testimonials
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My students have achieved excellent results in various tournaments over the years. Recent examples include Marko Korhonen and Rayan Mashhadi Aghajan, who won medals at the 2026 Finnish Rapid Chess Championships. You can find the tournament report on the Chess Federation’s website here (in Finnish).
Below, you can read what my students have to say about my coaching.
Sebastian focuses on developing the player in areas that have a long-term impact on their game. Although Sebastian has extensive knowledge of all aspects of chess, I appreciate his approach to the game most. Sebastian’s talents outside of chess also show in his coaching. He challenges players to think “outside the box” and find exceptional ideas. He also appreciates the beautiful ideas that arise in chess. His experience and knowledge are particularly evident in the middlegame, where it is more difficult to find good training material than in other areas of the game, and where the value of an experienced coach is perhaps most evident.
As a person, Sebastian is genuinely positive and inspiring. He is easy to be around, both at the chessboard and outside of chess. His own passion for the game is also infectious simply through working with him.
Marko Korhonen, 2026 Finnish Rapid Chess Championship bronze medalist and Finnish S50 Champion
My son Rayan trained with Sebastian for about a year, and the impact was significant. Sebastian teaches with patience and genuine care. He has a natural ability to connect with children. His teaching methods are engaging and motivating, helping young students feel relaxed and confident. The lessons were well structured and tailored to my son’s level. Sebastian has a deep understanding of chess and explains complex concepts clearly and practically.
I particularly appreciated his dedication beyond the chessboard. He genuinely cares about his students’ development. He offers encouragement, guidance, and support when needed and responds quickly to questions. Thanks to Sebastian, my son improved as a chess player. His confidence and discipline also grew, and his passion for the game truly came alive. I highly recommend him to any family looking for a patient and supportive chess coach.
Ali Mashhadi Aghajan, father of Rayan Mashhadi Aghajan
Rayan Mashhadi Aghajan, 2026 Finnish Rapid Chess Championship silver medalist
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Sebastian as my chess coach for nearly half a year now, and I can say without hesitation that he is truly exceptional – both as a trainer and as a person. What sets Sebastian apart is his almost uncanny ability to grasp any chess position or situation within seconds. It’s as if you’re speaking to a living, breathing chess engine – but one that explains, teaches, and guides with clarity, warmth, and purpose. He doesn’t just follow a training plan – he enriches it, sharpens it, and tailors it to bring out the best in me as a player.
Sebastian approaches every session with full dedication and genuine passion. His love for the game is palpable and infectious, and you feel it in every moment you spend working with him. He has a remarkable talent for turning even the most seemingly dry or mechanical positions into vivid, comprehensible lessons. The way he articulates ideas makes complex positions not just understandable, but memorable. Beyond his immense skill and insight, Sebastian is simply a wonderful person to work with. Our sessions are always inspiring and enjoyable, and I look forward to every one of them. I feel incredibly grateful and fortunate to have found such a gifted and committed teacher.
inmemeroyofalekhine
Working with Sebastian has been like the smell of the first spring day after the cold winter, a breath of fresh air. It is clear to me over the past few months working with him his passion and excitement for chess is infectious and shows through. He brought me out of the darkness of obsessing over rating gains to the light, where I am honestly, just happy to be playing at the board. There is no doubt in my mind that if you are struggling with a direction in your chess improvement or found yourself stuck on a plateau he will undoubtedly find your issues and address them without you even knowing it. Plus he is just straight up a good person who wants you to succeed. I am happy to have him as my partner for chess improvement and cannot wait to see where our journey takes us together.
Nicholas Sloan
I’ve been playing chess for over 20 years, and of course I know that there is always more to learn. However, once I began taking lessons with Sebastian, he showed me exactly how much more! In each lesson, I am astounded at how deeply Sebastian understands the game and how he can illuminate ideas that I never would have thought of on my own. His lessons are intense, insightful and inspiring!
Chad Smith
Sebastian is a great teacher. Before I started receiving his coaching, I thought my understanding of the game was pretty good and that I knew many concepts. Through his coaching, I realised that my understanding of chess was lacking in so many areas. One particular aspect that I love about his coaching is how he explains concepts in such depth; things I thought I understood turn out to be far more complex, and he taught me many new aspects after only a few months of sessions. I can wholeheartedly recommend him, as his lessons are very passionate and enjoyable while also really deepening your understanding of the most important concepts in chess.
