BigPictureChess

USCF Candidate Master (2105 USCF / Peak 2178 USCF) with 20+ years of experience taking novice/beginner players and guiding them up to 1800+ USCF. I've excelled in winning various tournaments (including Clear 1st Place at the World Open U1600 section for $10,000!), and I fully understand what it takes to win under real tournament pressure. I am currently accepting students!

My teaching philosophy aims not just to teach someone chess but to teach a logical thinking process that will enable the student to be prepared, no matter the type of position that arises.

At the age of 16, I began coaching my high school chess team at Saint Francis Prep in Queens, in addition to being captain and board 1. We won the NYC Catholic High School Chess League Championship in my senior year in 2002. After graduation, I stayed on as the coach/trainer of the team, helping to produce 4 straight Varsity and Junior Varsity League Championships from 2003-2006. During this time, the rating range of the team spanned from 800 to 2000, and my students enjoyed success in class sections from U1200, U1400, U1600, and U1800 at Continental Chess Association events. Since then, I have gained valuable experience working in various public and private schools in Manhattan.

I have taught chess individually to a student as young as 4 years old with success. I also have a strong grasp on what it takes to achieve adult chess improvement, as I only got into chess seriously at the age of 15. I can relate to the obstacles prospective adult chess players experience, as it's more similar to learning chess "as a second language." I use a lot of analogies and also references to sports in my chess teaching to make the learning process easier, more engaging, and fun for my students. I am one who always aims to see the "Big Picture" in Chess and relay this information in easy-to-understand concepts to my students.

Check out my Blog for two excellent posts! The first blog post is an analysis of my draws against (then 2500~ USCF Rated IM) Hikaru Nakamura in February 2002, when I was out-rated by 700+ points, and in April 2007 (during a simul when he was rated 2651 FIDE and was the highest rated player in the country). The second blog post is of my win over IM Jay Bonin during the October 2007 Masters Event at the Marshall Chess Club. Please read these blog posts, enjoy, and happy learning!

Chess Career Accomplishments:

January 2001: Liberty Bell u1200: Tied 3rd-5th 5.5/7.0 (6.0 was winner 1st/2nd). (Future) GM Robert Hess was one of the winners, and I drew my individual game vs (future) GM Alex Lenderman while tying with him in the standings.

February 2001: US Amateur Team East: Scored 4.5/6.0 on Board 3, earning a 1400+ USCF Rating for the first time. I earned upset victories over a 1657 and 1575 while earning a draw with a 1712.

March 2001: As Captain and Board 1 of my high school's chess team at St. Francis Prep, I helped lead the team to the B Division Championship (5th place overall) in the NYC Catholic High School Chess League.

July 2001: World Open U1600: Clear 1st 8.0/9.0. Competed in my first World Open event, where I finished in Clear 1st (out of 230 entrants) with a score of 8.0/9.0, earning me the top $10,000 prize!

January 2002: Liberty Bell U1800: Clear 1st 6.0/7.0. I had an undefeated performance with 5 wins and 2 draws (I offered a draw in the last round in the early middlegame to clinch 1st place).

February 2002: US Amateur Team East: Board 1 for my high school team, where I scored an undefeated 4.5/6.0 individually, and our team was Top u1400 with a score of 4.0/6.0. I drew (then) IM Hikaru Nakamura (rated 2500~ USCF) with the Black pieces during this event. Hikaru was the current US Junior Champion at the time. This was a huge upset as my rating listed for the event was only 1783.

March 2002: Captained and led my high school's chess team on board 1 to win the NYC Catholic High School Chess Championship. It was my high school's first league championship in nearly 20 years!

November 2003: Surpassed 2000 USCF and earned the rank of Expert by winning clear 1st in the U2000 section 4.0/4.0 at a Marshall Chess Club event in NYC.

March 2005: Earned the Candidate Master Title.

January 2006: Liberty Bell Open U2200: Tied 1st-2nd to win the section with an undefeated score of 5.5/7.0.

March 2007: Draw in Simul with GM Hikaru Nakamura: I had the black pieces, sacrificed a pawn for activity vs his Trompowsky opening, and he offered me a draw in the middlegame, which I decided to reluctantly accept. Hikaru was rated 2651 FIDE and was the highest rated player in the country at the time of this simul.

