Chess Coaching, Events, and Resources

Personally coached chess for over a dozen students, especially at the beginner and intermediate level, helping people improve, learn how to better analyze their games, and continue to find meaning and enjoyment in an otherwise incredibly challenging game. Peak online ratings: - Bullet: 2600+ - Blitz: 2500+ - Rapid: 2450 - Chess 960: 2290 (Top 50 lichess) - 3-Check: 2312 (#28 lichess, current) Also used to run TownSquare Chess, a chess coaching marketplace where I helped pair up many more players with coaches to level up their game.

I am Tran Minh Hoang, a competitive Vietnamese chess player and private Chess & Board Games coach with a FIDE standard rating of 2035 and blitz rating of 2027. My competitive achievements include winning the Boys’ U13 gold medal at Vietnam’s 2010 National Excellent Youth Chess Championship, representing Vietnam at the 2011 ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championship in Indonesia, and competing in FIDE-rated tournaments in both Vietnam and Singapore. My résumé records a total of two gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal from national youth and ASEAN+ competitions. As a coach, I combine practical tournament experience with the structured and analytical mindset developed through my Industrial and Systems Engineering education at the National University of Singapore. I focus on helping each student understand why a move or decision works rather than simply memorising openings or solutions. Lessons are adapted to the learner’s age, experience and objectives, covering calculation, positional understanding, tactical pattern recognition, planning, time management and post-game analysis. Through chess and strategy board games, I also help students develop patience, concentration, logical reasoning, resilience and confident decision-making. Clients can expect clear explanations, purposeful practice and a supportive learning environment designed to produce lasting improvement both at the board and beyond it.

I have been a Chess instructor since 2001 and have worked with thousands of students in all age ranges (from 7 to 75+). I achieved the USCF Expert rating in 2002 as well as the FIDE Arena Grandmaster title in 2022. Most of my experience is training players in the 1000-1800 skill range—I specialize in creating opening repertoires, positional understanding, endgame technique, and overall thought processes. My training sessions are tailor-made to fit my students' specific goals and address their areas of growth.  As a young adult, I worked with GM Gregory Kaidanov and GM Alexander Wojtkiewicz. I have also had the pleasure of working with GM Alexander Yermolinsky and IM Cyrus Lakdawala. Here are some of my chess accomplishments:   -1997 Pan-American Intercollegiate Chess Championship, 1st place K-12 section -1998 US Nationals, 6th place JV Section -1998-2000 Multiple State Championships (KY) -1999 All America Cup, 2nd place Blitz tournament -2011 US Amateur West, 1st place Blitz tournament -2019 Chess.com Coach of the Month -2022 Global Chess Championships Qualifer, 1st place   Student references are available upon request—don't hesitate to ask! English is my native language, and I offer flexible hourly rates for students of all ages. Feel free to contact me with any questions. Chess.com Coach of the Month article: https://www.chess.com/article/view/coach-of-the-month-colin-stapczynski Top Player Profile: https://www.chess.com/players/colin-stapczynski Slate Interview: https://slate.com/technology/2023/01/chess-dot-com-mittens-bot.html Thanks for looking!

I am a chess master and have taught for many years, ranging from leading school classes to 1:1 coaching. I have recently jumped from 1900 to ~2200 while being fully employed. I’m a great coach for adult learners