 Tips to Reach 1500 ELO]
00:12 Tip-1
02:04 Tip-2
03:08 Magnus Carlsen's game
04:58 Puzzle of the Day
05:12 Tip-3
07:17 Why reducing BLUNDERS helps
09:24 Tip-4
11:29 Difference between 800 ELO vs 1500 ELO
13:31 Typical Beginners Mistake
14:51 Tip-5
15:09 Bobby Fischer's game

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
ℹ️ About GM Igor Smirnov

Igor Smirnov is a Chess Grandmaster, leading online educator, and the founder of Remote Chess Academy.

* 1.2M+ learners across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok
* Founder of Remote Chess Academy (2009) — a global online chess school with 75,000+ students across structured training programs
* Author of A Promoted Pawn and creator of the RCA “system of thinking,” helping players break plateaus and reach 2000+ ELO
* Winner of Kasparov’s Cup (2009) and Ukrainian U16 Champion, with deep tournament and coaching experience
* A mentor who has conducted seminars and simul exhibitions in India, featured in The Hindu, and published 1,700+ instructional chess videos

Having earned the GM title through years of disciplined training, he blends classical chess strategy with psychology-based decision-making to help players think clearer, avoid blunders, and take control of their chess growth.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
🌐 Follow GM Igor Smirnov on social media

Facebook: facebook.com/RemoteChessAcademy
Instagram: instagram.com/gm.igorsmirnov
TikTok: tiktok.com/@gmigorsmirnov
X (Twitter): https://x.com/GMIgorSmirnov/

#IgorNation #ChessTips #ChessImprovement #ChessLessons