My name is Jean-Yves Marty and my Fide rating is 1950 Elo. I'm also a member of the French chess boxing team (World Champion in Chessboxing 2025 (-65 kg)). Cyril has been my coach for several years and I hope that one day, thanks to my work and his guidance, I will reach 2200/2300 Elo. In the first few lessons, I showed him several of my games with my own analysis. This allowed him to recognize my strengths, but more importantly, my weaknesses, so that I could focus my training on closing these gaps. He recommended various opening repertoires that suited my style. When I was struggling in a particular variation, Cyril would create a customized file perfectly adapted to my style of play, allowing me to prepare better and understand more deeply the different plans related to the pawn structure or the strategic challenges of the position. Since I started working with Cyril, the quality of my play has improved considerably. My openings are much more solid and I am making tactical and strategic progress. Cyril also gives a lot of very good advice on game management (dealing with the clock, energy ...). I can highly recommend Cyril to anyone who wants to make serious progress in chess.

My name is Karoline Gröschel and I have been training with Cyril Marcelin since August 2021. At that time, I had only started playing chess in the same year and had a DWZ of just 1402. Since then, my playing strength has improved continuously thanks to his training - my current DWZ is 2015 and my ELO is 1985. My progress is also reflected in my tournament successes: I won the Palatinate Championship and the Rhineland Palatinate Championship U18f in 2022 and took part in the German Youth Individual Championship U18f for the first time. Even though I only finished mid-table there, it was a valuable experience. In 2023, I then achieved my greatest success to date - winning the German Youth Individual Championship U18f. I was also able to take part in the World Youth Individual Championship in Montesilvano and the German Women's Individual Championship. Another highlight was that I was named “Palatinate Player of the Year 2023”. Cyril designs the training with individuality and flexibility; we meet once a week for about an hour - sometimes longer if necessary to ensure that I have fully understood a topic. I find the game analyses particularly valuable, where he gives me practical tips and a good insight into the analysis. Thanks to him, I have improved in many areas, be it in calculation techniques, prophylaxis, plan finding, theoretical endgames or opening preparation. I also have the opportunity to incorporate my own wishes and suggestions for topics. I am grateful for his support and would certainly not have come this far without him.

As an adult learner stepping into the world of chess, I was initially overwhelmed by the game's complexities. However, my experience with Cyril has been nothing short of transformative. My ongoing chess journey: ● From our first session, Cyril was incredibly approachable, the lessons were tailored for my learning style and my goals. ● Cyril has a remarkable ability to break down intricate chess concepts into manageable parts, making them easier to understand. Whether we are reviewing games, discussing opening strategies, middle-game tactics, or endgame techniques, his clear explanations helped solidify my grasp of the material. ● The flexible scheduling and supportive teaching style also made a significant difference. I have never felt pressured; instead, I feel encouraged to progress at my own pace. ● What I appreciate most is Cyril's emphasis on developing abilities like visualization, calculation, pattern recognition, etc. and pushing me to think deeper and stop being lazy/automatic in my moves. ● Cyril's passion for chess is contagious; I often find myself more excited to practice and learn after our sessions. ● Since I started training with Cyril, my lichess rating has improved from ~1300 to ~1690 in the last 2 years. Other unexpected benefits (this is my personal experience working with this Chess grandmaster): ● Improvement in my ego management (I didn't know that I had a rather large ego till I started playing chess). Cyril has helped me see each game (especially the losing ones) as an opportunity for growth rather than a reflection of my worth. This, even though a simple fact, is difficult to practice and realize internally. Only when a master tells you, teaches you and shows his own wins and losses do you come to understand this internally. This shift in perspective not only improved my gameplay but also enhanced my overall enjoyment of the game. ● I have bugged him numerous times by asking questions on topics like philosophy (personal) and approaches to learning (chess and other subjects). He has been patient enough to either answer them or gently guide me back to the ongoing chess session. ● I could start teaching my kid mathematics again, my earlier attempts at it were awful. Cyril inadvertently showed me what a good teacher should be like and it has been a humbling experience for me. Overall, I highly recommend Cyril to anyone looking to improve their chess skills, regardless of their starting point. I’ve not only gained valuable knowledge but also a newfound love for the game. Thank you, Cyril, for your guidance and patience!

Bassam: “I love my online chess lessons! Cyril is super nice and helps me improve. I became French champion thanks to him. He also has a great sense of humor, which makes the lessons even more fun.” Zayne: “The online chess lessons are really great. Thanks to Cyril, I've improved and become more confident with each game.”

Hello, I am Stefan, 40 years old, and I have 1900 Elo. I've been training with Cyril since May 2023. I am a C-trainer myself and currently have a private student in addition to youth training. So far, I have mainly worked with Cyril on my openings and my practical and psychological understanding of chess. We regularly analyze games and work on openings together. Strategy and endgames are not neglected either. My biggest problem is finding the time and energy to learn theory alongside my workload. Simplifying the theoretical variations with a view on practical chances and risks helped me a lot. I have already worked with other trainers in the past and can warmly recommend Cyril.

I was looking for a new coach in 2020 and found Cyril. The following year, I won the Swiss U16 championship and achieved the FM title. After that, I had two rather weak years, but things have improved again since then. I like training with Cyril because he is friendly, positive and very reliable.

Dear chess friends, I am a French chess player, 40 years old, and I have an Elo level of about 2100 since 1998, when I was 14-15 years old. I learned chess very early, at the age of 6, and I played many tournaments from the age of 8 to 20. To be honest, I don't consider myself a very talented player, but as a child I was lucky to be taught by good teachers. When I was young, I always considered chess just a hobby; I never wanted to work hard and try to become a chess professional. Between 2006 and 2019, I stopped playing chess completely for personal reasons. When I decided to take part in chess competitions again, I realized that the demands on a tournament player are very high, both physically and mentally. I had a lot of trouble finishing my games correctly and playing properly. In 2020, I started working regularly with Cyril. He immediately recognized the nature of my weaknesses, and as the 'doctor' he prescribed the directions I should take. Cyril is not only a strong player, but also a very dedicated and passionate coach. He always prepares the training sessions very thoroughly in order to make me understand the training methods: - how to train endgames and technical play - how to evaluate a position and develop a plan from it - how to train opening preparation - how to make practical decisions on the board - how to manage the clock - how to train calculation (the most important point in his opinion, and I agree with him)

When I started taking lessons with Cyril in 2021 with an Elo rating of 2000, there were big gaps in my understanding of the game. I looked at the chessboard in segments instead of seeing it as a whole. Important topics such as the dominance of pieces were unknown to me, and I did not know or poorly understand the game plans in certain pawn structures. My knowledge of opening theory was also very limited, as I played a lot by instinct. During the three years of coaching, thanks to his help, I was able to significantly reduce my deficits in many position types and gained 300 Elo points as a result.

I would like to express my gratitude to Cyril, who has been my chess coach since several years. His personalized consulting approach has enabled me to develop an opening repertoire that perfectly suits my style of play. His pedagogy is excellent and he always knows how to make our lessons both engaging and enriching. He adapts his advice to my needs and his analysis has enormously helped me make progress. Thanks to his help, I have developed a better understanding of chess and feel more confident in my games. He is not only a competent coach, but also a great person who always has an open ear for me. I recommend Cyril Marcelin to all chess enthusiasts, regardless of their level.