KidWatch › Channel Safety › GMIgorSmirnov
A solid chess instruction channel that's genuinely educational, though the hype-heavy sales pitch style might feel a bit much.
Best for ages 8+
Igor Smirnov runs a chess instruction channel aimed at players who want to improve their practical game fast. He covers openings, tactics, and puzzles, and he knows his stuff. The content is structured and clear, which makes it easy for beginners and intermediate players to follow along.
Score Breakdown
KidWatch Assessment
Igor Smirnov runs a chess instruction channel aimed at players who want to improve their practical game fast. He covers openings, tactics, and puzzles, and he knows his stuff. The content is structured and clear, which makes it easy for beginners and intermediate players to follow along.
His teaching style is enthusiastic, sometimes to a fault. He leans hard on words like 'killer,' 'deadly,' and 'crush,' and he frequently promises that whatever he's showing you today will win you tons of games. It's a bit of a pattern. He also references his own credentials a lot, which some kids might find motivating and others might find a little much.
There's nothing inappropriate here for kids. The channel is connected to a paid coaching platform called Remote Chess Academy, and that comes up here and there. But the free content itself is genuinely useful. Good pick for a chess-curious kid who needs some direction.
Flagged Moments from Top Videos
The presenter repeatedly uses words like 'killer,' 'deadly,' and 'crush' to describe chess moves. It's all metaphorical and standard in chess culture, but the aggressive marketing language is pretty persistent throughout.
The video frames a single puzzle as a definitive measure of whether a child has 'chess talent,' which could feel discouraging to kids who don't solve it quickly. The framing is more dramatic than the evidence supports.
The channel's connection to a paid chess academy is referenced in the intro, which is a recurring commercial element across videos rather than an isolated mention.
The presenter spends a notable amount of time talking about his own credentials and childhood prodigy status. It reads more like a soft sales pitch for his coaching services than pure instruction.
What Parents Should Know
Watch a video or two with your kid first so you can frame the 'talent test' style content as entertainment rather than a real judgment of their ability.
Know that this channel is connected to a paid coaching platform called Remote Chess Academy, so be ready for occasional soft upsells.
Encourage your kid to actually pause and try the puzzles rather than just watching passively since the content is much more useful that way.
Reassure younger or newer players that the 'deadly opening' and 'crush your opponent' language is just how chess content creators talk online, not anything actually aggressive.
Pair this channel with actual practice time on a site like chess.com or Lichess so the openings and traps they learn get reinforced through real games.
If your kid gets frustrated because an opening 'didn't work,' remind them that traps only work when opponents cooperate, and Smirnov does actually address this in his videos.
Recommended for ages 8+.
Is your child watching GMIgorSmirnov?
See exactly what your child watches, every week.
KidWatch monitors your child's actual YouTube watch history and sends you a private weekly safety report. No blocking. No spying. Just awareness.
Start monitoring free →No credit card required · Privacy-first · Cancel anytime