IM Rakesh Kumar Jena

I’m International Master Rakesh Kumar Jena from Bhubaneswar, India.

My coaching focuses on helping students understand positions, calculate carefully and make better decisions at the board. I believe students should understand the reasoning behind a move and develop the confidence to think independently.

My teaching style is friendly and approachable, and I adapt my approach to each student’s goals, experience and learning habits.

Outside chess, my interests include music, poetry, history and politics.

I began playing chess in 2007, started competing professionally in 2009, and earned the International Master title in 2017.

Selected achievements:

National Under-11 Champion, 2012.
National Under-9 silver medalist, 2010.
Asian Youth Under-10 bronze medalist, 2011.
Fifth place at the World Youth Under-10 Championship, 2011.
Asian Youth Under-12 silver medalist, 2012.
National Under-19 silver medalist, 2018.

Coached multiple players to 2000–2300 Classical ratings and guided several medalists in age-category tournaments. Active in chess coaching since 2020 and served as coach for the Odisha team at the 2025 National Team Championship.

My main coaching strengths are:

Middlegame strategy and positional understanding.
Calculation and careful evaluation of candidate moves.
Endgame understanding and technique.
Explaining complex ideas through practical positions.
Developing independent thinking and more disciplined decision-making.

My lessons focus primarily on middlegame understanding, endgames and calculation, with guidance for self-study between sessions.

We work through practical positions, discuss possible moves and examine the reasoning behind them. I encourage students to explain their ideas and give them time to think independently before providing hints or explanations.

I adapt the balance of challenge, explanation and encouragement to the individual student. My manner is friendly, while expectations around concentration and effort remain clear.

Dedicated opening preparation is not my primary specialism. Where that is a student’s main requirement, I can recommend a specialist.