Top chess coaches in North Macedonia: 9 Grandmasters & Titled Coaches accepting students
North Macedonia is a small chess country with one outsized asset: the Skopje club Alkaloid, a regular at the European Club Cup and a magnet for the country's best players. Titles here tend to be hard-earned, and the coaching bench runs deeper than the map would suggest.
Nearly all of these coaches teach online, in English, for students anywhere. Here are 9 titled Macedonian coaches taking students right now, ranked with teaching credentials weighted as heavily as rating.
9 elite titled coaches
#1GMSix-time Macedonian Champion and a Certified FIDE Trainer, peak FIDE around 2529. He's represented the country since 1994 across nine Olympiads and six European Team Championships, and even sat across the board from Magnus Carlsen at the 2022 event.
#2GMA full-time chess professional for over 20 years and a widely read chess blogger. His coaching record is the draw — he's guided three Catalan youth champions at U14 and U16, and he's candid that studies and tactics are what pushed him past 2500.
#3IMInternational Master and a genuine standout: he won an individual silver medal on board two at the 2024 Budapest Olympiad. Ten-time junior national champion, three Olympiads already behind him. He analyzes your games, finds the weak spots, and builds openings around your style.
#4IMInternational Master with a psychology degree, peak FIDE around 2454, and he blends the two in the way he teaches. He's represented Macedonia at Olympiads since 2016, and he builds a personal study plan from your own games — beginner or advanced.
#5IMInternational Master with two GM norms, peak FIDE around 2523, and several national titles. His strengths sit in the middlegame and endgame, the parts he rates highest, plus thinking process, time management and a repertoire chosen to fit your taste.
#6IMInternational Master and an official FIDE Trainer. The public data on him is thin, but the credential is the real signal here — a titled player with formal coaching certification.
#7FMA certified FIDE Trainer with 40 years as player and coach, and the standout line on his CV: he's coached several Macedonian Grandmasters. Also a national-TV chess commentator for more than 15 years, with a proven path from beginner to master level.
A 21-year-old FIDE Master, peak FIDE around 2327, and a multiple-time youth national champion. His approach pairs structured study — puzzles, thematic patterns, classic games — with plenty of practical play and honest post-game analysis.
#9FMA former diplomat and FIDE Master who's lived and played across five countries. He teaches positional chess and mental steadiness, and he's a good fit for beginners choosing openings and learning endgame basics. His method blends the Yugoslav and Russian schools.
How to actually pick one
Goal first, then level — put both in your opening message.
🎯 Goal first, then level
put both in your opening message.
📜 Weight the teaching credentials
For coaching, a Certified FIDE Trainer badge or a record of producing titled players can outrank a slightly higher Elo. You're hiring someone to teach, not to play your games.
⚡ Trial lesson, always
Whether the two of you click is the one thing a bio can't tell you.
🌎 Check the language fit
Most teach in English; several also in Macedonian, Serbian, Russian, or French.
📅 Agree on cadence and homework
so the work carries on between sessions.
Frequently asked questions
Can Macedonian coaches teach students abroad?
Yes. Almost everyone here teaches online in English and already works with students across Europe and beyond.
Why weight trainer certifications so heavily?
Because a FIDE Trainer title is earned for coaching ability, not playing strength. When you're paying someone to *teach*, that's the signal you want.
How do I verify a title?
Every coach here holds an official FIDE title, checkable at FIDE Ratings Database. Ask for the FIDE ID if you want to be certain.
Ready to find your coach?
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