Simon

5 (30 reviews)

Rate J$8,505
Response 1h
Students
Number of students Simon has accompanied since arriving at Superprof
50+
Number of students Simon has accompanied since arriving at Superprof

5 (30 reviews)

J$8,505/hr

Chess

Professional Chess Coach and Academy Founder Specializing in Structured Adult Improvement Programs

Chess

Lesson location

- Online

Ambassador

One of our best tutors. Quality profile, experience in their field, verified qualifications and a great response time. Simon will be happy to arrange your first Chess lesson.

About Simon

I’m a professional teacher and Music Professor with over 15 years of classroom experience, specializing in adult chess improvement.

I began playing chess at age 27 and, through a structured learning system, reached a Lichess blitz peak of 2414 (top 1%). This journey shaped my teaching philosophy: progress comes from diagnosis and structure, not random tactics or endless videos.

I have trained with elite Grandmasters including Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2820), Alexander Moiseenko (2726), and Lazaro Bruzon (2717), and translate their strategic thinking into clear, practical guidance for motivated students.

My lessons are professional consultations. We identify the key weaknesses in your game (“ELO leaks”) and build a focused roadmap covering openings, middlegame plans, endgames, and competitive psychology. I also integrate modern AI tools when useful — always filtered through human judgment and experience.

I am the founder of the YouTube channel Simon Novak Chess Academy, where I document a serious, long-term approach to improvement.

If you are an adult player stuck on a plateau and want structured, high-quality guidance rather than generic training, we will work well together.

About the lesson

♟️ Chess is not about memorizing lines — it's about understanding your thinking.

In our lessons, we’ll focus on:
• Analyzing your own games deeply
• Tactics, openings, endgames — based on what you enjoy
• Study plans and training methods
• Positional understanding and decision-making
• Chess psychology, confidence, and motivation

Lessons take place on Lichess via Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet. All levels welcome!

Review

All of our reviews are collected by us and are 100% reliable. They correspond to a real experience lived by the students of Simon.

5 (30 reviews)

I

Ian
- 5
Perfect! It was great to go through games that I had played recently and several months ago identify errors during the openings, middle and end game. Simon explained things very well and took time with me to make a plan (even though our hour was up) that would suit the time that I am able to put into my study of the game. Excellent session look forward to the next one.
Read more Read more

I

Ian

Perfect! It was great to go through games that I had played recently and several months ago identify errors during the openings, middle and end game. Simon explained things very well and took time with me to make a plan (even though our hour was up) that would suit the time that I am able to put into my study of the game. Excellent session look forward to the next one.
A

Apostolos
- 5
Perfect! He is a fantastic chess tutor and very good with children, able to get his messages across and promote learning
Read more Read more

A

Apostolos

Perfect! He is a fantastic chess tutor and very good with children, able to get his messages across and promote learning
T

Tom
- 5
Perfect! Great lesson
Read more Read more

T

Tom

Perfect! Great lesson
Richard
- 5
Perfect! Simon has taught our son chess for several months and has been great!! The lessons are very well organised / structured and Simon makes the lessons engaging which has worked really for our son. We particularly appreciated the practical advice on what to do to improve outside the lessons. We would definitely recommend Simon :)
Read more Read more

Richard

Perfect! Simon has taught our son chess for several months and has been great!! The lessons are very well organised / structured and Simon makes the lessons engaging which has worked really for our son. We particularly appreciated the practical advice on what to do to improve outside the lessons. We would definitely recommend Simon :)
L

Laurence
- 5
Perfect! Simon is a fantastic chess player with impressive competitive experience, and he's also a teacher by profession - both qualities really show in his lessons. Simon takes care to think about how you would best retain knowledge and skills and structures the lessons accordingly. Most importantly, Simon loves chess - the lessons are great fun, and he regularly shares highlights from recent tournaments and shows me the most exciting games.
Read more Read more

