NM Mark Biernacki

I am a 26 year old National Master from Charlotte, North Carolina. I learned how to play chess at the age of 7 from my older brother and Dad, and I quickly fell in love with the game. I noticed from a young age that many players allow chess to fade out of their lives, so I made a point to stick with it. When I got to college in 2015, I was introduced to the online game and have been playing and working on my game ever since. I am currently a full-time student in Raleigh, NC, but I teach around 15 hours a week. I am young and passionate about the game, and I can guarantee that I will put forth the effort that is necessary for you to improve.

Most notable achievements:
National Master title- September 2017
State champion- November 2017

I have been teaching chess since I was 15, both in group environments and one-on-one.

Charlotte Chess Center 2018-2019
Private lessons 2013-present
Castle Chess Camp Counselor 2017, 2019

Tactical understanding can be obtained on your own- but positional understanding cannot. I believe that an understanding of positional principles is a necessary foundation to become a successful chess player. My lessons will focus on learning from your games, whether they are your own or those that others have played, specifically focusing on knowledge which an engine or database may not be able to explain. Finding the correct plan in a position is where many players struggle, and this is what I focus on.