IM Alex Krstulovic

I am Alex Krstulovic, a 22 year old International Master from Hungary, currently studying economics at the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest.
I'm looking for ambitious students that wish to improve their game.

I started playing chess when I was 5 years old and participated in my first Fide-rated tournament when I was 6.
I became Hungary's youngest title holder ever, by winning the U8 European Chess Championship, which awarded me the title of FIDE Master. Since then, I won the National Youth Championships numerous times and I achieved the title of International Master when I was 16 years old in 2020.
In 2023 I became the U20 champion of Hungary.
In 2024 I participated in the Olympiad held in Budapest and achieved my peak rating of 2453.

I have been a professional chess player for nearly 15 years, during which time I have worked with and played against numerous strong grandmasters. My goal is to utilize the knowledge and experience I've gathered with my own students.
I have experience working with a wide range of students, from complete beginners to ambitious players pursuing titles, including both children and adults.

My strongest points are openings and strategic understanding, with a focus on core principles and general chess knowledge.
I believe that for lower-rated players, or players who are still in earlier stages of their development, it's more beneficial to focus on understanding key concepts rather than memorizing long lines of theory.
However, for those who are more focused on openings, I specialize in a wide variety of 1.d4 setups with both colours and the Caro-Kann defence for black.

I believe the first step should always be analyzing a player's games and identifying typical mistakes.
Many times common mistakes can be eliminated by designing a repertoire tailored to their playstyle.
Learning typical middlegame positions and key concepts that arise from openings also has a significant impact on the outcome of the games.
I firmly believe that players should aim to familiarize themselves with as many types of positions as possible, not just the openings they play.
My goal is to help players enhance their overall chess understanding and become more successful at any level.