Hi, I’m Coach Josh!

Chess player since age 7
Member of the Hamilton Chess Club since age 13
Club Champion 3x (2010, 2016, 2023)
USCF National Expert/Candidate Master (peak rating 2153)

I am a full-time chess coach primarily working with children aged 5-15 u1600, with 4 years full-time experience teaching classes. I’m also a Club TD with experience navigating public schools. I believe chess is both a tremendous teaching tool for kids and a challenge that has something to offer to anyone at any time in their life.

A cabinetmaker from 1992-2020, I have always enjoyed sharing knowledge of chess with others. I had a brief stint running an after-school chess club program at The Pennington School as a 20-year-old. At 30, I started teaching and coaching in earnest when working with the City of Trenton to spearhead operations of a citywide after-school chess enrichment program for at-risk youth within Trenton Public Schools. In this part-time role from 2004-07, I worked with children aged 7-13 in group class settings 3x weekly, and also organized and operated unrated tournaments. Later, I worked part-time with Shining Knights Chess as a coach with children aged 7-10 in Bucks County, 1x weekly in after-school program group class settings and daily at chess summer camps.

In 2021, I reprioritized my life and transitioned to coaching full-time, working both as a private coach and with Chess Kings and Queens as a Coach and Club TD. At CKQ, I work daily with children aged 5-15 in group class settings and one-on-one private lessons, coach at chess camps, and organize and run local USCF-rated tournaments.

I tailor lesson plans to the individual and am comfortable working with young learners who may not be ready to commit to minimum lesson requirements. While I prefer to coach in-person, I am also able to provide virtual one-on-ones here at chess.com. There’s a lot out there online to help players break down their weaknesses, and this can be okay, but I find this kind of approach can lead to generalizations and overlook the psychological component in play. If you are interested in learning from a person, not an algorithm, then I would love to hear from you.

No stress, just chess!

RATES
$45/hour online
$60/hour in-person
10% discount for advance booking 10-session block

Send me an email at onefromnone1973@gmail.com and let’s improve your chess together!

OneFromNone1973