L

Laurence

Perfect! Simon is a fantastic chess player with impressive competitive experience, and he's also a teacher by profession - both qualities really show in his lessons. Simon takes care to think about how you would best retain knowledge and skills and structures the lessons accordingly. Most importantly, Simon loves chess - the lessons are great fun, and he regularly shares highlights from recent tournaments and shows me the most exciting games.
B

Bilal
- 5
Perfect! My experience with Simon was positive, he is very attentive tutor that replies very quickly if you have any questions please ask him - Simon is very easy to get along with
Read more Read more

B

Bilal

Perfect! My experience with Simon was positive, he is very attentive tutor that replies very quickly if you have any questions please ask him - Simon is very easy to get along with
V

Valerio
- 5
Perfect! Very good coach: well prepared in chess, methodical and with great interaction with students
Read more Read more

V

Valerio

Perfect! Very good coach: well prepared in chess, methodical and with great interaction with students
S

Sacha
- 5
Perfect! Simon is a great teacher. Explains concepts and techniques to a very high degree. You can tell he really wants to make you understand as much as possible and if you don’t understand something he’ll spend the extra time to make sure you do. Just an overall very thorough and super nice guy
Read more Read more

S

Sacha

Perfect! Simon is a great teacher. Explains concepts and techniques to a very high degree. You can tell he really wants to make you understand as much as possible and if you don’t understand something he’ll spend the extra time to make sure you do. Just an overall very thorough and super nice guy
W

Wendy
- 5
Perfect! Simon taught my son for the first lesson. My son enjoyed it a lot and said Simon taught him on the openings. Simon is definitely a coach to recommend.
Read more Read more

W

Wendy

Perfect! Simon taught my son for the first lesson. My son enjoyed it a lot and said Simon taught him on the openings. Simon is definitely a coach to recommend.
M

Matt
- 5
Perfect! Simon was great! Very helpful, explained things well
See the response from Simon Read more Read more

M

Matt

Perfect! Simon was great! Very helpful, explained things well

Simon's response
Matt started playing chess only couple of months ago and he has already shown incredible knowledge, passion and desire to succed in chess. He's also very nice and interesting guy.
- Simon's response :
  Matt started playing chess only couple of months ago and he has already shown incredible knowledge, passion and desire to succed in chess. He's also very nice and interesting guy.
O

Oisin
- 5
Perfect! Simon is an excellent tutor, he provides great insightful analysis of my games with very helpful advice. I recommend him highly!
See the response from Simon Read more Read more

O

Oisin

Perfect! Simon is an excellent tutor, he provides great insightful analysis of my games with very helpful advice. I recommend him highly!

Simon's response
Oisin is very nice man, excellent student and very passionate about chess. I really enjoy our chess lessons.
- Simon's response :
  Oisin is very nice man, excellent student and very passionate about chess. I really enjoy our chess lessons.
V

Vic
- 4
Excellent! My 11 year old son has recently started chess lessons with Simon and so far he is enjoying them. Simon is keeping the lessons fun, but still makes sure the lesson is learned and I can see the improvement in my son's logic when playing.
See the response from Simon Read more Read more

V

Vic

Excellent! My 11 year old son has recently started chess lessons with Simon and so far he is enjoying them. Simon is keeping the lessons fun, but still makes sure the lesson is learned and I can see the improvement in my son's logic when playing.

Simon's response
Vic's son is very talented and smart. I really enjoy having lessons with him.
- Simon's response :
  Vic's son is very talented and smart. I really enjoy having lessons with him.
Lei
- 5
Perfect! Simon is an excellent chess tutor, he prepares for each lesson very carefully to make chess more interesting. He also inspires my son to build up the mental strength. Thank you.
See the response from Simon Read more Read more

Lei

Perfect! Simon is an excellent chess tutor, he prepares for each lesson very carefully to make chess more interesting. He also inspires my son to build up the mental strength. Thank you.

