John

I specialise in teaching the ropes of beginner and intermediate chess. I cover openings, tactics and other vital chess areas to improve not just rating, but ability. My approach is fun, flexible and in-depth, based on desired areas of improvement.

My primary age range of teaching is 7-14, although I have taught younger and older. I was taught by chess coach Lance5500 and continued nurturing this knowledge throughout my university career, particularly in helping others get better at chess.

My teaching experience primarily stems from my time as Secretary and Acting President of the Royal Holloway Chess Society. As well as harnessing my chess skills with other seasoned players and going to tournaments, I was involved in various volunteering opportunities.

This involved:
- going to Eghams local library and helping out with their weekly childrens chess club, playing simuls and giving basic instructional lessons
- doing further lessons with children who wanted more advanced lessons, going over openings and tactics
- organising 1-on-1 online and in-person sessions to help children improve their game, which I still do now

My approach is very flexible, with most of my lessons adapted from any weaknesses my students identify or show during games, with a heavy emphasis on learning and improving through games to make the learning experience fun. I use Lichess as my site for tutoring as it is fully free and much more accessible as a coaching site.