Information about me for anyone seeking coaching:

Hello! I am Reid, a tactical and unorthodox chess player who thrives in fast time controls. My style is built on intuition, speed, and sharp calculation. Opponents often call me unpredictable: sometimes I play with cold, calculated precision, other times with wild sacrifices and counterattacks. Either way, I’m at my most dangerous when the position is complicated and the clock is ticking.

Ratings & Peaks

FIDE Blitz: 1766 (inactive)
USCF Classical: 1400 as of 3/1/26 (1618 peak)
Chess.com Blitz: 2154 peak

Individual Tournament Highlights

Tie for 2nd Place U1600 at the 2025 US National Blitz Championship
3rd Place at the 2026 Wisconsin College Chess Championship
2025 Waukesha Blitz Champion
Fall 2024 Chess Club at UWM Champion
Fall 2024 Southeast WI College Chess Champion
Tie for Spring 2025 Southeast WI College Chess Champion

Playing Identity

Strengths: Sharp tactical vision, resilience in bad positions, dangerous blitz instincts, fearless in chaos.
Weaknesses: Inconsistent in long classical formats, vulnerable to highly theoretical players.
Specialty: Blitz and rapid chess where intuition and tactics dominate.

Coaching Experience & Philosophy

I enjoy working with players at all levels and tailor my approach depending on their needs. Since 2019, I have coached chess in various capacities with my university chess club and with the Milwaukee-based chess coaching service IAC.

Beginners (100-600 rating): Learning positional fundamentals and essential checkmate patterns.
Intermediate players (600-1200 rating): Building tactical awareness while reducing common blunders.
Advanced players (1200-1700 rating): Refining tactics and structuring play so that combinations naturally arise from solid positional foundations.
I am willing to work with players rated higher than 1700 but believe a stronger coach is better suited to such a player’s needs. I know many such coaches and am happy to make the appropriate referrals.

Disclaimer: My personal style of play is unorthodox and yields the best results in blitz and rapid time controls. While I can teach positional basics and structured improvement, my own specialty lies in sharp tactical battles and creative problem-solving under time pressure.

Old_Man_Reid