Excerpt from letter by GM Kevin Spraggett to Portugese chess officials about the Portugese chess olympic team:
(from SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PLAYERS)

Any preparation or training program done prior to sending the team to the Olympics must be realistic and suited to the specific characteristics and limitations of the individual team members. And this should include considerations of restrictions on how much time each member will be able to devote to these preparations. After all, some have jobs and family obligations and for one or two of them merely finding the 3 weeks to participate in the Olympics will be very difficult to manage.

It is equally important to realize that many of those likely to play on the Olympic Team are already well into their thirties, with the others not far behind. These players have their own ways of doing things, most are not accustomed to working very hard on the game and therefore are not going to take a renewed interest in chess simply because the FPX says so.

As such, the FPX should not think that there exists some miracle training program that will add 100 Elo points to their rating after just a couple of training sessions. With mature chessmasters, already having a significant amount of international experience, a ‘general purpose’ type of training and preparation program aimed at gradually improving the team members’ basic chess knowledge and technique (tactical and/or strategic) is inappropriate. It is a waste of everyone’s time and especially the FPX’s money.

For all intents and purposes this means that the FPX should not pursue a ‘’Botvinnik’’ style training program or ‘’Russian School’’ style training program. The previous administration had IM Boris Zlotnik give a weekend seminar based on some of these techniques. While I am certain that for most attending it was probably the first time that they had been exposed to any formal chess teaching (and I know that everyone enjoyed it) I am equally certain that not one of the top Portuguese masters attending learned anything new!

The ‘’Russian School’’ training system and the ‘’Botvinnik’’ training system are both work intensive programs that often require years of collaboration with the trainer to be effective. This effectiveness is not in doubt, and has been proven over and over again throughout the years. However, the student is required to do much independent work at home, just as if he was taking a university course. Therefore any expectations of even short term gains are pure nonsense.

The type of training and preparation program that I recommend for those likely to participate on the next Portuguese team for the Olympics is one that has no illusions. Specifically, this program:

is one that accepts that the Portuguese players will not play any stronger in the middlegame than they are presently capable of

but is one that seeks to optimise their potential results by making them more competitive


I recommend a training and preparation program that has the unique objective of modernizing the Portuguese players’ opening systems to allow them to compete (in the opening) on even terms with the international players. To be successful in modern chess competition you have to create problems for your opponent starting immediately from the opening: therefore it is imperative to play critical lines in the opening.


The Portuguese masters have never really worked on their openings, preferring instead to rely on natural talent and intuition. Having taken a close look at the systems used by all of the top Portuguese players I have found:

a generally sheepish attitude to the importance of the opening (almost a denial that the opening exists)

a reluctance to enter theoretical debates

a virtual absence of main line opening systems

a stubborn self reliance on ‘home made’ systems and rarely played lines

The openings are by far the weakest part of the Portuguese masters.

I recommend two or three weekend seminars spread over a four-month period prior to the Olympics. Each seminar would be for two days (Saturday and Sunday), with about 6 to 8 hours of work each day.

The seminar should be taught by at least one active grandmaster who can specialize in the current state of opening theory. I am available for these seminars, but I also suggest that the FPX keep other options open.