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Learn chess with a method that actually makes sense

Recorded courses with lifetime access, live courses with a date and limited places, and private lessons with a coach. From your first games to preparing for a tournament.

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Free lesson

47...♝h3!! A Move for the History Books

with GM Alexei Shirov

Shirov breaks down the thought process that led him to find 47...♝h3!! against Veselin Topalov, one of the most memorable moves in modern chess history.

No account, no card. Includes the annotated game to play through on the board.

Recorded material, lifetime access

Featured courses

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IntermediateAdvanced

Think Better: Strategy, Calculation and Dynamics

An advanced course to better understand what happens behind the moves. Through six classes with GM Diego Flores, GM Andrés Rodríguez, and IM Daniel Rivera.

ARDFDRBy GM Andrés Rodríguez Vila, GM Diego Flores, and IM Daniel Rivera

6 lessons14 h 2 min6 Videos65 PGN games
USD 25.00
View details
All levels

The Grünfeld Defense: Ideas, Lines and Current Games

Explore the essential ideas of the Grünfeld defense, the Exchange Variation, the Russian Variation and systems with Bf4, Bg5 and fianchetto.

ARMPBy GM Andrés Rodríguez Vila and IM Maximiliano Pérez

6 lessons9 h6 Videos207 PGN games
USD 25.00
View details
Online lessons

Train one to one with a coach

You choose the coach, the language, the length and the time, and the lesson happens over video call.

Browse all coaches

GMAlejandro Hoffman

Focused on general strategy and endgame. Train while you learn. Guidance beyond the lessons.

SpanishEnglishPortugueseItalian
All levels

From

USD 40.00

per hour

Live courses

Upcoming courses with a date

Group courses with a coach, in person or over video call. Fixed syllabus and limited places.

See the full schedule
Live online
All levels

Queen's Gambit

A complete journey through the Queen's Gambit to master its strategic ideas, structures, and key plans. From the Accepted and Declined to the Exchange Variation and minority attack, with a practical focus and classic examples.

Dates
Oct 20 – 31, 2026
Time
Tuesday from 19:30 to 21:00 · Thursday from 19:30 to 21:00 · Saturday from 10:30 to 12:00 · 6 sessions
Coaches
GM Andrés Rodríguez Vila and GM Alejandro Hoffman
Where
Zoom
USD 40.00

per person · 9 h in total

Places available

What students say

From people who've been through the club and the courses.

5,0299 Google reviews

5 stars

The Mikhail Tal Chess Club is an excellent place to learn and develop chess skills. It features quality teaching, a very pleasant atmosphere, and coaches who are committed to each student's learning. It is a great option both for those just starting out and for those looking to refine their level. I recommend it to anyone who wants to start their chess journey with a solid and excellent foundation.
Martín DuarteGoogle review · Translated from Spanish

5 stars

Dear all, the courses are very nice. Easy to understand and with great analytical capacity, very didactic and participatory. Enriching to keep pursuing continuous improvement. Regards, Quimey
Jose andres CarvajalGoogle review · Translated from Spanish

5 stars

The courses organized by Club Mijail Tal are very good and taught by great coaches who prepare them with great care and explain the most complicated concepts with great simplicity
Manuel PereiraGoogle review · Translated from Spanish

All your chess, in one place

No loose PDFs by email, no links that expire. The material, the lessons and your progress live here.

Video on the platform

Lessons recorded in high quality, with speed control, and you pick up where you left off.

PDF notes

Summaries, exercises and key positions to read online or download.

Interactive PGN

Play through every game move by move on a real board, with variations and commentary.

Your progress, saved

The platform remembers which lesson you watched and which one is next, on any device.

Frequently asked questions

What is AcademiaTal?

AcademiaTal is a chess course platform. There are three ways to learn: recorded courses with lifetime access, live courses with a date, a venue and limited places, and private lessons over video call with a coach.

Every course brings together the lesson video, the PDF notes and annotated games on an interactive board. The platform remembers where you were, so you can pick up from any device.

To buy a course, book a lesson and reach your material you need an account. You can create it with your email or sign in with your Google account: in that case we use your name, your email address and your profile picture solely to identify you within the site and give you access to what you bought, as set out in the privacy policy.

Where do I start if I've never played?

With a beginner course: they start from the rules, the basic checkmates and the first opening ideas, with exercises to make each topic stick. If you'd rather have someone guide you from day one, a private online lesson starts exactly at your level.

Can I take online chess lessons with a coach?

Yes. Under Online lessons you choose the coach, the language, the length and the time, and the lesson happens over video call. Each coach lists their title, what they specialise in and which levels they work with, so you can pick whoever fits what you want to improve.

What's the difference between a recorded course and a live course?

A recorded course you watch whenever you like, as many times as you like, with lifetime access. A live course is a group, has a date, a time and limited places, is held in person or over video call, and you can ask questions on the spot.

I already play tournaments — is there anything at my level?

Yes. There are courses on advanced tactics, strategy, endgames and opening preparation, and the coaches work on tournament preparation and analysis of your own games, which is where you climb fastest.

How do I get into the course after buying it?

Access is immediate. As soon as the payment clears, the course shows up under “My courses” and you can start watching from any device.

Can I download the material?

PDF notes and PGN games download without limits. Videos are watched inside the platform, to protect the author's work.

Do the courses have an expiry date?

No. If you buy a course, access is for life and includes any updates published later on.

What's the difference between buying a course and the membership?

Buying a course gives you that course forever. The membership opens the whole catalogue for as long as it's active, new courses included. Live courses and private lessons are paid for separately.

Start playing better today

Get the whole catalogue with a membership, buy the courses you want one by one, or book a lesson with a coach.