I am a Chess.com coach. If you are interested in my coaching, please send me a message here on Chess.com.

Je suis un coach Chess.com. Je donne des leçons en français, si vous êtes intéressés, envoyez-moi un message ici sur Chess.com.

Hello! I am a national master, originally from Canada and now living in Switzerland. I have long academic experience teaching students to get their bachelor, masters and Ph.D. degrees in mathematics, computer science and engineering. I have a conceptual approach to teaching which I believe provides a good basis to coach chess players who would like to have a deeper understanding of the game, knowledge of its history, appreciation for chess problems and studies all of which would improve their play.

I have had a pretty good chess career becoming Canadian master at 20. Here I am playing future GM and Candidates quarter finalist Kevin Spraggett at the 1975 Montreal Open, where I tied for first.

I paused chess to get a Ph.D. in mathematics at MIT, a highlight being 7 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses in a simultaneous against the Harvard chess team. While in the US, I became a USCF master.

I wrote a book on the mathematics of games including chess, if you find that aspect of chess intriguing.

I appreciate chess puzzles, problems and studies and would like to impart this appreciation to students.

I composed chess problems. My first one was published in the September 1977(!) issue of the American magazine Chess Life & Review

It was featured as chess.com’s Daily Puzzle, November 2, 2025.

https://www.chess.com/daily/2025-11-02

This position was the Daily Puzzle, April 28, 2026

https://www.chess.com/daily/2026-04-28

The puzzle is based on one of my bullet games

https://www.chess.com/game/live/164558032562

The game score shows that I found the winning move, that is, solved the puzzle, in one second.

I am still playing over the board chess. I came clear second in the Blitz Society weekly blitz tournament, Paris, August 20, 2025, with a draw vs an IM and a win vs an FM.

IlanVardi