Mentors (Prior)

WFM Chloe Gaw

Chloe Gaw is a Woman FIDE Master with a peak USCF rating of 2104. She won Gold in her section in the 2023 Pan-American Youth Chess Festival and is a two-time winner of the All-Girls National Chess Championship. Chloe has had multiple Top 10 finishes in the National K-12 Championships and was also a member of the US national team in the 2022 World Youth Chess Championship in Romania. Perhaps her coolest achievement is being the only player to win their game against GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in a simul in 2022. 

NM Kiren Nasta

Kiren Nasta is a USCF National Master with a peak rating of 2221. He has played chess for more than ten years and is excited to share his knowledge.

CM Jed Sloan

Hi, my name is Jed Sloan, and I am currently a junior attending Stuyvesant High School. I am an avid chess player with a peak rating of 2162. My best chess achievements include winning clear first in 5th grade nationals in 2018, 4th in 9th grade nationals, and obtaining the FIDE Candidate Master title last year. I am also Vice Captain of the Stuyvesant High School Chess Team and lead the 9th grade team to a shared first in 2023 grade nationals. My other hobbies include tennis, skiing and competition math. 

Kyle Cheung

Hi! My name is Kyle Cheung, I have been playing chess competitively for almost a decade, and I am a USCF Candidate Master at my peak rating of 2143. I have placed top 15% for numerous grade nationals and placed 2nd in the 2024 World Amateur Team Championship. As a current junior at the Bronx High School of Science, I am dedicated to sharing my knowledge and helping others improve their game. Outside of chess, I enjoy participating in bowling and table tennis events.   

Dominic Paragua

Hello, I'm Dominic Paragua! I am currently a junior at Columbia Prep and a USCF expert chess player with a peak rating of 2131. At this time, I am ranked top 100 of all time control ratings in my age group. Outside of chess, I like learning to cook, karaoke, computer science, and creating YouTube videos.

NM Aritro Chakravarty

Aritro is a  at Stuyvesant High School. He is a USCF National Master who has been playing chess competitively since Elementary School. Aritro has placed in the Top 5 in the NY State Open (2023), NY State Scholastic championships (2022), and placed third in the US National Online Scholastic K-8 Championship. He is currently in the Top 40 players nationally in his age group.

Bhavya Thakur

Bhavya Thakur is a high school freshman at Trinity School. She has been playing chess for over 10 years and has achieved a peak of 1818 USCF. She has ranked Top 10 girls her age nationally (January 2023) and currently places in the 97th percentile for all competitive female players. Outside of chess, Bhavya competes in academic quizbowl, debate, robotics, fencing, math, and cross country..

David Shen

Hi! My name is David Shen and I've been playing chess competitively since I was eight at PS116. Currently, I go to CGPS and occasionally play tournaments at Marshall or to various events outside of New York. Aside from chess, I play tennis in and outside of school and have been playing guitar since I was 9. 

Affan Bhimani

Hi! My name is Affan, I'm a university student studying at Ivey Business School in Canada. I picked up chess roughly two years ago in the height of the pandemic, and have loved playing chess since then (have reached a chess.com rating for 1700). Outside from chess, love playing recretional basketball, tennis and listening to music. 

Simone Morden

Hi! I go to Stuyvesant High School and have been playing chess since Kindergarten. I attended the World Cadet Chess Championship in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, in 2018 as part of the US Chess Federation Team. Besides chess, I like to do TaeKwonDo and cook. 

Anderson Woo

Anderson Woo is a 9th Grader currently attending Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School. He started playing chess seriously in the 6th grade and now has a rating of 1724. He has been on numerous teams that have placed in the Top 3 at the National Chess Championships. Besides chess, Anderson also enjoys playing tennis and the clarinet. 

NM Max Mottola

Hi, I'm Max! Some of my chess achievements include being on the National High School Championship winning Dalton team in 2022 and 2023, 4th place in the 2023 National High School Blitz Championship, and finishing 5th place with my team in the 2023 Amateur Team East. My peak USCF rating is 2149 and I'm currently working towards the national master title. Outside of chess, I play the piano and like to write short stories and run in my free time. 

NM Spencer Chin

Hi, I'm Spencer! I started playing chess when I was 5. I played my first rated tournament in November 2015, and developed a passion for chess. In third grade, I tied for first at K-12 Grade Nationals. I reached the 2000 rating just after turning 10 but I got a little stuck during COVID. However, through my training, I eventually started performing well and I earned my National Master title in December of 2024. As a tutor, I hope to empower students to overcome the same difficult slumps I faced on my chess journey

Jordy Leon

Jordy is a chess player currently attending Stuyvesant High School. He is extremely passionate, curious, and hard-working. He also enjoys helping people whenever possible. He has experience with teaching chess as he was a chess mentor for a semester during middle school at Speyer. He has been playing chess for 9 years, and he has made many friends along the way. He has been as high as 11th place in national tournaments, and has been a part of many 1st place Speyer teams. He also a member of the Stuyvesant Soccer and Math teams. 

