Igor Smirnov (chess player)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Ігор Смирнов |
| Born | October 28, 1987 Sevastopol, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Website | chess-teacher.com |
| Chess career | |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Title | Grandmaster (2008) |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| FIDE rating | 2496 (December 2025) |
| Peak rating | 2505 (January 2009) |
Igor Smirnov (Ігор Смирнов; born 28 October 1987 in Sevastopol) is a Ukrainian chess player and Grandmaster (2008). He is also a certified chess coach and the founder of the Remote Chess Academy, an online platform offering courses and educational materials for chess players worldwide.[1]
Chess career
[edit]Smirnov began playing chess at the age of eight. In 2001, at just fourteen years old, he earned the title of International Master.[1] He won the Ukrainian Junior Chess Championship in 2002, and in 2004 he received his chess trainer’s certificate, becoming an official coach the following year.[2]
He achieved the Grandmaster title in 2008 at the age of 21 after completing the necessary rating and norm requirements.[1] Smirnov won or shared first place in several tournaments, including the Czech Junior Open, and achieved a peak Elo rating of 2505 in January 2009.[3]
Earlier in his career, Smirnov represented Ukraine in multiple international youth competitions. He won several medals at the European Team Junior Championships — team silver in 2002 and individual silver in 2003 — and was also part of the Ukrainian team that earned silver at the 2003 World Under-16 Olympiad.[4]
He had notable performances in various open tournaments across Ukraine, including first place (shared) in Alushta (2002, with Olga Aleksandrova), a second place finish in another Alushta event behind Denis Yevseyev, victory in Sevastopol (2004, with Roman Kalenik), and top results in Illichivsk (2007) and Odessa (2008, sharing first with Yuriy Drozdovskyy, Yaroslav Zherebukh, and Eduard Andreev).[5]
Teaching and Remote Chess Academy
[edit]After 2009, Smirnov shifted his focus from professional play to teaching. He founded the Remote Chess Academy (RCA), where he provides online lessons, video courses, and training materials aimed at improving players’ strategic understanding and psychological approach to chess.[6][1]
As of December 2022, the Remote Chess Academy YouTube channel surpassed 100,000 subscribers.[7]
Publications
[edit]- The Grandmaster's Positional Understanding
- Calculate Till Mate: Middlegame Chess Technique
- Self-Taught Grandmaster: Chess Training Course
- An Endgame Expert: Endgame Chess Course
- Your Winning Plan: Middlegame Chess Course
- How To Beat Titled Players and Stronger Opponents: Middlegame Chess Course
- The Grandmaster's Secrets: Beginner Chess Course
- Grandmaster's Opening Laboratory 2: Advanced Chess Openings Course - Bonus Pack
- Grandmaster's Opening Laboratory 2: Advanced Chess Openings Course
- Grandmaster's Opening Laboratory: Chess Openings Course
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Nikhil Dixit (2023). "6 best chess courses by grandmaster Igor Smirnov". Improving Chess. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ "Igor Smirnov". ChessGames. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ "GM Igor Smirnov". ChessBase. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ "OlimpBase – European Youth Team Chess Championship". Retrieved 18 September 2009.
- ^ "Rating Progress Chart: Smirnov, Igor". Retrieved 18 September 2009.
- ^ "11 Top-Rated Chess Courses for Online Learners". The Fordham Ram. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ "Remote Chess Academy 100K Subscribers!". Remote Chess Academy. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Igor Smirnov at ChessGames.com
- Igor Smirnov rating card at FIDE