KCF Academy Presents: Live Lecture on Prophylaxis in Chess with GM Miguel Illescas
KCF Academy is thrilled to announce the upcoming live lecture featuring GM Miguel Illescas. The online masterclass will take place on May 24, 2026, at 17:00 CET.
Miguel Illescas is one of the most accomplished chess players in Spanish history, with a distinguished career spanning over four decades marked by numerous titles, historic achievements, and enduring contributions to the game. Born in Barcelona, he earned his International Master title in 1986 and his Grandmaster title in 1988.
A highly skilled player from a young age, Illescas became junior champion of Catalonia at just 12 years old. Though a trained computer scientist by education, chess remained his true calling. He rapidly became Spain's strongest and most consistent player over many years, registering his country's highest ever Elo rating - 2620 - in 1993, making him at the time the 26th-ranked player in the world. His peak rating of 2640 was reached in July 1996.
Over the course of his career, Illescas won numerous prestigious tournaments, including the Linares International Chess Tournament (1992), the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting (1993), the Hoogovens Wijk aan Zee Chess Tournament (1994), and the Biel Chess Festival (1995). He also claimed the Spanish National Championship an extraordinary eight times.
Beyond his tournament results, Illescas made history off the board. His computer science background and brilliant chess career led IBM to hire him in 1997 to help develop Deep Blue, the chess computer that famously defeated Garry Kasparov that same year. He also served as a trainer to former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik, forming part of the team that prepared Kramnik for his World Championship matches against Kasparov, Peter Leko, and Veselin Topalov. In 2004, he was awarded the title of FIDE Senior Trainer. In 1996, he received the Silver Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit.
Around 1993, Illescas established his own chess school - La Escuela de Ajedrez de Miguel Illescas, or EDAMI - offering students flexible learning through in-person sessions in Barcelona, online classes, and private lessons, as well as publishing a chess magazine and organizing tournaments and simultaneous displays.
Beyond his school, Illescas has made a significant mark as an educator and content creator. On Chessable, his Complete Chess Course: Novices teaches foundational concepts to beginners, and he has developed an endgame training course for Spanish-speaking students. He remains active on the platform, regularly sharing instructional chess content for players rated below 1600 who want to improve while enjoying the process. Most recently, in February 2025, he contributed analysis on the decisive game of the 2024 World Chess Championship, drawing on his concept of "panic mode" to explain why even elite players can freeze under pressure.
This exclusive interactive online masterclass at KCF Academy on May 24 offers participants a unique opportunity to learn from one of the sharpest and most experienced strategic minds in the history of Spanish chess.