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... | NM Elliott Neff
National Master Elliott Neff is the founder of Chess4Life, as well as a mostly self-taught chess master. He is well-read in chess literature and brings his extensive experience working with both younger and older players to the table in helping others achieve success in the chess world--and therefore, in life.
- United States Chess Federation (USCF) National Master ... |
GM Emil Anka
 Some highlights and next goal of GM Emil
Anka
Grandmaster title – highest level in the world (besides title of
world champion)
... | NM John Graves
 National Master John Graves started playing chess in 1986 and became a National Master only 3 years later in 1989. John is also a very enthusiastic and energetic chess coach.
Chess background:
3-time WA State Junior Champion
Several years experience teaching group and individual lessons
... |
Amy Byykkonen
 Amy Byykkonen leads the South Sound region of Chess4Life. Amy believes strongly in the value of chess as a part of every child's education. She has extensive experience working with children as owner of a tutoring business, and has discovered that chess is a perfect vehicle for doing what she loves best: helping children learn to think and to develop strong character qualities. It is Amy's goal to provide quality chess experiences for all families in the South Sound region.... | FM Curt Collyer
 FIDE Master Curt Collyer has achieved a rating over 2300 and is one of Washington's top players. He tied for second place in both the 2009 and 2010 Washington State Championship and has also competed nationally and internationally. He has played tournaments in Germany, United Kingdom, and Japan, and also coached chess in Hong Kong.
Educational Background:
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Bert Rutgers
 has a strong chess background and has been working several years as one of the most successful coaches with beginner to intermediate students. Bert's high energy and animated character inspire and excite his students.
Education: BA in philosophy
Involved with scholastic chess since 1996... | Brad Stensland
 Chess4Life and Head Coach Brad Stensland are pleased to announce the opening of a new branch of Chess4life in Issaquah that Coach Brad will be managing. We will have everything from camps and ECS classes to quads and tournaments.
Please contact Coach Brad at 425-442-BRAD if you have any questions about our new location.... |
Roy Almasy
 is a member of the Chess4Life team. He is a patient coach who has a passion for positively impacting the lives of children. While coaching, he uses the game of chess to teach practical life lessons.
United States Chess Federation (USCF) Certified Coach - Level 3
Chess Career Highlights:... | Michael Hosford
 learned to play chess at age 12 and began playing competitively in 1991, achieving a peak USCF 1934 rating in 2010. His tournament highlights include winning 1st Place U1600 Division at the 1999 Washington Open, Tied 1st Place U1800 Division at the 2006 National Open in Las Vegas, and Tied 1st Place U2000 Division at the 2010 Washington Open.
In 1997 Michael started teaching chess to kids, and has been a full-time instructor for over 10 years. He's been coaching students and teams to the State and National Championship level since 1999. He has worked alongside several National Masters, has done curriculum development, and has employed technology in the classroom to enhance chess instruction. Michael joined Chess4Life in 2008 after 11 years working as an independent coach. Michael's philosophy on scholastic chess teaching is to keep it interesting by combining structure, humor, and positive motivation.... |
Lane Van Weerdhuizen
 Lane Van Weerdhuizen has been playing chess competitively since the 3rd grade. Recently, he was awarded second in the U1800 section at the USCF Washington Class tournament. He also placed 20th (out of 140) in the North American Open U1900 Section. In high school, he finished in the top 10 every year, including a third place finish in his junior year. His rating is 1851 NWSRS, and 1845 USCF.
Lane’s goal is to become a Chess Expert within the next couple of years. Lane characterizes his playing style as very tactic oriented. Along with tactics, Lane enjoys studying a wide variety of openings and opening theory. He emulates Grandmasters such as Bobby Fischer and Gary Kasparov, and admires their aggressive playing styles.
Outside of competitive chess, Lane enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, watching movies, playing tennis, watching live comedy shows, and spending time with his family. ... | Conrado Julian
 lives in Tacoma where his chess teachings have taken root. Conrado teaches over 100 students whom he treats like his own. With Chess4life, Conrado has honed the skills necessary to merge chess with life lessons. He believes every chess game is a teachable moment.