Simon's response
Very perspective and talented player. I wouldn't be surprised him becoming a Grandmaster one day.
- Simon's response :
  Very perspective and talented player. I wouldn't be surprised him becoming a Grandmaster one day.
F

Fiona
- 5
Perfect! Really engaging lesson, fun and very interactive. Looking forward to more lessons
See the response from Simon Read more Read more

F

Fiona

Perfect! Really engaging lesson, fun and very interactive. Looking forward to more lessons

Simon's response
Very nice and humble people. I enjoy teaching her son a lot.
- Simon's response :
  Very nice and humble people. I enjoy teaching her son a lot.
J

Jessica
- 5
Perfect! Great communication and a courteous attitude.
See the response from Simon Read more Read more

J

Jessica

Perfect! Great communication and a courteous attitude.

Simon's response
Thank you.
- Simon's response :
  Thank you.
J

Jack
- 5
Perfect! Simon is a very thoughtful and personable teacher, who throughout our lessons always applied and used examples from my own games to assist the learning experience.
See the response from Simon Read more Read more

J

Jack

Perfect! Simon is a very thoughtful and personable teacher, who throughout our lessons always applied and used examples from my own games to assist the learning experience.

Simon's response
Jack is very nice and very humble. I like him a lot. He's very passionate about chess and eager to learn. I enjoy our lessons very much.
- Simon's response :
  Jack is very nice and very humble. I like him a lot. He's very passionate about chess and eager to learn. I enjoy our lessons very much.
R

Robin
- 5
Perfect! Simon's a great coach, very enjoyable and super-interactive lessons, challenging and fun. He's also a very engaging guy with broad interests and enthusiasms. Highly recommended!!
See the response from Simon Read more Read more

R

Robin

Perfect! Simon's a great coach, very enjoyable and super-interactive lessons, challenging and fun. He's also a very engaging guy with broad interests and enthusiasms. Highly recommended!!

Simon's response
Robin is super nice guy, we both have many similar interests. I enjoy teaching him chess a lot.
- Simon's response :
  Robin is super nice guy, we both have many similar interests. I enjoy teaching him chess a lot.
A

Anze
- 5
Perfect! Great teacher. Very nice, patient and funny.
See the response from Simon Read more Read more

A

Anze

Perfect! Great teacher. Very nice, patient and funny.

Simon's response
Anze is one of the my first and one of the best students I have. He's very smart, dedicated and loves to learn new things.
- Simon's response :
  Anze is one of the my first and one of the best students I have. He's very smart, dedicated and loves to learn new things.
View more reviews

Recommendations

Recommendations come from relatives, friends and acquaintances of the teacher

A

Ana

Simon is very chill, relaxed, encouraging teacher but also very serious about his work and very professional. My singing improved a lot when I started taking regular lessons with him. It's very hard to find better singing teacher than him these days. I only wish I'd found him sooner.
Read more

A
Ana
Simon is very chill, relaxed, encouraging teacher but also very serious about his work and very professional. My singing improved a lot when I started taking regular lessons with him. It's very hard to find better singing teacher than him these days. I only wish I'd found him sooner.
N

Nika

Very good teacher. Also very nice and patient. I was impressed by his music abilities and how well can he sing and play piano. Thank you Simon for great lessons.
Read more

N
Nika
Very good teacher. Also very nice and patient. I was impressed by his music abilities and how well can he sing and play piano. Thank you Simon for great lessons.
A

Ana

Simon is very nice and cool teacher. He's very good at teaching chess. My son was very happy with his lessons and he learned a lot about chess and even sport in general. His lessons are well structured and he's very good at motivating student. Great teacher.
Read more

A
Ana
Simon is very nice and cool teacher. He's very good at teaching chess. My son was very happy with his lessons and he learned a lot about chess and even sport in general. His lessons are well structured and he's very good at motivating student. Great teacher.
N

Nada

Great teacher and great person as well.
Read more

N
Nada
Great teacher and great person as well.
M

Marko

Simon is very good teacher. I know him for many years. He's very passionate about music and also teaching music. I only hope more students would get to know him.

