FM Fabián Ernesto Vivas Zamora

Hello everyone!! 👋🏼

I am Fabián Vivas, a 24 years old FIDE Master from Venezuela (currently living in Lima, Peru) with 2408 FIDE Elo and 2 IM Norms. Also, I'm currently Venezuela's 2nd highest rated player.

🌐 Besides Spanish (my native language), I am fluent in English (C1), and also speak some Portuguese (B1).

I learned to play chess when I was 7; a few months later I played my first tournament and quickly it became my passion. Here are some of the achievements I have accomplished along my chess journey:

* Since 2009 (U-10), I was a member of the national team of my country in junior categories, being national champion 5 times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017) and representing Venezuela in several international events (in junior categories) with good results, among which are:
- GOLD as the 2nd Board of the Venezuelan team champion of the Central American student Games U-17 Yucatán, Mexico 2015. in the classical and Blitz formats.
- SILVER in the rapid, individual format.
- 3 times 4th place in the Pan-american Youth Chess Festival in the 2009 (Argentina), 2015 (Colombia) and 2017 (Costa Rica) editions. 

* Between 2017 and 2018 I increased my FIDE rating more than 200 points (reaching 2364)

* During that time period, I qualified had the honor to participate in the Batumi Chess Olympiad as the 4th board, scoring 5,5 of 10.

* Three years later, I also qualified and proudly represented my country in the Online Olympiad 2021.

* In November 2023 I achieved my first IM norm after winning an ITT tournament in Vélez, Colombia.

* In January 2024 I secured my second IM norm in a closed ITT tournament in Lima (valid or GM norms) where I got 3rd place.

* As of March 2024, my peak FIDE Elo stands at 2408.

With over 6 years of chess coaching experience, I’ve had the privilege of guiding students from over 12 different countries toward chess improvement.

Here’s a glimpse into my coaching journey:

🌎Diverse Student Base: From beginners to 2100-rated players, I’ve worked with chess enthusiasts of all levels. Age is no barrier—I’ve taught students as young as 7 and adults too.

🏅Championship Achievements: Some of my students have achieved remarkable results, including Top-3 places in South-American, Central-American, and Pan-American Championships within their respective categories.

👨🏼‍🏫Official Coaching Role: As the Official Coach of the Venezuelan National team at the XVI Central American Youth Festival in Mérida, Venezuela (2018), I contributed to our team’s success.

🎙️🎬 I am also on Twitch (in Spanish), so follow me there if you want to have fun while learning chess.

Besides chess, I like to learn about other topics of my interest, particularly science, languages and, more recently, programming.

🔀Dynamic and Interactive Classes:  I strive to make our classes engaging and interactive.

🌟Simplified Concepts: Chess concepts can be intimidating, but fear not! I break them down using everyday analogies and key bullet points that will help you remember these concepts in the long term and apply them naturally in your games.

📊Realistic Evaluation:  You’ll receive an honest assessment of your game—both your strengths and areas for improvement. Let’s work on those weak spots together.
🏠Homework and Materials: After each class, expect some homework tailored to your needs. Plus, I’ll provide relevant materials like PDF and PGN files.

🏅Tournament Prep: Got a big event coming up? I’ve got your back! We’ll study your opponents, strategize, and keep you motivated.

In today's information-rich era 🌐🖥️, where books, courses, videos and other resources abound, I believe a player should focus on developing a deep understanding of the dynamics of the game, aiming to understand the core reasons behind certain moves and strategic principles rather than blindly follow what some source suggests.

Here’s how I tailor my coaching approach:

👀 Analyze Student's Games in order to get the most information possible about their style, weaknesses and strengths.

📆 Personalized Training Plan. We’ll create a plan that sharpens your strengths and shores up weaknesses, covering all facets of the game.

📙 Personalized Opening Repertoire. We will work to create a coherent repertoire according to your level, style and strengths, focusing on the core understanding of the typical ideas, maneuvers, structures and patterns instead of memorizing long and complex variations.

🏆 Tournament Preparation.  Facing a specific opponent? Let’s study their games, identify weaknesses, and devise optimal strategies. I will also give you some general advice on tournaments that will help you unlock your full potential.