"I began to teach chess to my own kids to ensure I have some tool to be able to talk to them when they get older. Now, even when I lose, I still win because I still gained!" -Conrado... |
Mark Trevor Smith
 has been a chess addict for over 50 years. He loves the game for its geometry, its beauty, and its lessons of persistence, creativity, and humility. In August 2009 he retired from college teaching and drove his U-Haul 2000 miles to live 2 miles from his grandson on the western shore of Lake Washington.
Chess Career Highlights:
Washington State Senior (50 and older) Champ 2010... | Anand Mehta
 first learned to play chess at the age of 14 in Tanzania, and primarily credits his love for the game to his excellent coach/English teacher at the time. After coming to the US to attend college, he quit playing chess for six years. In 2002, the chess bug bit him again, and he joined the USCF. He won several monthly tournaments at the excellent Akron Chess Club in Ohio and attained solo second place in the under 1800 section at the 2003 Cleveland Open. After that, he quit playing chess again for six years! He is now determined to take the game more seriously, and his goal is to attain a USCF rating of 1900. Anand dislikes studying or memorizing openings and would like to change that after recently losing in less than 12 moves to the Smith-Morra Gambit while leading his section of the tournament up to that point. Besides chess, Anand enjoys badminton, soccer, traveling to explore other cultures, and going on nature and wildlife safaris. Surprising to many, Anand does not work at Microsoft and is not related to World Champion Vishy Anand!... |
Dale Almasy
 comes from the Kearsley, Michigan, Chess Program, which has a rich chess history, including six national championships, numerous league championships, and state championships.
In high school Dale finished in 4th place at the 2004 USCF National High School Championship, helping the team to earn a 1st place finish. Dale also won all four games as Board 1
in the 2006 Michigan State Championship reserve section. Dale comes from a highly technical background, working in both the civil engineering industry and electrical systems
management. Dale uses his background and personality to teach patience and discipline as a chess player.
In the Classroom:
Dale places an emphasis on team building in the classroom. He teaches that although only one student will play the game, as a team we train and develop our skills. He believes
technology is an important tool to use in the classroom, and is key in expanding his students’ view of the chess board. Dale instructs his students to use notation as often as they can and believes it is a necessity in becoming a chess champion.... | Ryan Ackerman
 Ryan Ackerman is rated over 1800 USCF and among the top junior players in Washington State. For a short time, he enjoyed lessons from local chess master Ignacio Perez (an inspiring tactical player) but is mostly self-taught. His love for the game stems from its immense complexity and harmony through logical strategy. He is well studied in grandmaster opening theory. For a year before coming to Chess4life he worked privately with a handful of students in Spokane, WA.
He enthusiastically teaches patience and forethought to students and happily watches them become very successful on the chess board. The benefit of learning patience and forethought is by no means limited to students' chess skills! He provides each of his private students with a binder to take weekly notes that include chess terms, life skills, and goals.
Chess Career Highlights
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Tyler Britton
 Is currently an English major at the University of Washington, and been playing chess competitively for four years. Outside of chess, Tyler’s main hobbies include: reading, writing, traveling, hiking, sports, cooking, and rock climbing. Although Tyler does not watch television, he is a movie critic and enjoys writing movie reviews online.
Though without much tournament experience, Tyler’s playing strength is 1700-1800 USCF.
He studies the games of chess masters such as Karpov and Capablanca, and emulates their solid, defensive playing styles. His goal for 2011 is to raise his USCF rating, and his long term goal is to become a Chess Expert.... | Jeremy Glasco
 was welcomed into the captivating world of chess two decades ago by his father, a passionate student of the game. Since that day, Jeremy's interest in and fondness for this intensely strategic game has only compounded, and he is thrilled to be passing on this gift to the next generation. He is currently working towards his Bachelor's Degree in Education, and finds his position as Chess Coach to be a rewarding and enjoyable way to help others realize their goals and develop their intellect.... |
Hilary Marcacci
 first learned the game of chess at the age of seven when her dad taught her how to play. As a teenager she spent many nights at the local coffee shops playing chess against her friends..