Read more

M
Marko
Simon is very good teacher. I know him for many years. He's very passionate about music and also teaching music. I only hope more students would get to know him.
K

Klementina

I like how he teaches me singing. He focuses on the most important area of singing which is breath support. He knows a lot about classical singing as well as pop and rock singing. He always motivates me for practice and can explain things very easily. Great teacher. Highly recommend.
Read more

K
Klementina
I like how he teaches me singing. He focuses on the most important area of singing which is breath support. He knows a lot about classical singing as well as pop and rock singing. He always motivates me for practice and can explain things very easily. Great teacher. Highly recommend.
T

Tomaz

Simon was teaching my daughter for two years piano and music theory. She really enjoyed his lessons and with his help, she started going to music school and is now already a very good musician. Even now he still helps her whenever she needs it. Thank you Simon, you're the best.
Read more

T
Tomaz
Simon was teaching my daughter for two years piano and music theory. She really enjoyed his lessons and with his help, she started going to music school and is now already a very good musician. Even now he still helps her whenever she needs it. Thank you Simon, you're the best.
A

Alex

Simon is awesome! He's a great listener, patient teacher, and lifelong learner. He's reliable, motivating, and encouraging. You will be in good hands with him as your teacher!
Read more

A
Alex
Simon is awesome! He's a great listener, patient teacher, and lifelong learner. He's reliable, motivating, and encouraging. You will be in good hands with him as your teacher!
D

Domen

Simon is my singing teacher for many years now. He's very good at explaining things, very encouraging and an amazing musician at the same time. I've learned the importance of breathing, support, technique and most importantly how to approach music in a natural way. His technique is superb and his musicianship is even better. He's great for all levels of students. Highly recommend to anyone who likes to learn and enjoy music.
Read more

D
Domen
Simon is my singing teacher for many years now. He's very good at explaining things, very encouraging and an amazing musician at the same time. I've learned the importance of breathing, support, technique and most importantly how to approach music in a natural way. His technique is superb and his musicianship is even better. He's great for all levels of students. Highly recommend to anyone who likes to learn and enjoy music.
R

Raul

Simon was my mentor when I was in Slovenia for one year. He's very nice and I had a great time there. He's also very passionate about everything (he can't stop talking about chess!) and I like that a lot. Hope to be back there soon and learn more things from him.
Read more

R
Raul
Simon was my mentor when I was in Slovenia for one year. He's very nice and I had a great time there. He's also very passionate about everything (he can't stop talking about chess!) and I like that a lot. Hope to be back there soon and learn more things from him.
P

Peter

As a total chess beginner Simon's coaching has helped me a lot. He's very friendly, fun and has a lot of knowledge in chess. In our lessons he's trying to motivate me and really wants that I'm active in lesson (I'm solving chess positions, explaining why I made some moves...) He has gave me a great example of how much can be achieved in chess even if you start late. I look forward to his upcoming lessons and would recommend him to anyone.

Read more

P
Peter
As a total chess beginner Simon's coaching has helped me a lot. He's very friendly, fun and has a lot of knowledge in chess. In our lessons he's trying to motivate me and really wants that I'm active in lesson (I'm solving chess positions, explaining why I made some moves...) He has gave me a great example of how much can be achieved in chess even if you start late. I look forward to his upcoming lessons and would recommend him to anyone.
J

Janez

Simon is very nice, patient and great tutor. His lessons are well structured and interesting. The way he motivate student is really unique. I've also learned a lot from his YouTube channel "Viennaconcert chess".
Read more

J
Janez
Simon is very nice, patient and great tutor. His lessons are well structured and interesting. The way he motivate student is really unique. I've also learned a lot from his YouTube channel "Viennaconcert chess".
View more recommendations