Nathan Peyton

Nathan Peyton is a freshman at Brooklyn Technical High School. He has consistently been ranked as a top 100 chess player in the United States for his age since he began playing in kindergarten. Last year, Nathan placed 5th (7th on tiebreaks) in the 2024 National K-12 Grade Championships (Grade 8). His peak USCF and FIDE ratings are 2058 and 1958, respectively. Outside of chess, Nathan enjoys playing basketball and flag football recreationally. 

Emily Tai

Emily is a senior at Hunter College High School. She started playing chess in elementary school. In her free time, she enjoys painting and drawing. 

Nikhil Shah

Nikhil is a sophomore at Brooklyn Technical High School who has been playing chess for over 12 years. He has a peak rating of 1858 and has placed 13th at Supernationals in the U1900 section. Outside of chess, Nikhil enjoys playing badminton and tennis. 

Ryan Isaiah Saavedra 

Ryan is a soccer goalkeeper and co-founder of the chess club at Bard High School Early College Bronx. Ryan is also part of Chess In The Schools College Bound program, and serves as a tournament director for them. He likes to stay active and loves to hangout with others!

Nicholas Bear

Nicholas is a high school sophomore at Trinity School, who has been playing chess for just under a decade. He has achieved a peak rating of 1841 USCF and has placed in the top 20 at the national championships, in both regular and blitz. Outside of chess, Nicholas plays competitive tennis and enjoys researching politics, foreign affairs, and learning new languages.

Christian Bartolini

Christian is a student at Hunter College High School, whose peak USCF rating is 1721, and has played chess since he was 6. He has been a part of several national-winning chess teams since kindergarten, and he won the NY state championship in first grade. Some of his favorite hobbies are soccer and volleyball.

Riju Bhattacharjee

Riju is a sophomore at Brooklyn Technical High School who aspires to reach 2000 in the near future. He has been playing chess ever since he was eight and has achieved a peak of around 1800 USCF. Away from the board, Riju enjoys hanging out with friends and is an avid member of the Brooklyn Tech math team.

Lucas Moina

Lucas is a freshman at Hunter College High School and US Chess Expert. He has been playing chess competitively for 7 years. Lucas was part of the team winning 2025 K-8 championships, and has won several other nationals with the team. Outside of chess Lucas loves to play soccer and is fascinated with geography.

Nicholas Frederick Beirne

Hi! I'm Nick, a tutor based in Manhattan, attending the High School for Math, Science and Engineering. Although I've only been playing chess with a real interest to improve for 4 years, I've reached a peak rating of 1813 USCF. I am also a tennis player and pianist, and my prior experience tutoring kids in middle schools has led me to enjoy tutoring, and am excited to help you!

Sara Gupta

Sara is a senior at the Hockaday School in Dallas, Texas. Since the age of 5, she’s been playing chess competitively and has won gold at the Pan- American & North American championships. She has played tournaments around the world and has achieved the WCM norm. Outside of chess, she enjoys orchestra, taking care of animals and Model UN. 

Amy Burton

Hi, I'm Amy Burton, a 9th grader from NYC. I've been playing chess casually since I was around three years old, with a break around the ages of 8-12. Although I'm not particularly high rated, I have a lot of experience with chess tournaments and the rules of the game. I especially love solving chess puzzles that involve situations rarely found in games, because the solutions always feel so creative!

Rohan Lee

Rohan Lee is a freshman at Brooklyn Technical High School. He is a USCF Candidate Master with peak ratings of 2152 USCF and 2046 FIDE, respectively. In 2025 he was selected official representative for the USA at the North American Youth Chess Championship. In recent years he has placed 13th in the New York State middle school championship (2025), 12th in grade nationals (2024) as well as 17th at middle school nationals (2024). He is also currently ranked in the top 35 for his age in the US. Outside of chess, he likes to do art and play sports like soccer, basketball, cross country, and tennis. 

Hunter Choi Quirk

Hi! I'm Hunter Choi Quirk, and I am 9th grader at Hunter College High School. My peak USCF rating is 1864, and I have been playing chess competitively for around 6 years. I was part of the team that got first in 7th and 8th grade nationals, and I have been part of teams that have gotten top 5 placements in several national events. My hobbies include reading (both comics and novels), and obviously, playing chess. 

Dan Gaon

HI! My name is Dan Gaon, and I am a junior at The Calhoun School. I have been playing chess pretty much my whole life, with my first ever experience with chess being at 4 years old. I played a ton of chess throughout the early years of my life, before slowing down during the pandemic. Nowadays, I mainly only play big tournaments with my friends, while also focusing on tutoring.

