Chess4Life Chess Coaches
Michael Hosford
learned to play "the royal game" at age 12, and began playing serious tournament chess in 1991, achieving a peak USCF rating of 1900 in August 2008. Some of his best tournament victories include sweeping the U1600 Section at the 1999 Washington Open, and Tying for 1st Place in the U1800 Division at the 2006 National Open in Las Vegas.
In the Fall of 1997 Michael started teaching chess to kids, and have been full-time since 2001. He worked as an assistant coach for The Evergreen School, helping the team win a state and national title in 2003. He's also been the head coach for Louisa May Alcott Elementary School in Redmond since 2002, helping that team win the 2008 State Championship for Grades 4-6. He's worked along side several National Masters, have done curriculum development, and have employed technology in the classroom as it pertains to chess instruction. He joined Chess4Life in October 2008 after 11 years working as an independent coach. Michael's angle on chess instruction for children is to keep it interesting by combining structure and humor. He believes young kids should enjoy chess freely, while older students should strive for excellence in their study of the game.