Married in 2000.
Two kids ages 9 and 7. ... | Brian Opalewski
 is an avid chess player with 6 years of experience teaching in elementary
schools. He loves helping kids learn the game of chess and ardently believes
that students derive benefits that go well beyond how they play the game itself.
Brian emphasizes home study and competitive play, along with good sportsmanship.
The main focus of his efforts are to cultivate an enjoyment of the game and
a desire to learn new ideas everyday.
Brian has many diverse interests, such as photography, music performance, history
and philosophy. His library boasts over 2000 books ranging from Anthropology
and Biology to traffic safety and Zoology. He also studies German and loves
to read the classics in German.
Brian has taught at:
Louisa May Alcott Elementary
Bennett Elementary
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Hristo Arabadjiev
 is originally from a beautiful country in Eastern Europe called Bulgaria.
Coach Hristo has coached multiple students privately, helping them to achieve in the top 15 in the state of Washington elementary chess championships. He is available to teach private lessons at both the chess4life center or at the student's home, whichever is more convenient. Call or email for more information!
... | Jill Downey
 Jill Downey joined Chess4Life as a coach in 2010. Her professional background is based solely in early childhood education with more than fifteen years of classroom experience. Having earned teacher's certification and a master's degree in education, Jill plans chess lessons that are developmentally appropriate for young children and that encourage discovery through exploration on the chess board. Born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, Jill grew up the older of two, where the dinner table was used for three things: family dinners together, homework, and chess. That tradition continues to Jill's current family.... Teaching life lessons through chess!... |
Tim Campbell
 began playing competitive chess in high school when he discovered the beauty and complexity of the game. He joined his school’s chess team, taking what little skill he had at the time, combined with his enthusiasm to learn. He quickly fell in love with the game, taking any opportunity to play and study with his close friends, eager to understand the game more and more. After high school, Tim started playing correspondence chess online daily, unaware of the opportunities he had to play over the board. When he saw an advertisement for a tournament at the Seattle Chess Club, he took his friend over to check it out. This opened his eyes to the world of chess in Seattle, and he has been playing whenever possible ever since. His current playing strength is somewhere between 1700 and 1800.
While coaching at Chess4Life, Tim is studying chess and saving up money for college. He plans to become a teacher, though he often debates whether he wishes to teach at an elementary school or to teach high school math. He has been working with children since around 13, when his godparents had their first child. Since then, most of his jobs have focused around helping kids, including tutoring, teaching gymnastics, and now chess.
Tim is an avid proponent of game analysis as a tool to help improve at chess. Having analyzed every tournament game he's ever played, Tim always loves to see what he missed in a game, learn what he could have improved, and delve deep into long tactical lines. He is currently in the process of analyzing the 1700+ games he has played online since 2006. ... | Drew Dawson
 Drew's Coaching Style
“Chess is a beautiful game but children are more important.”
My goal as a coach is to push my students to their full potential within the boundaries of childhood. I work hard to create a balance between fun and rigor. I am also a very firm believer in the basics. Unless a student has a solid understanding of the fundamental ideas in chess, he or she cannot progress. When Elliott Neff was my private coach, he told me that chess knowledge is like a pyramid: the larger the base, the taller the pyramid can become. My job as a coach is to establish the basics and help students move up to more advanced material. ... |
Keith Huntzinger
Keith is a talented and experienced educator. He has taught all ages and
tutored many subjects, including English, Spanish, French, World Literature,
and Math. Currently he is finishing a MA in TESOL and Education at Seattle
Pacific University. He has visited 20 countries on 5 continents, worked in
a Physics laboratory at Stanford, run a bookstore in Paris, lived on a farm
in southern Spain, and caught the winning goal of the 2004 Ultimate Frisbee
National Championships. Such a wide range of life experience has made Keith an
open and versatile teacher, capable of adapting to any student who steps into
his classroom.
