The Player - my first serious chess tournament was back in 1974, a little late for today's standards. Over the years I have had the opportunity to play all forms of chess from OTB to postal, email and server chess. The journey as a player brought me a lot of experience and a few titles along the way: FIDE CM (2012) and ICCF IM (2001). I also have one ICCF SIM norm (2004).
The Instructor - my career as a chess teacher, coach and mentor started in 1994 and continues strong. I have been awarded the FIDE Instructor title (2007) for my work and have been blessed with great students reaching the highest levels (CYCC, NAYCCC, Pan-Am, WYCC). My website:
http://www.64funsolutions.ca/
I have developed our own chess curriculum on 6 levels based on my overall chess knowledge and hands-on experience. A glimpse of it can be seen in our first chess app HERE
I can help you learn chess the proper way if this is what you seek. If you are as committed as I am, let's talk!
Beginning Sep 2016 I have joined a select group of chess instructors led by GM Nigel Davies (ENG). Our contributions are available here:
The Chess Improver
It has been designated the #1 UK Chess Blog in 2018 and 2020 based on social metrics, google search ranking, plus quality and consistency of blogging.
Beginning May 2017 we have added the online version of our club:
Golden Knights (chess.com)
It is the place where our former and current students participate in our friendly tournaments and keep in touch with each other.
Beginning 2021 we have moved some of our club activities at Lichess:
Golden Knights (lichess)
Former Students (prior to May 2017) now Chess Instructors:
Alexandra
Stefan
Joanne
Other Former Students (prior to May 2017):
Aaron
Daniel
Enoch
Ethan
Eugene
Daniel
Jay
Jeremy
Joshua
Hyson
Leo
Our first chess video commercial!
If
by Rudyard Kipling, 1895
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!