Chris Weymouth
Quick facts
Chess rating: 1600 Blitz
Started playing chess at age: 12
Favourite chess player: Magnus Carlsen
Hobbies: When I’m not teaching chess, you’ll find me on the slopes as a certified ski and snowboard instructor (as you can see in my profile picture), coaching wakeboarding on the water, or soaring through the skies as a paragliding pilot. Quite the adrenaline junkie, and likely to be injuring myself doing ridiculous stunts in the snow or water!
Fun facts: Skiing and Snowboarding are my true passions. Doing tricks both in the air and flat ground is something I never want to stop. I'm also an avid Piano player, creating my own classical pieces or learning others. You'd consider that hobby strange when you see me at a rock concert, haha!
QA with me
Q: What inspired you to start coaching chess and how long have you been doing it?
Q: What is your proudest chess achievement or moment?
Q: How would you describe your coaching philosophy or teaching style?
Q: How do you tailor your coaching to fit the needs of different students?
Q: Can you share an example of how you've helped a student improve their game?
Q: Q: If you had one piece of advice for either new players or students wanting to progress what would it be?
Q: What is the most valuable lesson chess has taught you in life?
Q: What are your favourite chess openings or strategies to teach?
Q: Do you have any memorable or funny moments from your chess coaching experience?
A: I have spent lots of time educating children in various disciplines. Realising I've enjoyed playing chess since childhood and have become reasonable at it, why not add it to the list!
A: Both reaching 1600 Blitz rating on Chess.com, and winning the U13 trophy in a chess tournament at Milfield school.
A: I would consider my teaching style to be primarily focused on both nailing the basics and ensuring the lesson is fun! I feel as though there's such a focus in many teaching disciplines to just learn learn learn, without enjoying the journey along the way. Learn something new, and have fun applying it! This is especially important with children!
A: My top priority is identifying what my student is struggling with. There's little point in dwelling on something the student has a good grip of when they're trying to improve on something they find difficult.
Assessing their starting point and setting clear personalised goals is extremely helpful when developing a student's ability. Ensuring that I adapt my teaching style based on the age, potential neurodivergent differences, and different forms of learners (e.g. visual), is what I strive to do.
A: I would say the most profound improvement I have found in students' games is with the more beginner students. Going from having no to little understanding of the chess board and the pieces, to being able to identify different tactics and basic checkmating patterns is a truly rewarding feeling.
A: Be careful, it's addictive! HAHA! Chess is a fantastic game and you will soon find yourself watching youtube videos, or playing on a regular basis. It keeps you sharp and will test you. Enjoy it!
A: That patience and constant assessment of the situation can lead you down the correct path.
A: In life, similar to chess we have to make decisions. When we make a move/choice, we have to stick to it. Therefore we should think carefully about our choices in life. We can’t take them back and we have to deal with the consequences of our choices.
A: One of my favourite moments was when I introduced the concept of "castling" to a group of young beginners. I explained that it’s the only move where two pieces move at once, and you could see their eyes light up as if they’d discovered a superpower. One particularly excited student then asked if, like in Mario Kart, we could do “double jumps” or “special moves” with other pieces too! It was a funny reminder of how children’s imaginations run wild, and it gave us all a good laugh. Moments like that make teaching chess feel more like play, and it’s exactly why I love working with kids.
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