Information About Maria - Battersea teacher -

(1 review)

Personal Description:

I am a Woman FIDE Master (WFM) with a peak rating of 2112. I have had multiple international tournament successes, including winning the World School Team Championships in 2007, but in recent years have focused more on teaching than on pursuing my tournament career. I founded Chess Rising Stars London Academy to share my passion for the game with chess enthusiasts in London and further afield.

Teaching Experience:

London (United Kingdom)
2015 - *
Currently teach and run the London branch of Rising Star Chess Academy, and do some working for CSC (Chess in Schools and Communities). I teach in 9 schools and 3 chess clubs, with class sizes ranging from 10 to 30 children and ages from 5 to 15 years old.

Barcelona (Spain)
2013 - 2014
I worked as an Au Pair in Barcelona, Spain, taking care of two children, a boy (7) and a girl (11 years old). I also taught them both English and chess.

Kavala (Greece)
2011 - 2012
While I postponed my university and went back to my city, I gave priva**Contact Detail Removed**ssons to a 10 year old girl. She improved a lot, and managed to get 2nd place in the Greek Individual School Rapid Championship.
Thessaloniki (Greece)
2010 - 2011
While I was studying at university, I joined a chess club in Thessaloniki and gave chess lessons to children aged 4 to 14 years old in groups of 4 to 15.

Teaching Approach:

I love playing chess, and my main aim when teaching is to convey this to my students. As well as teaching the basic moves, providing puzzles to be solved, and analysing my student's games, I like to tell stories about great chess players, and share my personal experiences from over 19 years playing in international tournaments. I find this approach motivates them and makes lessons more enjoyable, and I can adapt the balance of different activities to suit an individual's learning style.