Online chess coaching for adult improvers who want more than surface-level advice. Lessons via Google Meet with students across the US, UK, Europe, and beyond. David brings structured thinking, a philosopher's curiosity, and genuine personal connection to every lesson.
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David Menčík is an online chess coach and active tournament player originally from Bačka Palanka, Serbia. He coaches students across the US, UK, Ireland, Japan and beyond via Google Meet. He holds a Master's degree in Philosophy from the University of Belgrade, where he is completing his PhD. He started playing chess at 14, went from scoring 0/7 in his first city championship to winning it three years running, and has been coaching internationally for five years.
Philosophy and chess go hand in hand for David. The same deep focus required to read Hegel is what makes a four-hour game analysis stick in your memory for years. His academic training — breaking complex problems into clear parts, questioning assumptions, building understanding from the ground up — is central to how he coaches.
David's academic life isn't incidental to his coaching — it's central. Philosophy taught him how to learn, how to present complex ideas clearly, and how to have the confidence to challenge received wisdom. He brings that same rigour and structured thinking to the board, whether he's analysing a Botvinnik classic or reviewing your last tournament game.
David doesn't just teach — he's actively improving alongside his students. He plays regular classical tournaments, travels for events, and works on his own game daily. He knows what it feels like to lose a won position or freeze in time trouble, and that shared experience shapes how he coaches. You're not learning from someone who stopped playing years ago — you're learning from someone who's right there in the trenches with you.
A lesson with David feels like sitting across the board from a friend who happens to be very good at chess. You'll warm up with tactics, work through master games and tournament positions, and talk through your own games. It's structured but relaxed — more conversation than lecture, and you'll do most of the thinking.
David puts positions on the board and asks you to find the best move. He'll let you calculate, talk through your ideas, and then ask you to refute yourself. It's not about getting it right first time — it's about learning to think through positions the way strong players do.
You'll study Fischer, Kasparov, and modern grandmasters — but also David's own tournament games, mistakes and all. He'll show you where he blundered, why he made the wrong decision, and what he should have done. It's honest, practical, and the lessons stick because they come from real chess, not textbook exercises.
David sends annotated games, puzzles, and training material between lessons. He has an enormous library of resources and shares generously. A little work each day — tactics, positions to evaluate, games to study — adds up quickly. The lesson is where it starts; the real improvement happens in between.
"David is an excellent coach — and someone I'm glad to call a friend. What really stands out is how he handles calculation work. He doesn't rush in to rescue you. He doesn't fill the silence. He lets you sit with the position and actually think. If you're close, he might give you just enough to keep you on track — but if he knows you can work it out, he makes you earn it. That balance is rare. You never feel lost, but you're never spoon-fed either. I come out of our lessons having genuinely learned something — and feeling like I've had a proper mental workout."Andrew Rimmer · Student
"David is a very accessible person. As a student, I've asked him many a question outside of a lesson. And it wasn't like 'I'm a busy person, why are you bothering me' — it was just 'Hey friend, I'm happy to talk to you.' That's been quite wonderful."Dr Kevin Scull · Chess Journeys Podcast Host
From David's appearance on the Chess Journeys podcast — his principles for making the student–coach relationship work.
If you're paying for a good coach who cares about you, use the time. A good coach asks if you have questions at the end. A good student turns up with a paper full of bullet points, and the next half hour is where the real learning happens.
If you played a game that went wrong, send it to your coach — even outside the lesson. A good coach can tell you what went wrong over chat in ten minutes. They can probably see the mistake in ten seconds.
If your coach doesn't give you homework, that's a problem. Positions to review, candidate moves to find — the lesson gives you maybe 40% of the material. The homework gives you the rest. It's thirty minutes a day. You can manage that.
David is emphatic: the two things holding most players back are poor endgames and not playing aggressively enough. His endgame curriculum is a clear path from essential theoretical positions through to strategic mastery.
The real "100 endgames you must know" — concrete positions that win you games immediately.
Ideas over memorisation. Understand the structures, learn the plans.
The advanced course. After this, Dvoretsky's manual — but only the blue sections first.
David joins the Chess Journeys podcast to talk about his path from 0/7 to city champion, why philosophy and chess go hand in hand, his coaching methods, strongly-held endgame book opinions, and why you should always play with increment (for your own safety).
David coaches students of all levels online via Google Meet. Send him a message — no commitment, no pressure. He's happy to talk about your goals before you book anything.