Review of Favorite FritzTrainer Courses by Jochen Schwarz
Jochen Schwarz, a club player from Bremen, has found ChessBase FritzTrainer courses to be an integral part of his chess hobby since returning to competitive play in 2016. Over the past decade, he has engaged with more than 100 courses, appreciating their blend of videos, databases, and interactive exercises.
These courses focus on building a reliable opening repertoire by emphasizing the understanding of tactical and strategic elements rather than merely memorizing lines. While opening theory evolves quickly, the fundamental characteristics of the openings remain valuable over time.
Schwarz highlights specific courses, including PowerPlay volumes 23-25, which provide a comprehensive repertoire for Black against various openings. He also praises the instructional quality of courses by IM Lorin D'Costa and GM Yannick Pelletier, which cater to beginners and explain complex theories clearly. Additionally, he notes the effectiveness of Robert Ris's Calculation Training series, which combines annotated examples with interactive exercises.
