IM Mauricio Arias

If you are serious about your improvement in chess, I may be the coach for you! My name is Mauricio Arias, International Master and FIDE Certified Trainer.

I am currently secretary of the FIDE America Education Commission.

I grew up in Costa Rica and did not know anything about chess as a child. I began playing at a local club in my adolescence (around sixteen, quite old for chess). I learned many lessons in chess the hard way; however, this makes me the perfect teacher for adults and teenagers. I understand the unique form of someone who started playing chess seriously past his childhood.

Over time, I became an International Chess Master, a 2-time National Champion of Costa Rica, and a successful chess coach.

As a coach, my easygoing demeanor, patience, and attention to my student's needs make me great for teaching, and I am quite proud of my success in helping people improve.

In my career, in the days before the pandemic, some of my students reached FIDE Master titles. With fewer OBT events and the explosion of online chess, I have focused more on teaching in this new reality. Most of my students were beginners at chess when we first met. Even so, in the last two years, many of my students went from beginner level up to a 2000 rating online. 

My rate is $ 40 for the lesson (1 hour each)—discounts of up to $5 the hour for students looking for more than 2 hours a week. I only have a few spots left. But if you are interested in long-term classes and want to improve, message me. We will figure it out.

Best luck!

Mauricio

As a professional chess player, I have some tournaments that I have won or competed at and am proud to have attended. This includes many tournaments in Costa Rica and many international tournaments. I’ll provide a condensed list below.

Two Time National Costa Rican Chess Champion
Countless Costa Rican Tournaments
Countless Central American Tournaments
2019 Saint Louis Invitational
2017 Saint Louis Invitational
XII Continental Chess Championship of the Americas Colombia 2017
CCL IM Norm Tournament
2013 US Masters
40th World Chess Olympiad
40th Annual World Open
9th Annual Philadelphia International
6th Annual Philadelphia Open
13th Annual Pittsburgh Open
44th Annual Liberty Bell Open
39th Olympiad Khanty-Mansiysk
First board of Costa Rica in the 2022 Chess Olympiad played in Chennai, India.

I have 25 years of experience as a chess coach.
I was formerly the chess coach for the Costa Rican U20 team.
I am extremely proud to say that several of my students have reached Fide ratings of 2100+, 2200+, and 2300+

As the head coach of chess at GSD International School, I teach chess to around three hundred primary school students and work with more than twenty private students every week.
I am the secretary of the FIDE America Education Commission.

After more than 25 years of playing and teaching, I have a vast knowledge of the opening, middle game, and endgame.
I have tried playing every opening under the sun; thus, I have a great understanding of many chess openings. I have specific expertise in the Benko Gambit.
I am well versed in different technologies to provide you with excellent coaching experience. Including Lichess study expertise, ChessBase files, uploading videos, books, etc., for you on One-Drive, communicating on Skype, Zoom, Google, WhatsApp, or your preferred method.
I develop great relationships with my students.
I have an upbeat and optimistic outlook.
A great listener and highly organized.

First and foremost: I understand everyone is unique; I can tailor my teaching style to your individual needs. I want you to succeed; there is no one size fits all for chess coaching.

I understand some students have more time to invest in chess than others. But I will generally work with you, get to know you, and identify your strengths and weaknesses. Based on your personality, strengths, and weaknesses, we will focus on some or all of your chess understanding, openings, middlegame, endgame, and tactics, analyze your chess games, study classical players, and more.