ChessMood
GM-built course library with a live weekly cadence and a member forum.
Focus
Adult improvement · Openings study · Endgames study · Coaching
Rating band
1000–2400
What it is
A paid chess-education platform founded by GM Avetik Grigoryan. Members get 500+ hours of structured video courses (openings, middlegame, endgame, psychology), weekly live events such as Openings in Practice and Play vs Grandmaster, and access to a moderated forum for homework review. English-language, priced at $99/month (Essential tier) or around $79/month on the annual plan as of 2026.
Review
ChessMood is the most production-grade chess academy in English outside of Chessable's course model. Founded by GM Avetik Grigoryan, it bundles a 500+ hour course library with weekly live events and a forum — roughly the shape of Chess Dojo, but with the centre of gravity on recorded content rather than Discord culture.
What it does best is opening preparation. The repertoire courses (Caro-Kann, Sicilian Najdorf, London, etc.) are rating-band aware and linked to weekly "Openings in Practice" sessions where members see their lines played at speed by a GM. That loop — study, then watch it used, then play it — is the legitimate improvement engine here.
At $99/month Essential, this is a premium tier. Players who won't treat it as a serious commitment get less value than the price implies. For a 1400-1900 player who wants a graded opening repertoire and a weekly training rhythm without the Discord social tax, this is the strongest option in English.
What works
- One of the largest GM-curated course libraries outside Chessable — structured, not a dumping ground.
- Weekly live events give the subscription a recurring cadence, not just static videos.
- Clear improvement framework ("Right Mood = Right Move") with explicit targets at each rating band.
What doesn't
- $99/month is premium — without member discipline the library sits unused.
- Course depth is strongest on openings; middlegame and endgame are lighter than a specialist would want.
- Community discussion lags behind Discord-first communities like Chess Dojo.
Other communities
- Chess Dojo
Structured adult improvement with a live community.
- Bacrot Academy (Alpha Échecs)
GM Étienne Bacrot's structured training program for serious improvers.
- BlitzStream — La Communauté de Julien Song
The biggest French-speaking online chess community, around IM Julien Song.
- Chess.com Clubs
On-platform clubs with team matches, Daily chess, and local meetups.