Kostya Kavutskiy Joins FritzTrainer: ChessBase Redraws the Map of the Chess Training Market

Today, I want to talk about a transfer without a ball, but with space. ChessBase just released the second part of its review of two new FritzTrainer courses: Mastering Calculation and The Fundamentals of Positional Play. The author of both courses is Kostya Kavutskiy, an International Master and FIDE Trainer. The reviewer is Jochen Schwarz, a self-described connoisseur and club player, and his perspective gives the article its value: a learner speaking to learners, instead of a producer hyping its own product. In chess observation circles, Robert Ris and Ivan Sokolov have become benchmarks for ChessBase training videos. Ris is known for openings and calculation lectures; Sokolov is regarded as an expert on strategy and positional play. Whenever a new author appears in the same catalogue, a question arises: is this an addition or an internal competitor? The answer, in my analysis, lies in how ChessBase is restructuring its content space. Kavutskiy is no stranger to the coaching community. His IM title and FIDE Trainer certificate give him solid standing. More importantly, he brings experience from the Chess.com and Chessable ecosystem, where coaches who know how to tell stories through video and interactive exercises are highly sought after. Kavutskiy joining ChessBase sends a clear signal: the oldest chess platform does not want to be left behind in the race for influential content creators. The two new courses have very generic names: Mastering Calculation and The Fundamentals of Positional Play. But these names reveal the market ChessBase is targeting: intermediate and club players who want to improve calculation and understand positional play systematically. This group accounts for most spending on training content. They do not need extended theory or deep engine-only variations. They need a teacher who knows how to guide them. From a sports science perspective, the difference between an ordinary course and a truly effective one lies in feedback structure. That is why I always say: the real space fragment is not in the number of listed variations, but in how the lesson creates room for the learner to think before the solution appears. When a coach designs exercises, he is redrawing the learner's mental map, just as a player redraws the board map after every move. Looking at the bigger picture, ChessBase is not just hiring an author; they are buying an audience. A coach with his own community brings those learners directly to the platform. This is a common tactic in the creator economy, but in chess it has an extra layer of meaning: competitive fame is no longer the only ticket into the content market. A 2600-rated grandmaster may be an excellent player, but a relatable coach is the one learners trust. Strategy is only complete when told in a language daring students can believe. The blind spot of this strategy lies in the product catalogue itself. Robert Ris already has calculation courses. Ivan Sokolov already has positional courses. If the answer is yes, Kavutskiy faces the risk of internal cannibalization. Buyers may hesitate between a veteran author and a new name on the same topic. Kavutskiy's advantage then comes not from pure chess content, but from teaching style, how he handles student questions, and his ability to create a clear sense of progress. These are hard to measure, but they determine revenue. A bigger risk is the erosion of paid courses. Free YouTube videos and AI tools are getting better at giving concrete advice. If learners can get instant explanations without paying, why should they buy a packaged course? I believe the answer is emotion and commitment. A structured course is like a roadmap; it creates rhythm and motivation. Learners spend money on knowledge, but they especially pay for companionship. This is why platforms like ChessBase need personalities who can build trust, not just anonymous data libraries. From a tactical perspective, choosing Kavutskiy is a proactive defensive move. While Chess.com and Chessable sign many famous authors, ChessBase cannot stand still. They must refresh their roster with faces that can expand the FritzTrainer ecosystem. Unlike football, where transfers are driven by fitness and results, this market runs on brand signatures. An author does not need to win tournaments to sell courses; they need to be trusted as communicators. That is why I call this a race for the space fragment of trust. The story reminds me of Croatia's pressing puzzle at the 2026 World Cup. Croatia's pressing problem was not about speed, but about how they redrew the map of the pitch. ChessBase is doing the same thing: they do not need more courses; they need a system that knows how to place each author into the space where the audience is missing. Kavutskiy is more than a single acceleration; he is a new piece helping ChessBase redraw its content catalogue map. In my 18 years of observing the industry, I have seen many products launched with big promises fail because they lacked human connection. Learners do not remember all variations; they remember the teacher who helped them understand why a move is right. Jochen Schwarz, as a club player, is testing exactly that. If Schwarz feels clarity in Kavutskiy's explanations, the course has a chance. If he remains confused, then standing next to Ris and Sokolov only exposes the gap that a new name cannot fill with titles alone. The biggest question is not whether Kavutskiy is better than Ris or Sokolov, but whether ChessBase can make the FritzTrainer ecosystem a place learners want to return to. This content transfer window has just begun, and the next piece will come from the ChessBase–Chess.com axis, where coaches with their own communities are becoming strategic assets. Whoever understands where the ball is about to land, rather than where it stands, writes the script for the chess training market next year.