How to Become a FIDE Certified Chess Coach?

Being a certified chess instructor is a fantastic method for chess players to earn more money with their chess talents, especially with the spike of interest in the game of chess.

If you are interested in becoming a chess coach, you must become a good chess player.

‘Good’ here doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be a professional chess player. The definition of a good chess player is relative and changes on an individual basis.

However, as a rule of thumb, a threshold of at least 1400 rating points (FIDE) should be reached before you start coaching chess. You need to properly understand the basics and important strategies of the game.

The higher your rating points, the more you are going to be able to charge for your coaching services.

How To Get Certified?

Coaching certificates show your credibility and proficiency as a chess coach, which in turn increases your chances of being hired.

Getting certified as a coach under the FIDE Trainers’ Commission is an excellent asset to have. It will complement coaching experience and knowledge as proof of excellence.

Here is a list of some of FIDE Training Certifications, from the lowest to the highest-ranked certification.

Developmental Instructor (DI):

The Developmental Instructor (DI) is a FIDE Trainer title that is awarded to instructors who specialize in teaching beginners, elementary, intermediate, and recreational level players. 

The primary objective of a DI is to spread the love of chess among children and methodically bring them to a competitive level.

To become a DI, you must have a rating of at least 1400.

National Instructor (NI):

The National Instructor (NI) title is awarded to instructors who specialize in teaching intermediate and advanced level players. 

The primary objective of an NI is to improve the standard of competitive chess players to a national level.

Typically, NIs are school teachers who have at least two years of experience as a Developmental Instructor and a rating of at least 1700. 

Trainees must have placed in the top ten in recognized national contests and successfully completed a FIDE training seminar. Once licensed, NIs can train players up to a FIDE rating of 1700.

FIDE Instructor (FI):

A FIDE Instructor is a person who specialize in training players with a FIDE rating of less than 2000. The primary objective of a FIDE Instructor is to improve the competitiveness of national youth players to international standards.

To become a FIDE Instructor, one must have been rated 2000 or higher at some point in their career. Additionally, they must demonstrate that they have worked as a personal trainer for at least two years.

FIDE Instructors are responsible for teaching the theory of the middlegame and the endgame, as well as helping trainees create a personalized opening repertoire. They are also expected to enrich their trainees’ repertoire with new ideas.

FIDE Trainer (FT):

The FIDE Trainer assists in the training of players up to the FIDE Elo rating of 2450.

To be a FIDE Trainer, you must have been rated 2300 or better at some point in your career. You must also demonstrate that you have been a trainer for at least five years.

FIDE Senior Trainer (ST):

The FIDE Senior Trainer (ST) title is awarded to trainers who assist players with FIDE Elo ratings greater than 2450. They also serve as national examiners and frequently provide workshops.

To be a FIDE Senior Trainer, you must have been an International Master (IM) or Grandmaster (GM) with a rating of 2450 or higher at any point in your career. You must be a FIDE trainer or have at least ten years of general training experience.

You should be fluent in at least two languages. In addition to your native language, you must also be fluent in one of the FIDE-approved languages (Arabic, English, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish).

You must have authored some chess articles or books.

You must have achieved World/International success as a trainer of a world champion or a challenger, or as a member of a winning chess Olympic medal team, or national team gold medal winner, or national champion, or as the founder of chess schools that have produced at least three grandmasters or six titled players (GM, IM, WGM), or as the originator and developer of educational systems and/or programs

Among the 100 FIDE Senior Trainers are notable individuals such as Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, and Susan Polgar.

Links for further study:

• FIDE Handbook B. Permanent Commissions / 07. Regulations for the Titles of Trainers / FIDE Endorsed Academies / Regulations for the Titles of Trainers / FIDE Endorsed Academies (effective from 1 July 2021 till 31 May 2023) 
• FIDE Trainers Commission (TRG) – International Chess Federation