BigPictureChess

USCF Candidate Master (2032 USCF / Peak 2178 USCF) with 20+ years of experience coaching & guiding novice/beginner players up to 1800+ USCF. I've excelled in winning various tournaments (including Clear 1st Place World Open U1600 section for $10,000!). I fully understand what it takes to win under tournament pressure. I am currently accepting students!

My teaching philosophy aims not just to teach someone chess but to teach a logical thinking process that will enable the student to be prepared, no matter the type of position that arises.

I've been coaching chess since 2001 when I was a junior in high school. I won first place in the U1600 section and $10,000 at the World Open that same year! I have a unique way of looking at chess development since I got serious about the game at 15 and self-taught my way to a peak of 2178 USCF. I have a firm understanding of chess beyond my rating, a strong positional understanding, and deep-opening knowledge. I have taught chess to students ranging from age 4 to adult and aim not just to teach chess but to teach one how to think more effectively.

I captained my high school's chess team to the NYC Catholic League High School Championship my senior year. Then, I trained the team for the next four years to an additional four varsity and junior varsity championships. The team was rated from 800 USCF to 2000 USCF during this time, and my students enjoyed success winning u1200, u1400, u1600, and u1800 sections at Continental Chess Association events. Since then, I have gained valuable experience teaching chess in public and private schools in NYC. I was also the coach of the 2008 K-6 NY State Champion. For the learning process, I can relate chess to almost anything, be it something as commonplace as sports or even as abstract as Zen philosophy, to show my students the Big Picture in Chess. 

I also have a strong grasp on what it takes to achieve adult chess improvement, as I only got into chess seriously at the age of 15. I can relate to the obstacles prospective adult chess players experience, as it's more similar to learning chess "as a second language." I use a lot of analogies and also references to sports in my chess teaching to make the learning process easier, more engaging, and fun for my students. I am one who always aims to see the "Big Picture" in Chess and relay this information in easy-to-understand concepts to my students.

Be sure to Check out my Blog for three excellent posts!

The first blog post is an analysis of my draws against (then 2500~ USCF Rated IM) Hikaru Nakamura in February 2002, when I was out-rated by 700+ points, and in April 2007 (during a simul when he was rated 2651 FIDE and was the highest rated player in the country). The second blog post is of my win over IM Jay Bonin during the October 2007 Masters Event at the Marshall Chess Club. The third blog post delves into the subject of piece activity in chess, where I annotate a model game by Super GM Levon Aronian, who produced a brilliant victory. Be sure to check out these blog posts and happy learning!