2010 Instructors- as of April 6 GM Var Akobian GM John Fedorowicz GM Greg Serper GM Julio Becerra IM/WGM Anna Zatonskih IM Daniel Ludwig IM Carlos Perdomo FM Mike Klein FM Alex Dunne Expert Jim Mundy

GM Akobian helps a camper analyze  his game at the 2009 camp.

2009 Instructors

GM Varuzhan Akobian

Born in Armenia, currently resides in Los Angeles. Featured on the cover of "Chess Life" magazine in April 2008 with the title "America's Next Top GM?" For a complete bio, results, and games, see www.akobian.com

GM Greg Serper

GM Greg Serper (peak USCF rating 2713) has a collection of all major US titles:
World Open Champion, US Action Champion, US Class Champion, National Open co-Champion.  He currently lives in Bellevue, WA where he teaches chess using the methods learned when he was a student of the famous Botvinnik-Kasparov Chess School in Moscow.

GM John Fedorowicz

GM Fedorowicz learned to play chess in 1972, inspired by the Fischer-Spassky Wolrd Championship match coverage on TV. In 1977, he tied for the US Junior Championship. The following year he won the title outright. He earned his Grandmaster title while representing the US in the 1986 Chess Olympiad in Dubai. His notable career victories are too numerous to list here. He has won the US Open, the World Open, and the New York Open as well as the prestigious events at Cannes and Wijk Aan Zee. Fedorowicz has captained the US Olympiad team twice, and has acted as a second to World Championship candidate Gata Kamsky. In 2008 and in 2009, he was chosen by the USCF as a coach for the US delegation to the World Youth Champiopnships.

GM Julio Beccera

The Cuban National Champion in 1995 and 1998, GM Becerra decided to come to the US after attending the 1999 World Championships in Las Vegas. These days, Becerra is first board for the Miami Sharks, a professional chess team in the US Chess League. In 2006, he was named the league MVP.

IM Jonathan Schroer

IM Schroer has won the North Carolina State Championship more times than any other person. He frequently plays simuls and gives lectures on ICC. He is second board for the Carolina Cobras of the US Chess League.

IM-elect Daniel Ludwig

Ludwig learned to play chess when he was 7 and won his first national championship at 10.  He began coaching privately at the age of 13 and became a master at 14 by winning US Cadets.  Shortly thereafter he placed 4th in World Youth Boys 14 and under, earning his first IM norm in the process.  In 2006 at the age of 15 he became the youngest US Masters champion.  In 2008 he qualified for the US Championship, and ultimately tied for 15th in the event.  In February of 2009 he earned his final IM norm and first GM norm by winning First Saturday GM section by a full point.

FM Alex Dunne

Instructor at Castle Chess Camps since 1983, Director of USCF Correspondence Chess, author of numerous chess books, member of the Gallery of Distinguished Chess Journalists, Editor of the online "The Check Is in the Mail," #4 rated among US players over 65, Correspondence Master, Life Master, and FIDE Master.

FM Mike Klein

Mike is a full-time chess teacher living in Charlotte, NC. He began playing chess at four and during his scholastic career, made the All-America Chess Team eight times. He won one national scholastic title and is the 5-time N.C. High School Champion and former N.C. Open Champion. In 2001 he received a degree in Journalism from the University of North Carolina. Afterward he went to work in New York City with Chess-in-the-Schools, and was named Instructor if the Year two years later. He has now been teaching for nine years, has begun the Young Master Chess organization, and he has also written dozens of chess articles, most recently the cover stories for the December, January and February issues of Chess Life. This will be his fourth year at our camp.

 NM Chris Mabe

Chris has been a professional chess teacher in Charlotte, NC since 2004. He currently teaches at more than 15 schools and works with over 300 students per week. In 2007 Chris attained the title of National Master, won the U2200 section of the World Open, and became the NC State Champion. He has been the most active tournament player in NC for last 5 years. In addition to chess Chris has interests in mathematics and is currently enrolled at UNC Charlotte graduate school for a PhD in Applied Math.

Expert Jim Mundy

Jim Mundy has been teaching chess professionally for over a decade. His list of coaching accomplishments include over twenty State (GA) and National Titles (five) in individual and team categories. He is also very active in promoting, and playing, our game. Personally, he was the first Emory Castle Chess Camp Champion in 2001, and more recently the 2008 GA State Champion for Class A, and the 2008 Castle Grand Prix Champion for Class A. Having achieved an Expert rating he competed in the 2009 GA State Championships where he posted a top 10 finish (7th) with a performance rating of 2300.

 Other Past  Instructors

 GM Sam Palatnik

GM Yuri Shulman

IM/WGM Anna Zatonskih

IM/WGM Irina Krush

IM Carlos Perdomo

LM Robert Tanner

WIM Carolina Blanco

IM/WGM Martha Fierro