Michael Takahashi

Hello Everyone!

My name is Michael Takahashi. I am a USCF NM (National Master) with a USCF rating of 2205 and a FIDE rating 2051. I originally started coaching because I wanted to give back to my community; that's given so much to me. Throughout my playing career, I have had the privilege of working with GM Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko, GM Gregory Kaidanov, and NM James Neal, to name a few. I hope to bring some of what they taught me to help you improve!

My teaching philosophy

I believe that we work the best when we have a plan. Often, I find myself and other chess players aimlessly playing chess online with no real motivation (don't do it!). When we do that, we waste time and do not improve any part of our game. If you decide to work with me, we'll devise a reliable training plan centered around training our calculation and doing our work over a physical board. As my former GM coach Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko says, EVERYONE (and I mean EVERYONE) must practice calculation. If we don't practice that skill, we'll spend too much time finding trivial moves and missing things. Don't be that person! I believe you can get away with a core understanding of openings and endgames, but mastering middlegames is a must because most chess games are decided in that phase. In addition, I will have you do your work over a physical board because, as competitors, we want to mimic tournament conditions as closely as possible. Sure, getting out our laptops and doing chess online is much easier, but it won't yield the same results if we work hard to train as if we're competing.

What makes me a great teacher

As your coach, I hope to balance my motivation to help you improve with the compassion to help you get through stressful situations. As competitors, we often have upsetting moments when we lose a game or lose confidence in ourselves. That's ok! I've felt the same way too! Having worked with many younger children, I have experience helping them work through their emotions while providing support. While my goal is to help you improve your chess, I also hope I can help you love the game as much as you can and help you become a more healthy competitor both on and off the chessboard.

Accomplishments

USCF National Master with a rating of 2202 (Earned at the 2022 Minnesota International Chess Festival)

Earned the Arena Candidate Master, Arena FIDE Master, and Arena International Master titles on the FIDE World Online Arena in 2022

Earned the USCF Candidate Master Title in 2020 (At the 2020 US Amateur Team North in Schaumburg, Illinois)

FIDE rating of 2051

2022 Rochester Open co-champion (with NM Andrew Titus)

2022 US Junior Open Sixth Place Overall (Played in the U21 Open Section)

2020 Iowa Denker (K-12 High School) outright champion

Represented the state of Iowa at the 2020 National Denker Tournament of High School State Champions

2-time Iowa Denker (High School) Co-champion (in 2018 and 2019)

2020 Iowa State Runner-up (at the 2020 Iowa Closed championships)

2016 Finished in the top 25 at the K-8 National Junior High School Championships

2012 Finished in 6th place at the 2012 Susan Polgar World Open for Boys and Girls

Qualified for Iowa Closed from 2017-2020

Organization Experience

I am a chess coach for “Focus Chess,” a chess academy based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. 

It is a great organization that allows young, talented players to improve their chess at an affordable rate. In June of 2023, I became an online chess instructor with Dazzling Minds Academy. I teach chess lessons through the platform “OutSchool.” In addition, I also became a chess instructor with Lessonpal. Both sites are great for improving your skills! 

Iowa City High School (Iowa City, Iowa) High School Diploma Class of 2020