... | Nick Rider
 Nick Rider has been enjoying the game of chess since the age of five. He was drawn to Chess4Life by the company’s goal of teaching life skills through chess and was delighted to be offered the position of chess coach. He is eager to share with his students the complexity, challenges and rewards of the game. Nick enjoys reading, writing, history, building balsa wood airplane models, strategy games and whenever possible to go up flying.
Private pilot since 2010
Member of Civil Air Patrol since 2005
... |
Gordon Stewardson
 Gordon Stewardson is Human Resources Director, Finance Director, and School Relations Manager.... | Alan Bishop
 has been playing chess for over thirty years. He has been captivated by the "Greatest Game" since the age of 10, when he learned the game from friends and soon discovered chess books at the local library. Now a Candidate Master (Expert), his main chess-playing goal is to finally achieve the Master title, which he was very close to years ago! Alan began teaching chess in his early twenties, and has tutored math and other subjects as well. After working for years in the Information Technology industry in California, he moved to Washington to be closer to his parents (who had migrated north to Oregon and eventually to Kent, WA) and to begin coaching chess again with Chess4Life. Alan enjoys sharing the wonders of chess with others, especially kids, and seeing them progress and attain new skills. He is available for private lessons at either the Chess4Life center or the student's home, whichever is more convenient.
Chess Career Highlights:
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Stuart Wang
 Stuart Wang began playing chess in elementary school under the Chess4Life program and has been playing ever since third grade. He loves teaching and has a passion for educating younger generations. He looks to bring out every student's strengths and develop their sportsmanship and leadership potential through the game of chess. Coach Stuart looks to motivate and be a positive role model to his students. He enjoys swimming, cross-country running, reading, guitar, and having fun with family and friends.... | Bob Reddick
 Started playing chess in 1942; played on the Roosevelt High School, Vicenza Italy Military, and Arlington VA. Chess Clubs teams.
Taught sons Greg and Gene - who can still beat him at speed chess, as can some second and third graders today.
Volunteer coach at Bryant Elementary since 1999 and now coaches at three schools, plus private lessons.
Judges at many local and state tournaments.... |
Gregg Dillingham
 worked with NM Elliott Neff for five years, coaching at many schools, including:
Lowell School, Seattle
The Jewish Day School, Bellevue
St. Louise Parish School, Bellevue
... | Rudy Vrana
 National Chess Expert with a peak rating above USCF 2100. Washington State 1997 Elementary Chess Champion K-6 undefeated. Won 14th at the 1998 National Elementary Championships. In 2004 ranked top 25 for 18 years old age group in United States. Competed in Ukraine in 2011 placing 4th in a 7-day tournament among local talented experts and masters. ... |
NM Bruce Kovalsky
 is a highly qualified independent chess teacher. He became USCF National Master in 1983 and had a peak rating of USCF - 2278, FIDE - 2225
He has participated in the following events:
Board 4, Pan-Am Intercollegiate National Team Champions, U.C. Berkeley, 1981
... | Ethan Neff
 Chess Teaching
“Training tomorrow’s architects, doctors, and scientists!”... |
Vishnu Warrier
 Vishnu’s Coaching Style:
"Chess, like love, like music has the power to make men happy" - Siegbert Tarrasch. My goal as a chess coach is to motivate my students to do their best and realize their potential to become better chess players and better people through the game. By going through the chess playing, studying, and coaching process, my students push themselves and have fun while doing so. Chess is a game that builds upon itself; so I want my students to master all the basics of the game, including piece movement and basic strategy, before moving onto more complex ideas.
As an aggressive player myself, I usually focus on middlegame positions where precise calculation of different variations is of the utmost importance. I also stress endgame study heavily as it is important for students to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each piece individually. I place minimal importance on the opening since it focuses more on the memorization of moves rather than the risks and intellectual creativity seen in the middle and endgame. However, I am flexible with working on different openings with my students by request. A main goal of mine is to help my students plan out the endgame even in the middlegame or opening so my students know what kind of endgame to trade or not trade into.... | IM Eric Tangborn
Eric Tangborn is an International Master and a former Washington State champion. He grew up in Tacoma, Washington where he played on the chess teams at Jason Lee Junior High and Stadium High School.
Numerous great chess results including:
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