Rania Awad

I have taught chess for the past three years, training over 100 students from pre-K to seventh grade. I also guide my peers as a captain of my school’s chess team. As a female chess player ranked in the top 30 nationally for girls my age, I am passionate about fostering growth in women’s chess. When I’m not playing chess, you will find me drawing or learning a new song on the piano. 

Nick Marchese

Nick is a senior at Stuyvesant High School and has contributed to the school chess team at both the state and national levels. He is passionate about the game and deeply values the chance to teach others. Outside of chess, he plays varsity baseball and enjoys working out with friends.

Hana Carlson

Hi, I'm Hana, and I attend Brearley! I've been playing chess since kindergarten. I've gradually become more relaxed when it has come to playing in official tournaments, but I'm looking forward to doing more during the school year. When I was in second grade I got second place in Girl's Nationals. I enjoy reading (and writing!) high fantasy books. I play piano, sing, and debate. 

Johji Nakada

I have played chess for 11 years, and have multiple national championships with my elementary and middle school, as well as a national high school championship with Dalton. I have taught chess before, and am excited to teach in the future. 

Jay Badillo

Hello! My name is Jay, and I’ve been playing chess since I was 5 years old. I was introduced to chess through my school, Success Academy, in kindergarten and have been playing ever since. I’ve travelled around the nation participating in tournaments; In 2021, I tied for 5th place in the U14 All Girls National Championship. I plan to spread the valuable chess knowledge while simultaneously becoming a better player. 

Timothy Ng

Hello! I'm Tim, a junior at Hunter College High School. My peak and live rating is 1992 and I'm currently top 100 in the country for my age. My other chess achievements include numerous 2nd and 3rd place finishes with my team at nationals and multiple top 20th place finishes individually at the aforementioned tournament. I was also 46th on the top 100 lists in 5th grade. Besides chess, I love fencing and have taken up surfing recently. 

Siddharth Ganti-Agrawal

I’m Siddharth Ganti-Agrawal, a 10th grader at Hunter College High School. I have been playing chess since elementary school with a peak rating of 1834. At Hunter, I’ve been a part of state and national championship winning teams. Aside from chess, also love running track and field and cross country, and playing and watching sports. 

Dylan Shlachter

Dylan is a sophomore at Brooklyn Technical high school. He has played chess ever since he was 5 years old. He also enjoys playing guitar, reading, and golfing in his free time. He is very excited to continue to teach kids in playing chess and help teach the future of chess. 

Dazhen Lu

I started playing chess when I was 6. Since then, it’s been a big part of my life. I am on my school team and have won various team and individual achievements at the national level. Some of my individual awards include the second place class prize at the 2023 High School Nationals. Other than chess, my hobbies include piano and history. 

David Gelpi

David Gelpi is a senior at Columbia Secondary School. In his free time, he likes playing soccer and video games. Recently he’s hit a peak rating of 2270 on chess.com, and plans to keep climbing. He’s particularly interested in pursuing computer science and hopes to combine his analytical skills with his passion for strategic thinking in college. 

Aliya Saldanha-Suri

Aliya Saldanha-Suri is a 9th grader at The Bronx High School of Science. She has been playing chess for 10 years and has a peak rating of 1693. Aliya has participated in many tournaments, including winning the 2017 NYS Scholastic Championships and 5th place at SuperNationals VI (in her sections). Aliya has a passion for mentoring and is excited to share her love of chess. Apart from chess, Aliya also enjoys art and playing the piano. 

Roxana Harris

My name is Roxana Harris and I have been playing chess for over 10 years. While I don’t play competitively anymore, I used to participate in many tournaments and I studied chess at the Marshall Chess Club. Other than that, I love math and English and I have been tutoring math for two years at my school. I like to do chess tactics, listen to music, and run in my free time. 

Boris McCoy

Boris is a senior at Hunter College High School who has played tournament chess since second grade and is currently rated around 1800 USCF. He plays on his school’s soccer team, loves to read books, and is a passionate language learner.

George Wang

My name is George, and I'm a student at Choate Rosemary Hall. I play squash and ultimate frisbee. I enjoy online chess and learning about computers. I am interested in statistics, finance, and economics. I am also the vice president of Classics Club at my school, the oldest club. I also was previously the vice president for chess club at my school as well. 

Sophie Zhu

I have been playing chess since I was 7 years old. Currently, I am top 20 for girls age 14. I have participated in international tournaments, like the World Cadet Chess Championships in 2019. I have also tied for 15th place in the 2022 National K-12 Championship. In addition to chess, I also play soccer and violin.