---
title: Every Master WAS once a Beginner.
description: It's important to understand what it takes to become a master, and in this article I highlight to you the differences in Chess levels as a Fide Instructor working with national champions.
image: https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=82HxDoK_xsmU.webp&w=880&sig=84c2496a13b3ec730ff351de877a9dea10eb0828
---

## 🎯 A Coach’s Observation

I’m a certified FIDE Instructor, working with some of South Africa’s strongest junior players—including national champions.
And there’s a pattern.
A very clear one.
From ages **8 to 12**, and even bleeding into **U14**, many players:

* Hang pieces
* Play too quickly
* Treat serious positions casually

With the younger ones, it’s understandable—**they’re still developing focus**.
But with older juniors?
That habit should have been corrected already.
And when it isn’t... it becomes a ceiling.

🧱 Ages 8–12 (±1200–1600) — “The Blunder Phase”
![Blunder 1..jpg](https://image.lichess1.org/display?op=noop&path=ZQ4OT0EYl2Z0.jpg&sig=57ef472003796847a9267754ad3934484ed6390b)White took the pawn on f7, which was a blunder, and black foreseeing a 'dangerous attack' decides to castle, instead of taking the piece.

### What’s Happening:

* Pieces are dropped almost every game
* Moves are played too quickly
* Games are decided by simple tactics

Even at **national level**, this still happens.

### Openings They Gravitate Toward:

* Italian Game (Fried Liver, Four Knights)
* Scotch Game
* Blackburne–Kostic Gambit

These aren’t bad openings.
They’re:

* Simple
* Tactical
* Easy to teach
* Used by almost every coach early on. 

👉 *To explore these openings:* [The Italian game.](https://lichess.org/study/QB9NiveL/pcQjLXOt) 

### The Core Problem:

Not openings.
Not talent.
**It’s board awareness.**

### What They Need:

* Hanging piece training
* Tactical pattern recognition
* Slower, more deliberate play

👉 *Train this here:* ([Puzzles • lichess.org](https://lichess.org/training/hangingPiece))

At this level, improvement is not about learning more—
it’s about **losing less material**.

⚔️ Ages 14–20 (±1400–1800+) — “The Structured Player”

![Queen's gambit 2..jpg](https://image.lichess1.org/display?op=noop&path=UD70TGsVeK4N.jpg&sig=a0f544393d1aea4418416434f38d13e860166bf9)

### What’s Happening:

This is where the **real competitors emerge**.

* Better understanding of the game
* Higher accuracy (\~90%)
* More positional play

In South Africa, these are often your **most promising players**.

### Opening Trends:

* Queen’s Gambit
* Catalan structures
* King’s Indian Defense

Now the game becomes:

* Slower
* Deeper
* More strategic

### The Real Weaknesses:

* Imbalanced skillsets
    * Strong opening → weak middlegame
    * Good middlegame → poor endgame
* Weak endgame technique (especially rook endgames)

### What They Need:

* Better opening understanding (not memorization)
* Middlegame planning
* **Serious endgame work**

👉 *Train this here:* Openings ([English Opening.](https://lichess.org/study/dLyFEu8G/0csWEnRU))
 Middlegame ([Puzzles • lichess.org](https://lichess.org/training/Catalan_Opening))
 Endgame: ([Puzzles • lichess.org](https://lichess.org/training/endgame))

This is where players either plateau... or separate themselves.

👑 1800+ — “The Path to Mastery”
![Mastery 1..jpg](https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=0&op=resize&path=aYxx4_XTPvHM.jpg&w=800&sig=c080e49046281077536a560a8ce256dbc48a17e6)

### What’s Happening:

Now you’re dealing with players who:

* Understand the game deeply
* Have structured repertoires
* Can punish mistakes early

Accuracy rises to **95%+ in familiar positions**.

### What Separates Them:

* They recognize bad moves instantly
* They don’t rush winning positions
* They convert advantages clinically

### The Truth About “Prodigies”

Yes, there are exceptions.
Players like Faustino Oro reaching elite levels at a very young age.
But let’s be real:
That’s **0.1%**.
For the other **99.9%**, improvement is built—not gifted.

### What This Level Requires:

* Refined opening repertoire
* Deep calculation
* Endgame mastery
* Psychological discipline

This is where chess becomes less about moves...and more about **precision and patience**.
## 🔥 Final Word: The Pattern You Must Break

Every level has a trap:

* **Beginner:** Hanging pieces
* **Intermediate:** Playing without structure
* **Advanced:** Imbalance in skill (especially endgames)

If you don’t fix your current level’s problem...
You carry it upward.
And it becomes harder to remove.
## 📩 Want to Go Further?

If you’re serious about improving and positioning yourself for mastery:

* Training plans
* Coaching
* Training games
* Structured improvement systems

You can reach out directly.

**STRIVE FOR MASTERY**