Rates

Rate

J$8,505

Pack prices

5h: J$42,527
10h: J$85,055

online

J$8,505/h

Simon's Video

Find out more about Simon

When did you start practicing? How did this passion find you?
I started playing chess very late, at age 27. My friend introduced me to chess. I had to work really hard to succeed not only in this but also in other areas of my life.
Which artists or works affect you the most?
My favourite chess player is Garry Kasparov. I love to play dynamic, attacking chess. Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Morozevich, Tal, Ding Liren, and others are also chess players who inspire me. 
What are the qualities and skills required to succeed in this area?
I'm a strong believer in sport psychology, so I think having a strong mindset is crucial to succeeding in chess. By mindset, I mean being confident, passionate, motivated, and not giving up too quickly. Aside from that, I believe that analyzing one's own games and the games of super grandmasters, playing stronger opponents, and solving numerous tactical problems are all essential.
What is the most valuable advice you can give to help someone stay focused on creative projects?
Chess can help you learn for the rest of your life. Chess can teach us so many valuable things we can also use in our daily lives. 
How would you describe your passion? How does it make you feel?
It's very hard to describe, but I think passion is a feeling that never goes away and always pushes you to do more.
What creative achievements are you particularly proud of?
Winning a gold medal in a local chess tournament, beating European champion GM Aleksandr Moiseenko in a rapid game, beating GM Aleksandr Rakhmanov in a rapid game, beating GM Vincent Kaymer in a blitz game, being in the top 1% of all players on online chess site, and becoming a chess YouTuber
Have you ever been surprised by a student's ability or quick progression?
I had a student who won a gold medal in a local tournament just after having two lessons with him. Of course, he played chess before, but he never had a real coach before me.
Being a superprof is an art! What is your secret?
I'm just trying to be honest, professional, and correct with the students. I want to build a strong, positive community around my teaching.

Professional Chess Coach and Academy Founder Specializing in Structured Adult Improvement Programs

Lesson location

Ambassador

About Simon

About the lesson

Review

Recommendations

Rates

Rate

Pack prices

online

Simon's Video

Find out more about Simon

Find out more about Simon

When did you start practicing? How did this passion find you?

Which artists or works affect you the most?

What are the qualities and skills required to succeed in this area?

What is the most valuable advice you can give to help someone stay focused on creative projects?

How would you describe your passion? How does it make you feel?

What creative achievements are you particularly proud of?

Have you ever been surprised by a student's ability or quick progression?

Being a superprof is an art! What is your secret?

Similar Chess teachers in London

Private chess lessons with a world top 500 chess.com player (2900+ bullet) and fide arena grandmaster (agm)

International chess master – personalised coaching to improve efficiently and sustainably

Chess lessons from 3 years old with an experienced teacher former youth champion

National chess expert with experience in worldwide competitions, teaches personalized chess lessons for all levels.

Fide 2508 and former world under-16 champion: online chess lessons that find exactly why you lose, and fix it

Improve your game with 2400 rated experienced national player and coach. fun expert chess tutoring for both kids and adults!!:. unlock your hidden chesstalent!

Fide candidate master with 19 years of playing experience, 3+ years of teaching chess to kids and adults, and an online rating exceeding 2700.

Multiple national champion with 3 years of coaching experience and 100+ satisfied students worldwide. whether you’re just starting or already competing, i’ll help you reach full potential!

For beginners and players rated under 1600 fide - you will fall in love with chess!

Blindfold chess specialist. learn from a highly skilled chess coach today!" i am fide international rated player and certified chess coach.

Coach of canada's junior & youth chess champion | internationally certified chess instructor | teaching since 1996

Chess.com 2500 rated player. top 000.1% trained many champions with 15 years of experience.

Chess grandmaster and coach with 19 years of experience. i work with adults and kids.

A passionate professional chess player and certified coach with over a decade of experience in competitive chess!

National-level chess coach | fun and personalized lessons for kids and adults at all levels!

Grandmaster helps you making progress or to discover the game of chess!

Chess lessons with a fide candidate master—online rating over 2700, peak fide classical rating of 2245, 18 years of competitive experience, and more than 3 years of coaching background.

Chess teacher with 11 months of masterclass experience gives online group lessons

Multiple national champion and fide cm with 3 years of coaching experience and 50+ satisfied students worldwide. whether you’re just starting or already competing, i’ll help you reach full potential!

Hi! i’m an easy-going, flexible, and experienced chess master. i’ve helped both kids and adults improve their game and reach the next level. drop me a message and let’s get started!

Share

Ambassador

levels

All languages in which the lesson is available

Review

Reviews

Recommendations

free lessons

Report this ad