IM Alex Astaneh on How His Coach Accidentally Taught him Board Visualization Skills

Alex Astaneh is an Irish International Master, chess coach, and author.

Astaneh's chess journey began at a young age, and he quickly found success on the Irish chess circuit. At the age of 11, he represented Ireland at the World Youth Championships, which got him hooked on the game.

His successes continued, having won the Irish Championship on three separate occasions (2010, 2017, 2018) and has represented the Irish National Team four times at the Chess Olympiads (2010, 2012, 2014, 2018).

In addition to a lauded chess playing career, Astaneh stands out as a world-class coach, including a stint as the official coach of the Irish junior team in the World Youth Championships 2010.

As Alex explains, he learned from studying the typical legends like Fischer and Tal, but his Spanish coach, IM Roberto Paramos Dominguez taught him a ton about attacking and visualization. In our conversation Alex shares tons of helpful tips for improving calculation.

My First Grünfeld Opening Repertoire:

https://www.chessable.com/my-first-grunfeld-opening-repertoire/course/134696/

Alex's author page: https://www.chessable.com/author/Astaneh/

Alex's socials:

X: https://twitter.com/astanehchess

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@alexastaneh/

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/astaneh/

Ben's X: https://twitter.com/Bennyficial1