CoachRhys

Professional coach who runs several school chess clubs. I also founded Coventry Juniors Chess Club in 2022 which has students age 7-14 and is very successful. See Notes tab for my reviews.

You can see from my ratings page I began playing chess seriously 4 years ago. I've been able to quickly improve from 1200>1900 rapid (over 2000 on my private account) as an adult improver (age 31) in just a few years and I believe this puts me in a unique position to help other students do the same.

My Training

Certified FIDE Developmental Instructor. I've been trained in how to coach chess effectively by some of the worlds top GM coaches.

I've also completed training in coaching chess by 'Chess in Schools and Communities' including 20 hours shadowing and working with other coaches at schools around England. 

I instruct students using a range of material from curriculums like the 'Chess Steps Method' and some of the Russian methodologies for beginners which I have used with great success with my students.

Prices

• $50/£40 for an hour
• $70/£55 for a 1.5 hour session
• £380 for 10 sessions

Contact

Email me; [email protected] or message me on chess.com

References

I'm happy to provide references and my DBS (UK Government certificate to prove I'm safe to work with children) on request. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

FAQ:

It looks like you're inactive and only rarely play bullet? 

Playing my best repertoire was costing me in local games where opponents could easily find my profile so I've now moved my main chess activity to a private account. I occasionally play a bullet game (certainly not my strong suit) to keep the profile active, I'm happy to show any students my other account rated over 2000 rapid).

Doesn't my Coach need to be a master?

Being amazing at chess doesn't necessarily make you great at teaching others. Many masters were rated above 1500 by age 14 - this makes it difficult for them to remember exactly what they did to achieve that, especially if they simply achieved it through playing 30-50 hours a week as a child which not everyone has time for. If you're on the road to 1700 I think professional chess coaches like myself can do just as well if not better in helping you to get there. 

What can I expect from a Lesson?

My lessons are tailored carefully to the student, their preferences and key areas of improvement for their chess. This means I also keep variety from one session to the next especially with children. For example:

Lesson for a child learning the basics:

• 5 minute Chesskid Cartoon video if enjoyed by the child to introduce a topic
• 5-15 minute demonstration with lots of Q&A to cement understanding
• 10-20 minutes solving puzzles/problems from a curriculum on the lessons topic
• 15-20 minutes interactive game (vs me/online opponent) with discussion (occasionally a chess variant)
• 5 min recap and analysis of the games key moments

Adult Lesson:

• Review of a recent game & discussion of homework (if requested) 
• Demo of new tactical or strategic concept
• Puzzle solving on that subject
• Review of study plan until the next lesson

or

• Review 3 games from a recent tournament 
• Recommend some further material to address weaknesses identified in the games.