Why is Surya Ganguly’s course attracting attention?
Calculation in chess can often be more decisive than opening knowledge or general strategic principles. In critical moments, the fate of the game is determined by how accurately and deeply a player can calculate the concrete variations on the board. In the ChessBase feature on “Calculation Step by Step – Vol. 1: Foundations”, Grandmaster Surya Shekhar Ganguly presents this skill not as an inborn talent, but as a discipline that can be developed. The experience of a grandmaster who spent many years on World Champion Viswanathan Anand’s team and reached a peak rating of 2676 Elo is one of the course’s greatest strengths.
A key point highlighted in the review is that Ganguly does not limit calculation to solving tactical motifs. The course’s main aim is to teach the player how to think: where to begin the analysis, which candidate moves deserve priority, which branches must be calculated, and at what point a variation should be cut off. In particular, forcing moves — checks, captures, and threats — are treated as the backbone of accurate calculation. This approach is highly valuable for both club players and ambitious tournament competitors, because in practical play, what truly makes the difference is the ability to build a clear mental board in complex positions.
From foundations to practical application
As its title suggests, the first volume of the course focuses on the fundamentals. Ganguly covers five main topics essential for correct calculation in a systematic way and supports them with instructive examples. The source text notes that some examples are drawn from the player’s own career, and that themes such as sacrifices for the initiative, attacking chances, and improving the pawn structure are also addressed. Examples of this kind are a reminder that calculation is not only about finding tactical blows; it also means backing up strategic decisions with concrete analysis. In other words, a strong player does not just choose the move that ‘looks good,’ but the move that is confirmed by calculation.
In chess, a single mistake while calculating a long variation can instantly turn a superior position into a lost one. That is why the art of calculation is one of the most fascinating, but also one of the most exhausting, aspects of the game. This is precisely where the value of Ganguly’s training becomes clear: it does not merely show the solution, it structures the path to the solution. That is also the striking point in young FIDE Master Bahne Fuhrmann’s review, which emphasizes that the course is designed not to teach move-finding alone, but to discipline the thinking process. Skills such as making correct decisions under pressure, pruning unnecessary branches, and ordering candidate moves are indispensable in modern competitive chess.
In today’s chess, strong engines and vast databases may have taken opening preparation to an advanced level, but at the board the final word still belongs to the player’s own calculating power. For that reason, Ganguly’s work appears to be a meaningful resource not only for those looking for a training video, but for anyone who wants to raise the quality of their play in a lasting way. Accurate variation calculation not only sharpens tactical vision, but also strengthens the foundation of strategic decisions; it helps players find resources in defense and discover deadly continuations in attack. In short, this course stands out as a noteworthy work for serious players trying to build the bridge between ‘seeing’ and ‘understanding’ in chess.