OUR COACHES
“We feel so lucky to have met Coach Majur, who tutored our daughter Isabel. With a gentle manner, he made every lesson fun, and within only a few months her chess rating shot up significantly!” – Parent Eileen Choi
National Master Majur Juac
His saga chronicled in the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, Coach Majur is an elite mentor to rising talent in the tri-state area. Soft-spoken and gentle--until it comes to chess!--Coach Majur’s knowledge of chess ideas, passion, character, and absolute commitment to his students make him the right choice for your aspiring Grandmaster. Coach Majur has been involved with coaching two scholastic teams in the U.S. top 10, as well as with mentoring individual overall U.S. champions in their respective grade categories.
+ See Rates
Private Lesson (60 minutes) – $59
Private Lesson x 4 – $199
Buddy Lesson (with up to 4 appropriately-matched students) – $79
Buddy Lesson x 4 – $249
Inquire for half-hour rates
.
NATIONAL EXPERT KENNETH fERNANDEZ
Coach Kenny has been teaching chess internationally for the past 5 years while playing in competitive tournaments across the United States. Coached himself by the legendary GM Susan Polgar and other world class players at Webster University (#1 in Division I College Chess since 2012), Coach Kenny brings his knowledge, experience, and passion to every lesson. Coach Kenny is poised to attain the National Master title when USCF-rated games resume.
+ See Rates
Private Lesson (60 minutes) – $59
Private Lesson x 4 – $199
Buddy Lesson (with up to 4 appropriately-matched students) – $79
Buddy Lesson x 4 – $249
Inquire for half-hour rates
National Master Bahadur Hodzhamkulyyev
Coach Bah earned the National Master title at the age of 16 after placing second in the Turkmenistan U-16 Championship and representing his country at the World Youth Olympiad. Following successful stints with ChessNYC and Tri-State Chess, Coach Bah joined the Start Right Chess team in 2020. He has achieved outstanding results with over one hundred private students by helping them to understand their relative strengths and weaknesses.
+ See Rates
Private Lesson (60 minutes) – $59
Private Lesson x 4 – $199
Buddy Lesson (with up to 4 appropriately-matched students) – $79
Buddy Lesson x 4 – $249
Inquire for half-hour rates
FIDE master BAHAR HALLAYEVA (“COACH HOLLY”)
Coach Holly did not begin playing chess until age 9, but was already Turkmenistan’s National Youth Champion by the age of 10 - a title she successfully defended for the next decade. Coach Holly is currently rated USCF 2285 and FIDE 2166 and is among the top twenty women players in the United States! Coach Holly is a highly-experienced and passionate teacher with a curated curriculum of lessons and practice exercises for her students around the world. (Please confirm availability before booking.)
+ See Rates
Online Private Lesson (60 minutes) – $65
Online Private Lesson x 10 – $550
Online Buddy Lesson (with up to 4 students) – $79
Online Buddy Lesson x 10 – 650
Inquire for half-hour rates
John McManus
Coach Mac graduated with highest honors from Columbia University (GS ‘13) with the intention of resuming his career in social science research. However, after defeating a Grandmaster during a simultaneous exhibition and conceiving of a chess rap to teach NYC school kids how chess pieces move, Coach Mac gradually recognized a new calling and founded Start Right Chess, Inc. Coach Mac teaches beginning and intermediate players (USCF 0 - 1400) based on Richard Reti’s Masters of the Chessboard.
+ See Rates
Private Lesson (60 minutes) – $59
Private Lesson x 4 – $199
Buddy Lesson (with up to 4 appropriately-matched students) – $79
Buddy Lesson x 4 – $249
Inquire for half-hour rates