Is It Worth Paying for a Chess Class Instead of Using YouTube?
Why do students strive to get into Harvard when they could study the same subjects at a local college?
It’s not about the subject matter, but about the quality of instruction, the environment, and the opportunities that come with it.
The same logic applies to chess as well.
Today, there are countless free chess videos available online, especially on YouTube. So naturally, people wonder: “Why pay for a chess class when everything’s just a click away?”
The answer lies not just in what you learn, but in how you learn it. Let’s break it down.
Quality of Coaching: 
YouTube these days is overloaded with a lot of content, and you might not be able to understand what’s important for your chess journey. Here’s where the structured curriculum of a chess academy comes in handy. When it comes to improvement, structured learning is very important, as it accelerates your progress.
When you go for a chess class, you will be coached by professionals who have been there, done that—and in some cases, they might even be active players.
The Environment:
You get access to peer-to-peer learning, and learning is most effective in groups, as ideas keep floating around during the session. Also, the atmosphere in the class is filled with chess, and you truly start loving the game. It’s infectious.
Additionally, in a live training session, your doubts and mistakes will be addressed right there, whereas you don’t have that luxury while learning from YouTube videos.
Access to Community:
If you join a reputed chess coaching class, you get access to their community, chess tournaments, and their network of chess players. This will introduce you to unexpected opportunities in the chess world.
YouTube videos are great to catch up with the latest events, tournaments, or news in the chess world. They are also a great source of entertainment. But the learning that happens through them is passive. You just keep consuming content without putting in effort from your side. Essentially, your brain isn’t actively involved while doing so.
But in order to get better, you need to train your brain to put in the effort. This happens very well in a chess class. You are actively involved in the process of learning, and your brain is actively grasping things around you.
So, is just joining a chess class enough to reach a decent level in chess?
Well, that’s a conversation for another blog. But one thing is clear—if you’re serious about improving, a structured chess class offers a massive head start.
– Mr. Vaishnav Jangam
