Meet Coach Rob

For more than 13 years, I’ve taught chess to children at every level from complete beginners through experienced tournament players. I began teaching at public libraries and in afterschool programs, and have since worked with more than 300 students and families.

Over time, one thing became increasingly clear to me: teaching a child how the pieces move is not the same as teaching them how to think through the game.

That realization became the foundation for Life In Check. My approach is built around teaching chess correctly from the ground up while deliberately giving students opportunities to think, plan, solve problems, make decisions, work through mistakes, and explain their reasoning. I don’t believe chess magically makes children smarter, because I've seen that it doesn't. Chess creates extraordinary opportunities for learning when the instruction is designed to use them.

My goal is for every student to become a stronger chess player, but I also want them to leave each lesson a little more confident in their ability to figure things out for themselves. Chess is the instrument. The mind is the outcome. That is what Life In Check was created to teach.

My goal is for every student to become a stronger chess player, but I also want them to leave each lesson a little more confident in their ability to figure things out for themselves.

Chess is the instrument. The mind is the outcome. That is what Life In Check was created to teach.