About me#
After winning a district tournament, a parent asked if I’d teach their child. That single ‘yes’ turned into many, and one student became dozens. Working across international academies in the USA, UK, Singapore, and the Middle East, I noticed most kids don’t struggle because chess is hard — they struggle because it isn’t taught in a way they truly understand.
I founded ChessWize to fix that. Today I split my time between curriculum design — the lesson plans that every ChessWize coach uses — and direct 1-on-1 coaching for our senior students.
Playing experience#
- District chess tournament — champion
- 10+ years of active rated play, FIDE rating 1920
- Coached at international academies in the USA, UK, Singapore, and the UAE
- Active on Lichess (2000+ classical) for analysis & study creation
Teaching experience#
Ten years of coaching, the last seven full-time at ChessWize. I work primarily with our senior cohort (typically FIDE-rated 1400+) and handle students who plateau under traditional coaching. I also lead all curriculum design — every lesson plan, every drill, every parent report template comes through me before it ships to the team.
Coaching methodology#
The ChessWize curriculum has four phases:
- Foundation tier — piece coordination, basic tactics, fundamental endgames
- Intermediate tier — opening principles, middlegame planning, common tactical patterns
- Advanced tier — endgame technique, repertoire building, tournament psychology
- Mastery (1800+) — deep theoretical openings, complex endgames, tournament strategy
Every session is 1:1, structured to a specific lesson plan. The plan adapts based on the student’s tournament results and what we identify in game analysis. Parents see the syllabus and weekly progress against it.
Best skills#
- Spotting curriculum gaps that traditional coaching misses
- Endgame technique under tournament time pressure
- Building a multi-year progression path so parents can plan
- Coaching students through rating plateaus
Notable students#
- Senior cohort students progressing from beginner → FIDE-rated within 18–24 months
- International students (USA, UK, Middle East) achieving Indian state-level rating
- Multiple school-team captains anchoring inter-school events
What I look for when I hire a coach#
FIDE rating is just the floor. I hire on three signals:
- Tournament play in the last 24 months — only active players coach at ChessWize
- Patience under repeated questioning — 6-year-olds ask the same question five times
- Written communication skills — every parent gets a weekly WhatsApp report; the report is only as good as the coach who writes it
Languages#
English and Hindi — fluent in both. Curriculum is shipped in English; explanations in either.
