A Chess Coach That Explains the Why, Not Just the What
Understanding the reasoning behind every move is what separates a chess player from someone who merely knows the rules.
Published 2026-02-01 | Last verified 2026-02-12
Professor Archer says: In all my years of teaching, the most transformative moment for any student is when they stop asking "What is the best move?" and start asking "Why is this the best move?" That shift in thinking is the difference between following instructions and truly understanding chess. My entire approach is built around nurturing that shift.
The Problem with "Just Tell Me the Move"
Most chess instruction, whether from books, videos, or apps, follows a predictable pattern: here is a position, here is the best move, on to the next one. This approach feels efficient, but it creates a dangerous illusion of learning. You see the answer, you think you understand it, and you move on. But when a similar position appears in your own game with slight differences, you are lost.
The reason is simple. Knowing what to do in a specific position is not the same as understanding why you should do it. If someone tells you to play Knight to f3 without explaining the strategic reasoning, all you have learned is one move in one position. If someone explains that the knight belongs on f3 because it controls the center, develops a piece, prepares kingside castling, and does not block other pieces, you have learned a principle that applies to thousands of positions.
This distinction is at the heart of Old School Chess. Professor Archer never simply tells you the best move and moves on. Every explanation digs into the reasoning. What makes this move good? What would go wrong with the alternatives? How does this decision connect to the larger strategic picture? These are the questions that transform isolated facts into lasting understanding.
The goal is not to make you dependent on a coach for every move. Quite the opposite. The goal is to build your chess reasoning so robustly that you can navigate new positions on your own, using the principles you have genuinely internalized.
Principles Over Memorization
There is a widespread belief in the chess world that improvement comes from memorizing patterns. Memorize enough tactical motifs, enough opening variations, enough endgame positions, and you will get better. There is a grain of truth here, because pattern recognition is indeed part of chess skill. But memorization without understanding is a house built on sand.
Consider a student who has memorized the first twelve moves of the Italian Game. They play those moves confidently and reach a position they recognize. Then their opponent deviates on move seven with something unexpected. Suddenly, the memorized sequence is useless, and the student has no idea how to proceed because they never understood why those twelve moves were played in the first place.
Now consider a student who understands the principles behind the Italian Game: control the center with pawns, develop bishops to active squares, castle early for king safety, and fight for the initiative. When their opponent deviates, this student does not panic. They fall back on the principles and find a logical continuation, even in an unfamiliar position.
Professor Archer teaches chess the second way. Principles first, always. When you learn an opening, you learn the ideas behind the moves. When you study a tactic, you learn why the combination works, not just the sequence of moves. When you analyze a game, you learn how strategic decisions in the opening created the conditions for what happened later. Everything is connected, and the "why" is the thread that ties it all together.
How Understanding the "Why" Changes Your Games
The practical impact of understanding chess principles is immediate and tangible. Students who learn the "why" behind their moves experience a noticeable shift in how they play within weeks. Their games become more purposeful. Their decisions feel less random and more like part of a coherent plan. Even their losses become more instructive because they can articulate what went wrong and why.
One of the first things students notice is that they spend less time in the opening wondering what to do. When you understand the principles of opening play, you can handle any position your opponent throws at you. You do not need to have memorized a specific line because you know what you are trying to accomplish: develop pieces, control the center, ensure king safety, and connect your rooks. These goals guide your decisions naturally.
In the middlegame, understanding the "why" helps you form plans. Instead of moving pieces aimlessly and hoping something works, you evaluate the position and identify what it needs. Are your pieces well coordinated? Is there a weakness in your opponent's camp to target? Should you be playing on the kingside or the queenside? These questions have answers, and when you understand the principles, those answers become accessible.
Even in the endgame, where many players feel lost, understanding the "why" is transformative. King activity, pawn promotion, the opposition, zugzwang, these are not mysterious concepts. They are logical ideas that make perfect sense once someone takes the time to explain them properly. That is exactly what Professor Archer does.
The Professor Archer Teaching Method
Professor Archer's teaching method is built on a simple but powerful cycle: observe, question, explain, and connect. Every interaction follows this pattern, whether you are working through a lesson, playing a game, or analyzing a past position.