October 2007: Masters Event at the Marshall Chess Club: 2.0/4.0, but my score doesn't tell the whole story. I defeated 3-time US Champion GM Nick de Firmian in the black side of a sharp Open Sicilian in round 1. I lost a hard-fought game in round 2 to the venerable FM Asa Hoffman. Then I played a brilliant game to defeat the Iron Man of Chess, IM Jay Bonin, in round 3. In round 4, I was paired with 2700+ USCF rated GM Zviad Izoria, and with the Black pieces, I defended very well to reach a material-level rook ending. He got very low on time and offered me a draw, which I declined. I ended up losing in the complications that ensued, but I was proud of myself for playing it out on the board. 

Chess Career synopsis in story form:

I started my chess career in November 1999 when I joined my high school's chess team at Saint Francis Prep in Queens, NY. I became the captain and board 1 of the team during my junior year and led them to the B Division championship (5th place) in the NYC Catholic High School Chess League. In my senior year I again captained and played board 1 for the team, leading them to the overall championship of the league. It was my high school's first league championship in nearly 20 years!

In the Summer before my senior year of high school in July 2001, I competed in the U1600 section of the World Open, which was held in Philadelphia, PA. It was the biggest prize fund tournament of the year, and the U1600 section was widely considered to be the toughest section to win. This is due to the numerous sandbaggers who lower their ratings on purpose to enter the section and with the promising, underrated junior players who compete in it. There was a total of 230 entrants in the U1600 section alone!

I started the event with a real tour de force winning my first 5 games and was in sole 1st place at the time. I won round 6 but blundered badly and lost in a better position in round 7. I was able to come back for the final day of the competition and win my final 2 games to finish in Clear 1st Place with 8.0/9.0, earning myself the $10,000 prize.

6 months later, I then went on to win clear 1st place 6.0/7.0 with an undefeated performance at the Liberty Bell Open (again in Philadelphia!) in the u1800 section in January 2002.

The following month, I competed in the 2002 US Amateur Team East event and was paired with then 2500~ USCF rated IM Hikaru Nakamura, who had won the US Junior Championship 6 months prior. I more than held my own in this encounter, and it created a stir and buzz in the tournament room. First, there were 30 people huddled around my board, then 40, then 50! In the endgame, I was able to hold Hikaru to a draw. My listed rating for the event was 1783, so it was a huge upset, and I am very proud of the game that I played.

***This game vs. Hikaru is analyzed in my blog for all to learn from and enjoy. Also in this blog post is a draw I earned vs (then 2651 FIDE rated) Hikaru in a 2007 Simul, also with the Black pieces.***

I later earned an expert USCF rating during my college days at St. John's University at an U2000 event in which I won clear 1st with a 4.0/4.0 score at the famous Marshall Chess Club in November 2003. I earned the Candidate Master USCF title in March 2005. I then went on to win tied 1st-2nd with an undefeated performance in the U2200 section of the 2006 Liberty Bell Open.

In October 2007, in the Masters Tournament at the Marshall Chess Club, I had a phenomenal performance. I scored only 2.0/4.0, but that doesn't tell the whole story. In the first round, I had Black vs. a three-time US Champion, GM Nick de Firmian, and a sharp Open Sicilian arrived on the board. I was able to outplay the acclaimed author of Modern Chess Openings, in fact checkmating him on the board with a few seconds left on my clock! What a rush it was!

In Round 2, I was paired with the venerable FM Asa Hoffman, the Chess Gladiator, who is always a tough opponent. I "won" the exchange when he sacrificed but lost a hard-fought and very tough battle of a game. In Round 3, I was paired with the Iron Man of Chess, IM Jay Bonin, and played one of the best games of my life. I wanted to show that my win in round 1 wasn't a "fluke," and I was very motivated to play a solid game where I aimed to accumulate small advantages. I won the game in fantastic fashion.

***This game vs. IM Jay Bonin is analyzed in my blog for all to learn from and enjoy.***

Now the stage was set for the 4th and Final Round, board 1 with the Black pieces vs 2700+ USCF rated GM Zviad Izoria. I battled hard and defended well, and we reached a material-level rook ending. I had 2 minutes left, as did he, and he took a long think down to 30 seconds, made a move, and offered me a draw. I wanted to play it out and ended up losing in the complications that followed. If I accepted the draw, with the bonus points I were to be awarded for the performance, I probably would've reached 2200+ USCF and made National Master. But I have no regrets about my decision! I am proud of myself for playing it out on the board.

Then, for a number of years, I focused on my coaching and other intellectual pursuits, playing sporadically or taking a break for longer periods of time from tournaments. Right before COVID caused event cancellations, I had 8 tournaments lined up that I was 100% going to play in pursuit of earning the National Master title. Now, I am training diligently to soon make a comeback to the 3D Realm of the 64 squares. Wish me well, and thank you for reading!