Valentijn
During my time taking lessons with Sebastian, I never once saw him unmotivated to work. It’s very clear that he really loves chess and enjoys teaching. He doesn’t just explain positions; he pushes until I understand the reasoning behind each move. We cover everything – from analyzing my own games and preparing openings for upcoming tournaments to studying classic games and endgame concepts. It’s a comprehensive approach. Beyond chess, he’s simply a genuinely nice person. We often chat a bit before or after lessons, which makes the whole experience feel relaxed and enjoyable. After four months of lessons, I played one of my best tournaments. More importantly, I am starting to see chess differently now.
oleksiial
I’ve learned so much from Sebastian’s coaching. He has a real talent for explaining complex positions in a way that’s easy to understand, while also pushing me to think more deeply about strategy. Thanks to his guidance, my confidence and consistency in games have improved significantly. His lessons are always engaging, structured, and tailored to my goals. I highly recommend him to anyone serious about improving their chess.
JJ
Sebastian is a fantastic chess coach and a true joy to work with. As an older player, I doubted I could improve, but his lessons on positional play, especially analyzing Magnus Carlsen’s games, have been eye-opening. He keeps lessons fun, paces them perfectly, and I genuinely look forward to every session.
RobertHoward
Sebastian is one of the most passionate and enthusiastic teachers I’ve ever met. He’s very understanding of his students and ensures that they can get the most out of their lessons. Sebastian is also very patient and will stick with you every step of the way! I am extremely lucky to have been his student.
mp_roamer
Sebastian is an experienced, knowledgeable, thoughtful and passionate teacher. He loves the game of chess and that love carries over into his teaching. He never fails to help me understand my games more deeply, and I have improved substantially since beginning lessons with him. I highly recommend him as a coach.
CAM10203040
I just had a series of lessons with Sebastian. I wanted to deepen my understanding and find a new direction for my chess playing. I got exactly what I was looking for! Sebastian guided me wonderfully with his professional skills and enthusiastic personality towards higher-level play. Warm recommendation!
TyrFin
I found Sebastian through Lichess and his extensive teaching record attracted me. I have been studying under Sebastian almost weekly over the last four months and every lesson is energetic and insightful. As a self-taught player, chess improvement can be really hard but Sebastian explains strategic ideas and concepts really clearly, so it makes sense and you remember them. I’ve recently started playing over the board games and during the games I feel that I understand positions a lot better and remember ideas that we talked about during coaching. I can definitely recommend Sebastian as a coach!
JNSCHKMT
I’m glad to be Sebastian’s friend. He’s a strong chess player, a good coach, and a good person. During my time training with him, Sebastian has improved my understanding of all phases of the game, as well as thematic ideas in different types of positions. His enthusiasm for my success in various chess exercises has really motivated me to keep finding the best moves. I feel a heartfelt “Thank you, Sebastian!” well up within me, which is illustrative of his effect on me.
belleviesparkling
I have been taking lessons with Sebastian twice a week for the past month or so. He is a fantastic teacher and has drastically improved my endgames. When I started working with him, I was stuck at around 550 rating on chess.com. I am now approaching 900 and feel like I improve with every game I play.
saundeezy
In the time I’ve been training with Sebastian, I’ve gained over 200 rating points on Lichess, and my method of studying chess has improved immensely. He’s very flexible with both scheduling and study material. I can only recommend him.
Trerika
I’ve been training with Sebastian weekly/biweekly for the past six months. He is accommodating, both in terms of schedule and training content. He has a deep positional understanding and skill in explaining long lines in an understandable way. There is good interaction: I know I can interrupt him at any time. He has never failed to find satisfying answers to my questions or evaluations of my thoughts.
jstimpfle
I had a series of lessons with Sebastian recently. I am glad that I chose him as my trainer. He was patient and clear in his explanations. He quickly understood what I needed to improve my game. I can with pleasure recommend him to all. I shall probably take another training course with him in the future.
Andrastamaspeter