FM Andrej Veljanoski

I am Andrej Veljanoski, a 22 year old FIDE Master from Macedonia and at the moment I am a student. My highest ever FIDE classical rating was 2327.

I have played and studied chess from the age of 7. I became a FIDE master in 2022. I have participated in many and have won several tournaments. Some of my best achievements are:
- Multiple time youth national champion
- Shared first place (finished second) at the Open Championship of Macedonia 2023

One of my strongest skills in chess is my ability to never give up, even in seemingly lost positions. I believe that there is almost always a chance to create complications, find resources, or put pressure on the opponent, and I try to maintain that mindset throughout every game.

When teaching chess, I would focus not only on teaching specific openings, tactics, or positions, but also on embedding a good way of thinking about chess. I want students to learn how to think independently, analyze positions carefully, consider their opponent’s ideas, and look for the best move rather than simply memorizing variations. My goal would be to help them develop a mindset that they can apply to any position and continue improving on their own.

I believe the most effective way to improve at chess is through a combination of structured study and practical experience. My training focuses on solving puzzles to sharpen tactical vision, learning key thematic ideas and recurring patterns, and studying high-level classical games to understand how strong players think and plan. At the same time, I consider practical experience essential—playing games, analyzing them carefully, and learning from personal mistakes is often the most powerful way to achieve lasting improvement.