IM Joshua Posthuma

Hi! My name is Joshua Posthuma. I am an International Master and 3x Michigan State Champion from Metro-Detroit. I am a full time chess coach, and have taught many of Michigan's top scholastic talent.

I learned how to play chess from my dad at the age of 5, and instantly fell in love with the game. 3 weeks after learning how to play, I won 3rd place at a local scholastic tournament. Since then I've spent countless hours practicing and studying chess online. My dedication paid off when at the age of 15, I earned the title of National Master. Today I sit at 2544 USCF and 2457 FIDE. I earned the International Master title in May of 2022.

I have played in over 170 tournaments all over the United States. Here are some of my greatest accomplishments:

2017 Cincinnati Open Champion (4.5/5)
2018 Michigan Invitational Champion (9/9)
2018 Michigan Bottom-Half Class Champion (5/5)
2018 Michigan State Champion (6.5/7)
2018 Motor City Open Champion (5.5/6)
2019 Michigan Master/Expert Co-Champion (4/5)
2019 Michigan State Champion (6/7)
2021 National Open - Tied for 6th (6.5/9)
2021 Michigan State Champion (6/7)
2022 Charlotte Winter GM - Earned 1st IM Norm (5/9)
2022 Charlotte Spring IM - Earned 2nd IM Norm (7/9)
2022 Saint Louis Norm Congress IM - Earned 3rd IM Norm (7/9)
2023 Excelsior GM Norm - 1st Place (6.5/9)

I first started to teach chess at the age of 13 at the direction of my then coach, Dr. Tony Palmer. I enjoyed sharing my knowledge and appreciation of the game with others, and have continued ever since. I currently work with around 15 students both online and in-person, of which many have made it into the US Top 100 (and even top 10!) for their age. I have helped bring many relative beginners up to the 1300-2100 level. I specialize in working with K-12 students, but I also have a good number of adult students and am open to all inquiries!

I have also taught in many after-school and enrichment programs, listed below:

Assistant Coach, Holland Chess Academy. (2013-2018)
Head Coach, Jenison Christian Chess Club. (2017-2018)
Assistant Coach, University Prep Elementary Chess Team. (2018-2019)
Head Coach, Michigan New Century Chinese School. (2018-Present)
Head Coach, University Prep Middle School (2022-Present)
After-School Program Teacher - Ann Arbor Public Schools (2022-Present)
Head Coach for Summer Chess Camps - Ann Arbor Public Schools (2022-Present)

If you are interested in starting a group class or school chess program, please do not hesitate to send me a message!

I currently offer group classes for kids K-8 on Mondays and Wednesdays. Check out kingdomchessevents.com/classes for more info.

I use the Lichess "Studies" feature for board sharing, and I use Zoom or Skype for voice chat in all of my lessons.

I do individualized lesson preparation for every student, and have a clear and relevant theme to all of my lessons. You will always have concrete knowledge and principles you can take with you at the end of the day. My lessons will be on a variety of different topics, as chess is a complicated game and it is important to be well-rounded. I am always open to suggestions for lesson topics if there is something specific you would like to learn about. Regardless of where you're at in your chess journey, I would love to help you reach your goals.

Please send me a message here on Lichess, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. I look forward to working with you.