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Meet Our Chess Coaching Instructors

Ashfaq

Rating: FIDE 2037
Coach Ashfaq is an international rated player having 15 years of experience, teaching players of various levels. His highest rating was 2037. He started his teaching career in 1998 for Chennai Chess Academy (Now Named as 64 Squares) and later ventured into his own academy “Brain Square Chess Academy” handling many students. Now presently providing individual coaching to rated players and budding players, some of his accolade include training GM Adhiban, B (current Elo 2561), GM Shyam Sundar M (current Elo 2505). Successfully conducted many chess summer camps for young chess aspirants, in association with Chennai’s leading coaches Mr.S.C.Subramanian and Mr. R.R Vasudevan. He was also involved in proof reading two books on chess of Mr. Murali Mohan (General Secretary of Tamil Nadu State Chess Association). Apart from chess coaching he has actively contributed his efforts in www.chaturangam.com for chess puzzles and online games upload in pgn format.

Daler Vakhidov

Rating: FIDE 2177
Coach Daler Vakhidov is an International FIDE Master(FM) with rating 2177. He has been playing Chess for 12 years and has been teaching for 2 years.

Participated successfully in a lot of international tournaments and achieved many places.

  • 1st place in Asian Amateur Chess Championship in Brunei Darussalam(2015)
  • 1st place in Asian Chess Championship Under 15 (2016)
  • Participated in World Chess Olympiad Under 16 (India, Ahmedabad 2017) and got 4th place.
  • 1st place in Penang Open Under 16(Malaysia 2016)
  • 3rd place in Western Asian Chess Championship Under 18(Tashkent 2018)
  • 1st place in Almaty Open Under 18 (Kazakhstan 2017)
  • He has won and drawn with GMs and IMs in International tournaments (particularly, GM Svidler Peter, IM Pascua Haridas, GM Samy Shoker, GM Fier Alexander, GM Neelotpal Das, GM Fominyh Alexander, IM Cuhendi, Sean Windhand, IM Lioe Dede, IMCech Pavel, IM Meftahi Houssem, IM Aronyak Ghosh, WGM Zhukova Natalia, WGM Alexandra Obolentseva)

Derek Wu

Rating: FIDE 2109 USCF 2247
Coach Derek Wu (USCF rating: 2247 Fide:2109) started playing chess at the age of 7. He excels in tactical variations and very sharp on key positional ideas and strategies along with theoretical endgames and opening variations. He is very good at analyzing games and pointing out needed areas of improvement.

Because of his growing passion towards chess, he is very up to date with the current trends in the chess world. He has tremendous playing experience, having played over 1600 USCF rated games and tens of thousands more online. He has scored against many Grandmasters in over-the-board chess and has hundreds more online. His biggest achievements include becoming the 2016 Alabama Junior High Chess Champion, representing the state of Alabama for the 2017 Barber Tournament of K-8 Champions, winning the 2017 Northern California Championship (Expert Section), achieving his National Master Title (2200 USCF rating) in January of 2018, shortly after his 15th birthday, becoming the co-champion of the 2019 Best of the West Championship, and becoming a member of the Pro Chess League “San Diego Surfer’s Team” . Derek is one of the top players in the nation for his age and looks forward to achieving much more.

Muthu

Rating: FIDE 1572
Coach Muthu is an international FIDE rated player and has coaching experience of Three years. Some of his achievements include Winner of Bharathiyar University Individual Chess Championship for the years 2012 & 2013. Runner up of Bharathiyar University Individual Chess Championship for the year 2014. Represented Bharathiyar university team for the South Zone Chess tournament for the past 5 years 2010-2014. Runner up of window international FIDE rating chess tournament in 2013. Winner of Salem district open chess championship for the year 2015 and got many awards from various tournaments. He is also a qualified Tamilnadu State arbiter and TNSCA state certified coach.

Rajagopalan

Rating: FIDE 1672
Coach Rajagopalan grew up in the Mecca of Indian chess – Chennai and nurtured his early years of chess at the famed Tal Chess Club, where World Champion GM Vishy Anand is an alumni. He moved to New Delhi by winter 1990 at the precincts of Judit Polgar and Gata Kamsky visit to India. He has been a part of Delhi chess scene for more than two decades, having played a number of tournaments, and being a regular at the annual Parsvnath Open GM tournament at New Delhi. Caoch Rajagopalan hails from a family of chess players, both his brothers are tournament players.

