Welcome To NextLevelChess.

Hey there, I am Noël Studer, the youngest-ever Swiss Chess Grandmaster. I won more than 10 Swiss Championship Titles and was a professional Chess Player from 2015-2021 with an all-time high rating of 2588 FIDE.
Now I am a Coach and Chess Author. My Mission is to help Chess Lovers from different Levels and Backgrounds improve their Chess. I do this by writing articles, a weekly Newsletter, and by creating Video-courses.
I’m convinced that with the right mindset & tools, everybody can improve their Chess. My goal is to help you be the best version of yourself and reach your full potential.
Let me help you bring your Chess to the Next Level.
My Latest Blog Posts

Setting Up Your Chess Board: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Are you new to chess and struggling with how to set up a chessboard? Then this guide is perfect for you. In a matter of less than 5 Minutes, you will be able to set up the chessboard correctly every...

Finding Your Chess North Star: What Are You Optimizing For?
Since starting my blog in 2021, I've answered hundreds of questions from readers. Most of my answers begin with "It depends." This isn't a cop-out, but rather what I genuinely believe. It's...

Don’t Be A Genius
Every single time I thought I found an extremely sophisticated, "genius" solution to a simple problem, I was mistaken. I can recall dozens of games where I made silly mistakes simply because I...

Unlocking Chess Success: Knowledge Meets Skill
Knowing is not doing. I know meditation helps me. Yet I’m not meditating every day. I know playing blitz games without focus isn’t fun or good for my chess. Yet you’ll find some of those games in my...

The Chess Step Method Explained
The Step Chess Method is one of the most famous step-by-step methods for teaching and learning chess. In this article, I will explain what the Step Method is, tell you if it is worth it, and how you...

Checkmate: A Simple Guide To Checkmating The Lone King
Giving Checkmate. What an amazing feeling! And the goal of each and every game. But especially when starting out, easier said than done! In this article, I will explain how to checkmate a lone King...

Unlocking Chess Success: +752 Points in 6 Months
Winning 752 points in 6 months. What sounds like a ridiculous marketing pitch is the real success story of my student Tatjana. She managed to raise her chess.com rapid rating from 269 to 1021 points...

Save Time and Energy with a Simple Approach to Sidelines
Throughout my career, I was always happy when my opponents opted for sidelines in the Opening. I interpreted this as respect for my preparation. And there usually is a reason why a sideline isn’t...

Lichess 101: A Comprehensive Grandmaster Guide
Lichess is a gift to the Chess community. This free website, beloved by millions of chess fans, has so much to offer. No matter if you hear of Lichess for the first time or use it daily, this guide...

No More Excuses: Improve Your Chess Today!
Not enough time, no money, too old, bad memory. Those are just some of the most frequent excuses I hear for Chess improvement. “It is true, that’s not an excuse” you might say. Nope. Only excuses....