2024 Instructors

GM Daniel Naroditsky (NC)

• World Youth U12 Champion and US Junior Champion
• Chess streamer, Youtuber, commentator, coach, and author
• Represented USA at the World Team Championship
• Ranked #1 in the US for his age group for 8+ years
• Defeated GMs Caruana and Xiong at 2021 US Champ.
• Peak ratings 2647 FIDE, 2733 USCF, 2707 FIDE Blitz
• Castle Chess Instructor since 2015 (8th year)

GM Dariusz Swiercz (Missouri)

• World Junior U20 and World Youth U18 Champion
• Represented Poland & USA at the Olympiad & World Team
• Grandmaster at age 14, chess author/course creator
• Winner of Pan-Am Intercollegiate & Millionaire Chess Open
• Defeated GMs Aronian, MVL, Niemann, Xiong, J. Polgar
• Peak ratings 2670 FIDE (World #71) and 2769 USCF
• Castle Chess Instructor since 2023 (2nd year)

GM Boris Avrukh (Illinois)

• Experienced instructor with decades of training experience
• 2-time Israeli Champion
• Well-known opening theoretician and 10-time chess author
• Trainer of GMs Kramnik, Gelfand, Caruana, So
• Competed in FIDE World Championship
• Peak ratings 2668 FIDE (World #50) and 2711 USCF
• New Castle Chess Instructor!

GM Alex Lenderman (New York)

• World Youth U16 Champion, World Open, US Open Champion
• Won the last 4 Castle Chess Grand Prix tournaments
• Has defeated GMs Ivanchuk, Shirov, Eljanov, Vallejo, Kamsky
• Represented USA at the World Team Champ. (Gold medal)
• Competed in FIDE World Cup
• Peak ratings 2654 FIDE (World #97) and 2743 USCF
• Castle Chess Instructor since 2018 (5th year)

GM Magesh Panchanathan (NC)

• World Open, New Jersey Open, and Asian Junior Champion
• #4 rated player in North Carolina
• Former member of UT Dallas Chess Team
• Has defeated GMs Mamedyarov, Xiong, Howell, Mamedov
• Owner of Kings and Queens Chess Academy in North Carolina
• Peak ratings 2586 FIDE and 2652 USCF
• Castle Chess Instructor since 2012 (11th year)

GM John Fedorowicz (New York)

• Won 2 US Juniors, 5 World Opens, US Open, NY Open, Wijk B
• Represented USA at the Olympiad
• US Chess Hall of Fame inductee
• Former coach of GM Gata Kamsky & the US Olympiad Team
• Defeated World Champions Vishy Anand & Vasily Smyslov
• Peak ratings 2574 FIDE and 2672 USCF
• Castle Chess Instructor since 2004 (19th year)

IM John Bartholomew (Minnesota) Floating Instructor

• Professional chess coach, Youtuber and streamer
• Co-founder of Chessable
• National Junior High Champion, 1 GM norm
• Member of UT Dallas Chess Team & MN Chess Hall of Fame
• #2 rated player from Minnesota
• Peak ratings 2477 FIDE and 2576 USCF
• New Castle Chess Instructor!

WGM Sabina-Francesca Foisor (Kentucky)

• 2017 US Women’s Champion
• 4-time European Youth medalist
• Competed in 2008 Women’s World Championship
• Represented USA in 6 Chess Olympiads and 4 World Teams
• #4 rated player from Kentucky
• Peak ratings 2386 FIDE and 2455 USCF
• New Castle Chess Instructor!

FM Robby Adamson (Arizona)

• Denker Tournament of HS Champions winner
• Coach of Catalina Foothills HS (10 national titles), FIDE Trainer
• Former coach of GM & World Junior Champion Tal Shaked
• Member of US Chess Scholastic Council
• #6 rated player from Arizona
• Peak ratings 2378 FIDE and 2447 USCF, 3 IM norms
• Castle Chess Instructor since 2019 (4th year)

FM Peter Giannatos (NC) Floating Instructor

• Went from 589 to 2000+ in 4 years
• Founder of the Charlotte Chess Center
• Published chess author
• FIDE Master and USCF Life Master
• National TD, International Arbiter, International Organizer
• Peak ratings 2300 FIDE and 2390 USCF
• Castle Chess Instructor since 2017 (6th year)

NM Bryan Tillis (Florida)

• USCF National Master and Life Master
• USCF Senior TD, FIDE Arbiter, and FIDE Trainer
• Chess author, course creator, and coach
• Castle Chess Board Member, former camper/counselor
• Castle Chess Instructor since 2017 (6th year)
• Peak USCF rating 2274