I have a few slots open for free coaching. I typically start with one half-hour lesson to get started to see if we are a good match.

My approach is to begin by discussing what the player says are his or her strengths, goals, and in what areas they would most like to see improvement. If available, I go over some of the player’s previous games to determine aspects of their play that I think could be improved. Much of the coaching time is spent analyzing the player’s games as a way to teach chess principles and ideas. Detailed analyses of variations can be done with chess engines and would not be the best use of coaching time. Instead I focus on the principles relevant to the game.

Depending on the player’s skill level, I cover basic tactics such as pins, forks, discovered attacks, removing the defender, back-rank mate, and smothered mate. For more advanced players I cover topics such as the classical bishop sacrifice, how to play positions with an isolated queen’s pawn, rook and pawn endings, opening theory and more. I prefer teaching openings by stressing opening principles and going over whole games rather than presenting numerous lines to be memorized. I cover the basics of end-game play with examples.

I am a Professor Emeritus in Psychological Sciences and in Statistics at Rice University and have taught and researched many topics including memory for chess positions and the development of chess expertise. My experience studying and researching learning and cognition as well as my teaching experience helps me be an effective chess coach.

I learned chess when I was 4 years old but didn’t play much until I was in 10th grade. My first tournament was the Cleveland Open in 1965 at which I won the “unrated prize.” My most notable achievements are being a 1967 US Junior Open co-champion and being tied for 1st in the 1970 Ohio Championship. I am now a USCF National Master.

Although I am not active anymore in classical tournament chess, I still play speed chess online and enjoy seeing analyses of the games of the leading players.

I asked a team member on our college chess team (which played at a Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship among other tournaments) whether I should become a chess coach. His answer was “You should definitely coach. You were the clearest explainer of chess I ever met. Anyone would be lucky to have a class with you.”

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