I grew up playing chess at my local chess club, which I took over as director when the founder left for college when I was 14. Teaching, coaching, and organizing chess was a big part of my life during my teens and early twenties. I played for and captained my high school and college chess teams, played on the Grenoble-Bayard amateur team when studying in France, and then taught lessons to help support myself during college and graduate school.

For the past decade, however, I've been working (and working, and working) as a high school teacher (subjects: Special Education, Math, and French), with little time for chess. I'm rusty now, and I don't have much time to study theory or follow the top players like I used to, but I'm still happy to play any time I get the chance!

JEstey