Private chess coaching for teens and adults.
In Santa Barbara and online, from newcomers to tournament players, with a USCF Expert and former National Scholastic Champion. Learn to plan, to calculate precisely, and to weigh a decision.
Your lessons are molded to you, and so is the practice in between. The lab is designed to be a custom place to experiment, unique to every student, and I use what it shows me to plan the next lesson. See the practice lab
Book a lessonHow lessons work- USCF ExpertNationally rated tournament player
- National K-6 Blitz ChampionAs a student
- Washington State K-6 ChampionAs a student
- 25 rated tournaments directedImmediate Past President, Santa Barbara County Chess Club
Three things a good chess lesson teaches
Strategy
Have a plan, see what the other side wants, and change course when the position changes. Openings, pawn structure and endgames become ideas you understand rather than lines you memorize.
Calculating precisely
Chess is won and lost in the details. You learn to work through variations accurately, one forcing move at a time, to see the whole line before you commit, and to check it before you trust it.
Critical thinking
Every move is a decision with a consequence. You learn to question your first idea, weigh the alternatives, and spot what you missed.
Taught by someone who has won it, and has run it
I started playing at nine, won state and national titles as a student, and have spent over a decade teaching and organizing chess in Santa Barbara.
I'm a USCF Expert, and since 2014 I've directed 25 USCF rated tournaments for the Santa Barbara County Chess Club, where I'm Immediate Past President. I know what it takes to get good, and what it feels like to be a beginner.
Lessons are structured: a clear plan, one idea at a time, and a review of your games to see what the board says. Within that structure you explore your own ideas, and when one is a known dead end I step in with feedback so you don't get lost.
The foundation is the same one I teach younger students. For teens and adults, the emphasis shifts toward strategy and calculation. Sometimes the best next step is to go back to basics: simple games, one idea at a time. Everyone is different, so we start where you are.
What a lesson is like
We start from your games.Bring a recent game, or play one with me. We find the moments that decided it.
One idea at a time.Each lesson has a single clear theme, such as an opening setup, a pawn structure or a type of endgame, and you use it straight away.
A plan for the week.After each lesson you get a short note on what we covered and what to practise.
The practice lab
Practice that fits you, today
Between lessons, the practice app is your lab. Try an idea, see what happens, and get feedback that adjusts specifically for you.
Test an idea
Play a new opening or plan against a computer opponent, at the strength and style you choose.
See what happened
Analyze any game with a chess engine and find the move where it turned.
Fix what broke
Puzzles are built from the mistakes in your own games and come back on a schedule until they stick, with the themes you most need to work on at the top.
This is the full practice app and Student Corner, built for experienced players and different from the kids app: opponents rated 600 to 2600 in several styles, engine analysis, bot tournaments with a practice rating, and your saved games.
Lessons
Get better at the game that lasts a lifetime
Tell me where you are with chess and what you want from it, and I'll suggest where to begin.
Get in touchGet in touch
Ready to start? Book a lesson. Have a question first? Send a message and I'll reply by email.