The Blockchain of the Chessboard: A New Equation for an International Master's Career

January 17, 2026. In a dark room in Bulgaria, a computer screen glows. On that screen are the names of juniors, old match formats, and the shadow of a room where a 65-year-old writer no longer sits. IM Valeri Lilov—the name that will center this video series tomorrow—is not keeping his old competitive pages open. His hands now do someone else's work. What is the number? The top-perspective title, the name that circles around an instructional video series: 'Chess is massively undervalued'. The text attributes this quote to 'Turlov', a legendary figure—but here there are no trophies or prize division numbers. Leaving the box behind the name open is the real job of this text; otherwise, the six video screens behind it are just another advertisement. The six videos: Catalan, Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, Richter-Veresov, London, Colle, and Trompowsky. In each, Lilov lays out an 'anti-system' plan. The entire content revolves around the 'safe' setups people have found in videos. Lilov says, 'These are more dangerous at the club level, within the 1500-2200 rating range.' Reading this makes it clear that there is no mention of Lilov's own rating or ranking as an IM here. His role is now as a 'content creator', and the subtle principle of that role is not 'play when needed', but 'teach when needed'. Curation: The London System. This system has a characteristic—elite players are now using it as 'low-risk, low-opening-theory'. Lilov's videos 'high-report' on this 'low-risk' play. The problem is that this claim is not verified by any engine match rate or ACPL. It is primarily a 'market signal': because the demand in the learning market is rising, the 'solutions' are also positioned face-to-face in that market. Torto-transition: The 'Turlov' quote is primarily a 'sponsorship logic' statement—a signal of a 'chess-industry capital' flow, which is now passing through an 'education platform' or 'course marketplace'. Lilov's videos are a 'niche product' of that platform. In the valuation of this niche, 'competitive results' do not work; rather, a 'feeling of trust' works. Giving the name of an IM creates a 'higher level' shift, which has no real necessity. Title-mistake: The 'danger' claim of 'painful experience' cannot be verified because there are no 'real match numbers' here. Lilov's last tournament results or ranking list is also not provided. This absence is the text's correct 'data gap'. Future vision: A notable aspect of this 'niche education market' mention—this is not changing 'competitive culture', but breaking down the 'educational infrastructure' into a 'subscription model'. Lilov's videos are a piece of that model—and the price of that piece is determined by 'problem-proof', not 'solution-proof'.