Top chess coaches in the Netherlands: 10 Grandmasters & Titled Coaches accepting students
The Netherlands has punched above its weight in chess for a long time. It produced a World Champion in Max Euwe, it hosts the Tata Steel tournament at Wijk aan Zee every January, and today it has Anish Giri near the world's very top. That tradition leaves a deep bench of titled coaches.
Most of them teach online, several in English as well as Dutch. The hard part is working out who's strong, who really teaches, and who's taking students this month. Here are ten who are, ordered by title and strength.
10 elite titled coaches
#1GMA Groningen Grandmaster, peak FIDE around 2606, who now spends most of his time coaching. He shared first at the 2017 Dutch Championship, and puts real work into a student's thinking technique rather than just openings.
#2GMEuropean Union champion in 2008 and a former 2600-plus player who left law for chess. He's written several books and Chessable courses, teaches online and in schools, and still plays tournaments to keep his own level sharp.
#3GMA world-class Grandmaster with a classical peak around 2645, on the Dutch Olympic team since 2016 and a 2023 European Games gold medallist. He's beaten both Carlsen and Nakamura. At the top of the price range here, and worth it for a serious player. English and Dutch.
#4GMA full-time coach with a Psychology degree, a Chessable author and chess.com commentator on the side. He's played Carlsen, Giri and Wesley So over the board, and once scored 8.5 from 9 in the Dutch league. Dutch and English.
An International Master, FIDE around 2452, who made the title at fifteen and has since won three Dutch Youth Championships and the 2024 Dutch Open. He specialises in players roughly 1000 to 2100, with a heavy focus on calculation and tactics. English and Dutch.
#6IMA professional trainer, FIDE around 2464, who coaches full-time from home and runs a chess YouTube channel. All-round in his teaching, and strong on the communication side of it. Dutch and English.
#7IMAn Amsterdam IM who quit a day job to chase the Grandmaster title, and trained under GM Erwin l'Ami to get closer to it. His territory is attacking chess and the Open Sicilian from both sides, backed by serious engine work. He co-wrote a ChessBase Sicilian repertoire.
#8IMAn International Master since 1996 with more than 20 years as a trainer. Several of his students have gone on to IM and GM norms. He works systematically off the well-known Steps method plus your own games. English, Dutch and German.
#9IMAn experienced International Master and coach, at home between Apeldoorn, Amsterdam and Hamburg, who scored a GM norm in 2017 and still wants the full title. English, German and Dutch.
#10FMA full-time coach and author, FIDE around 2326, with eleven Chessable courses aimed at beginners and club players. He's good at making hard strategic ideas land in plain terms, and teaches up to about 2100. Dutch and English.
How to actually pick one
Goal first, then level — Put both in your opening message and you'll get a far more useful reply.
🎯 Goal first, then level
Put both in your opening message and you'll get a far more useful reply.
📜 Weigh the teaching credentials
For coaching, a long teaching record or a stack of published courses can outrank a slightly higher rating. You're hiring someone to teach, not to play your games.
⚡ Do a trial lesson. Always
One session tells you more than any bio. What you're really testing is whether the two of you click.
🌎 Use the language fit
Several coaches here teach in English as well as Dutch, some in German. Learning in your first language speeds everything up, especially for kids.
📅 Settle homework and cadence up front
The lesson is an hour. The improvement happens in the days between.
Frequently asked questions
Can Dutch coaches teach students abroad?
Yes. Nearly everyone here teaches online, and several already work with students across Europe and beyond.
Do online lessons actually work?
They do. A shared board and screen share cover what you need, and going online means you pick from the whole country's coaching pool, not just your local club.
How do I check a coach is really titled?
Every coach here holds an official FIDE title you can verify at FIDE Ratings Database. Ask for the FIDE ID if you want to be certain.
Ready to find your coach?
Chess with Masters connects you straight to titled coaches — Grandmasters like the ones above — taking students right now.
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