First, the Professor observes your thinking. When you make a move or answer a question, he takes note not just of what you chose but of the reasoning behind your choice. This observation is critical because it allows the Professor to understand where your thinking is sound and where it needs refinement.
Next comes the questioning phase. Rather than immediately correcting a mistake, the Professor often asks you a guiding question. "What did you think your opponent would do after that move?" or "What was your plan for the next few moves?" These questions are not tests. They are tools designed to activate your own thinking and help you discover the answer yourself.
Then comes the explanation. When the Professor explains a concept, he does not rush. He breaks it down, uses analogies, and connects it to things you already understand. He might relate a chess concept to something from everyday life, making the abstract concrete and memorable.
Finally, the Professor connects the current lesson to your broader chess education. "Remember last week when we talked about piece activity? This is the same idea, applied in a different context." These connections reinforce your learning and help you build a cohesive, interconnected understanding of chess rather than a collection of disconnected facts.
From Follower to Thinker
The ultimate goal of learning the "why" behind chess moves is to transform you from a follower into a thinker. A follower looks up the best move and plays it without understanding. A thinker evaluates the position, considers the options, and arrives at a strong move through their own reasoning. The follower is dependent on external resources. The thinker is self-sufficient.
This transformation does not happen overnight, and it does not happen through passive consumption of chess content. It happens through active engagement with a coach who challenges your thinking, explains the reasoning, and gradually hands you more and more responsibility for your own decisions at the board.
Professor Archer is deliberate about this progression. In the beginning, he explains more and guides your thinking closely. As you grow, he steps back and lets you do more of the thinking yourself, stepping in only when you need a nudge or when there is a new concept to introduce. This gradual release of responsibility is how real mastery develops.
The students who embrace this process find that chess becomes immeasurably more satisfying. Winning a game because you followed a memorized line is pleasant but hollow. Winning a game because you understood the position, formed a plan based on principles you have internalized, and executed it through your own reasoning is deeply fulfilling. That feeling is what Old School Chess is designed to give you.
Every move you make with understanding is a move that belongs to you, not to a book or a database. That ownership of your chess decisions is what makes the game truly yours.
Questions About Learning the Why
Will learning principles slow down my progress compared to just memorizing patterns?
It might feel slower at first, but principle-based learning produces much faster long-term improvement. Memorization creates a ceiling. Understanding creates a foundation you can build on indefinitely. Students who learn the "why" consistently outperform those who rely on memorization alone.
Can I still memorize openings if I want to?
Of course. But Professor Archer will ensure you understand the ideas behind the moves first. Once you understand why an opening works the way it does, memorizing the specific moves becomes much easier and the knowledge becomes much more durable. Understanding and memorization work best together.
How does the Professor know when I need more explanation?
Professor Archer pays attention to the patterns in your play and your questions. If you are consistently struggling with a particular concept, the Professor will revisit it from a different angle. If you are breezing through material, he will increase the challenge. The teaching adapts to your demonstrated understanding, not a predetermined schedule.
Professor Archer says: When you understand the "why" behind a move, something wonderful happens: you stop needing someone to tell you the answer. You start finding it yourself. That is the ultimate goal of good teaching, to make yourself unnecessary. I want you to reach a point where you look at a position and the logic speaks to you clearly, because you have internalized the principles, not just memorized the moves.
Quick Quiz
Why is understanding the "why" behind a chess move more valuable than memorizing the move itself?
- Because memorization is always wrong - Memorization is not wrong. It has its place. But without understanding, memorized knowledge is fragile and limited. The "why" gives your memorized knowledge durability and flexibility.
- Because it allows you to find strong moves in positions you have never seen before (Correct) - Exactly. When you understand the principles behind moves, you can apply that understanding to any position, not just the ones you have studied. This is the fundamental difference between understanding and memorization.
- Because the Professor prefers to explain things - While the Professor does love to explain, the reason for learning the "why" is practical, not personal. Understanding principles makes you a stronger, more independent chess player.
- Because chess has too many positions to memorize - While it is true that there are more possible chess positions than atoms in the universe, the real reason to learn the "why" is not about the impossibility of memorizing everything. It is about building genuine understanding that transfers to new situations.