NM Gaibo Yan

I was introduced to chess when I was 11 (2007) and instantly fell in love with the game. Over the next 7 years, I studied the game daily, competed across the U.S., and earned my national master certificate in 2011

Although I have almost stopped competing during college/medical school, I hope to resume tournament playing once I finish school. In the mean time, I enjoy sharing my passion for chess and teaching my knowledge and experience to students. Many people have asked how I went from total beginner to master in 5 years. Although hard work was the bulk of the equation, I have discovered a variety of tips, shortcuts, and subtleties that will help you improve even faster!

Placed top 1-3 in the following major tournaments in top sections (in chronological order from oldest to newest):
2011 INDIANAPOLIS OPEN: 2nd place Open
43RD ANNUAL ATLANTIC OPEN (2011) : 1st place U2200
2011 PA STATE G/60 CHAMPIONSHIP: 1st place Open
42ND ANNUAL NATIONAL CHESS CONGRESS: 1st place U2200
2011 EASTERN OPEN: 3rd place U2200
44TH LIBERTY BELL OPEN: 3rd place U2300
2012 PA STATE SCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1st place Open
2012 PA STATE GAME 45 CHAMPIONSHIP: 2nd place Open
40TH ANNUAL WORLD OPEN: 3rd place U2400
2012 PA STATE ACTION CHAMPIONSHIP: 2nd place Open
2012 DENKER Tournament OF HS CHAMPIONS: number 1 player in PA
2013 CLEVELAND OPEN: 2nd place Open
2013 PA STATE GAME 60 CHAMPIONSHIP: 2nd place open
2014 PA Scholastic Collegiate Championship: 1st place open
2015 PA SCHOL CHAMP LANCASTER OPEN COLL: 3rd place open

I have been teaching 1 on 1 chess classes for 3 years since 2016. I have also volunteered as a teaching assistant at my teacher's chess camp from 2011-2013.
Over the past year, I had been busy with school and only taught one student. Her rating rose from 1039 to 1526 in a year.

Co-director for Pittsburgh Scholastic Chess Tournaments: 2010-2015

Chemistry/Organic Chemistry Teaching Assistant: 2014-2017

I'm known as an aggressive attacker in the middle game who excels at seizing the initiative. I believe playing actively makes chess more fun and helps you beat higher rated players. However, there is no one style fit all as a chess player. We will plan our lessons to fit your style. At the same time, we'll make you a more complete chess player who can deal with all types of situations, ranging from quiet, positional games to wild, tactical positions.

I have plenty of teaching experience and will make our lessons both instructive and fun!

Studies show the best way to learn is active learning. Thus, a one hour lesson will not just be one hour. I give all my students homework to prepare for next lesson. These can range from solving tactics, finding the right plan in a position, analyzing grandmasters' games, and many more that will help cement the ideas we learned in class. By actively engaging in your studies, you will improve at a much higher rate.