Frequently Asked Questions

I work with all ages! For one on one coaching, the youngest I have worked with is 8, whereas the oldest I have worked with is 40!

I am quite comfortable working with anyone from complete beginners to much more advanced players (around the 1750 rating on lichess, or 1600 on chesscom). If you don't know what these numbers mean, you are almost certainly within the scope I work with.

For more experienced students, if they have their own games available for me to take a look at (usually from a online chess account) then I will take a look through some of the games and identify some points for improvement. I'll then send an email through explaining what I will be working on with them over the first few sessions.

For my one-on-one coaching, if after your first session you are unsatisfied, I will refund it. Seriously. No conditions on that.

I do not offer a free trial session.

Between our sessions try and play a couple chess games! Whether this is online, in your school, or at a chess club, this will be the best way for me to track your progress and make sure we are working on what you need most. If you want to do more then this let me know and I can prepare some material for between sessions!

Yes! Feel free to contact me with any of your chess related needs between sessions! If you want to look at something during our sessions, please give me at least 24 hours notice.

Of course! If you are playing in a tournament soon I will change up what we are working on within sessions to better fit that tournament!

Yes!

Yes! I get it updated every year to stay up to date on public school requirements.

If you are a teacher or parent interested in getting chess programs in your school please contact me on my contact me page.

Yes! If you would like me to run one for you or your organisation reach out to me on my contact me page.

Yes! If you would like a chess tournament organised on your behalf reach out to me on my contact me page.

For group classes I will bring enough chess sets for 20 people. If you need more please let me know as soon as possible.

The school chess programs are ran by Black Square Chess. If you are interested in having me run the classes, reach out to me here and I will try and make that happen. If you would like to know more about Black Square Chess then check out the Black Square Chess website.

I've been doing 1 on 1 coaching since late 2022 and I first started running classes in schools in early 2023. Since then I have ran weekly programs in over 20 different schools and worked with hundreds of kids.

For online coaching I primarily use Zoom for the communication side of things and on the chess side of things I use Lichess. If you don't use Lichess this is completely fine. Otherwise in person, it's just a regular old chess board!

About a third of the work I do for you happens outside the sessions. Right after a session I jot down some notes of key points which came up during the sessions. Then outside of the session I will prepare material for the next session. If you are regularly playing games I will also look at these between lessons to ensure we are focusing on the right things and to see how you are improving.

I am pretty flexible. If there is something you want more of, or something you don't like, let me know and I'll usually be quite happy to make those adjustments. Otherwise if I don't think my coaching is a good match for you I am more then happy to recommend another coach for you.

If your main priority is chess improvement then online classes are definitely the way to go. There is time saved in not having to setup the various different chess positions we may end up looking at, and it also makes it much easier if we want to look at any of your games. Additionally online sessions are much more convinient for us both as it cuts down any need for transportation (and saves you money)!

My hours are pretty open, however before 4pm on weekdays is usually quite busy. If you are interested in getting coaching giving me your available hours is always super helpful in quickly organising a good time to get started!

Most students find that weekly sessions provide a good balance for learning and practice. If you would like any less then this then we can discuss it in our initial consultation phone call. For most people I do not recommend anything more frequent then weekly.

Generally sessions go for an hour. If you would like a different amount of time this can be negotiated, however my coaching is carefully designed around 1 hour sessions.

For in person work I work within Hobart and it's surrounding area, however luckily through the power of Zoom I can coach anyone anywhere!

If you give me 24 hours notice I am more then happy to allow a reschedule or cancellation of a session. Please note my hours are quite full nowadays so I may not be able to find a suitable time for your new session, in this case we can just miss the session (which you will of course not be charged for). If you give me less then 24 hours notice I may be unable to offer a refund.

If you are going to be late please let me know! If you do not do this and are more then 15 minutes late I will cancel the session with you, with no refund offered.

Session costs vary. Rough guidelines are available on the getting started page, however the actual cost may be higher or lower depending on the exact location of the session and various discounts you may be applicable for. When you apply for coaching please let me know the cost you are expecting to pay.

I do not have a formal structure for discounts, however I do offer lower prices for families purchasing coaching for multiple students. If you think you have a good reason I should be charging you less let me know in your initial enquiry!

My preferred methods are Bank Transfer or Cash. Payment should be made ASAP after the session (or preferably before the session!)

If you have any more questions please don't be afraid to reach out on my contact me page or email me at . In both cases I generally answer questions within 48 hours.