Sangeetha M.R

Rating: FIDE 2142
Coach Sangeetha is Women FIDE Master (Peak Rating FIDE 2142). She is also a Certified FIDE Instructor (FI). Coach Sangeetha represented India in Asian Junior Girls in 1999 and Asian Women in 2004. She was the Indian Team Coach for Junior Girls in 2009 and for the World Cadet Chess Championship in 2019. She was also playing partner of Grandmaster Adhiban and Grandmaster M.R.Venkatesh. She worked as assistant coach for Under 16 Boys Olympiad Coaching camp.

Coach Sangeetha has 14 years of Coaching experience and coached many students who won Local, State, and International tournaments. Coach Sangeetha has taught in multiple schools for many students.

Sekar

Rating: FIDE 2069
Coach Sekar is an International Rated player with 12 years of Chess Coaching experience and his students include GIREMAN .JA (2187) -NATIONAL 4th in Sub Junior 2012, qualified for World SubJunior Olympiad to be held in China July 2013, RATHANVEL.VS (1998) won Bronze Medal in World Youth Chess Championship U10 Category held in Brazil 2011, VARSHA ,AKSHAYA.N – Bronze Medal in ASIAN SCHOOL U-13 AND U-15, PRIYANKA Silver Medal in Asian Schools U11. Coach Sekar students also include 7 State Champions in various age categories and he has produced more than 40 FIDE rated players. Coach Sekar’s playing experience includes 6th Prize under 2000 FIDE rated and more than 30 district level titles.

Shakhzod Vakhidov

Rating: FIDE 2312
Coach Shakhzod Vakhidov is an International FIDE Master(FM) with rating 2312. He is from a famous chess family with 4 Titled chess players. His father is Grandmaster(GM) Tair Vakhidov, his brother is GM Jakhongir Vakhidov and his younger brother FM Daler Vakhidov. Master Shakhzod has been playing chess for more than 12 years and has 5 years of online teaching experience. He has participated and won several international tournaments. One of his best achievements is becoming Champion in Asian Chess Championship (Blitz). Nowadays, he actively participates in online tournaments and has won several top GrandMasters including elite players like GM Firouzja, GM Andreikin and GM Daniel Naroditsky.

He offers an innovative training program. Coach Shakhzod’s success comes from combining a carefully designed dynamic powerful chess program for different skill levels from beginner to advanced with his extensive experience teaching and playing chess.His students successfully compete in national and international tournaments.

Singaram

Rating: FIDE 1709
Coach Singaram has a FIDE rating of 1709, and his peak rating is 1746. He won the Salem district open chess championship twice for the year 2013 & 2013 and has won many state and international chess tournaments. He has nearly 13 years of experience in chess and has trained students from various parts of the World.

Few of his achievements are:
  • Chess player with an international FIDE rating of 1709.,/li>
  • Salem District Open Chess Champion for the years 2013-2014, 2014-2015.
  • Bronze medal in 17th TamilNadu State Under-18 Rapid Chess Championship.,
  • Salem District Chess Champion in U-13, U-15, U-17, U-19, U-25.
  • Bronze medal in Anna University zonal Chess Championship in 2013, 2014, 2015.
  • Winner of many District and State-level Chess Tournaments.
  • Participated in many International Chess Tournaments and won few Trophies

Srinivasa Rangan

Rating: FIDE 2095
Coach Srinivasa Rangan is a FIDE rated chess player (Peak Rating 2095) and FIDE certified Instructor. His Vision is to create as many Chess Champions as possible through his meticulous, dedicated, sincere and attentive coaching.

He has been a head coach for a Chess Academy in India for the last 20 years and has trained many students. Each year he trains more than 500 students in multiple schools. Some of his students have become International Master and GM Elect apart from National and International chess winners. To date he has trained 10 national and International medal winners apart from 50 + State champions.

Vidya

Rating: FIDE 1570
Coach Vidya is a FIDE rated player of ELO 1570 and playing experience of 12 + years. She is a state certified coach for beginners and working in a reputed school as chess coach for the past 2 years. Her achievements include U – 25 girls hat-trick district champion from year 2014 and Winner of Bharathiyar university inter-collegiate tournament for the year 2011. Coach Vidya is an aspiring teacher for beginner especially little kids. She also secured first rank in the Tamil Nadu State chess Association’s Beginners coach exam in Feb 2016.

Meet our excellent instructors by messaging us today at

Contact@ChessKidsNation.com!

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