Hello Everyone!

My name is Michael Takahashi. I am a USCF NM (National Master) with a USCF rating of 2205 and a FIDE rating of 2051. I originally started coaching because I wanted to give back to my community; that's given so much to me. Throughout my playing career, I have had the privilege of working with GM Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko, GM Gregory Kaidanov, and NM James Neal, to name a few. I hope to bring some of what they taught me to help you improve!

My teaching philosophy

I believe that we work the best when we have a plan. Often, I find myself and other chess players aimlessly playing chess online with no real motivation (don't do it!). When we do that, we waste time and do not improve any part of our game. If you decide to work with me, we'll devise a reliable training plan centered around training our calculation and doing our work over a physical board. As my former GM coach Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko says, EVERYONE (and I mean EVERYONE) must practice calculation. If we don't practice that skill, we'll spend too much time finding trivial moves and missing things. Don't be that person! You can get away with a core understanding of openings and endgames, but mastering middlegames is a must because most chess games are decided in that phase. In addition, I will have you do your work over a physical board because, as competitors, we want to mimic tournament conditions as closely as possible. Sure, getting out our laptops and doing chess online is much easier, but it won't yield the same results if we work hard to train as if competing.

What makes me a great teacher

As your coach, I hope to balance my motivation to help you improve with the compassion to help you get through stressful situations. As competitors, we often have upsetting moments when we lose a game or lose confidence in ourselves. That's ok! I've felt the same way too! Having worked with many younger children, I have experience helping them work through their emotions while providing support. While my goal is to help you improve your chess, I also hope I can help you love the game as much as you can and help you become a more healthy competitor both on and off the chessboard.