Owain_d

Comments

"Really helped me understand the aggressive potential of pawn play and the long term planning needed for it." - unofficial_Busc

"Always helpful when giving advice. Owain provides a relaxed environment which makes learning enjoyable" - BoredHistoryStudent

Lesson Prices

Trial lesson free, standard lesson £20 per hour, times are flexible and happy to do longer lessons at the same rate.

Contact Details

Email: [email protected], Discord: OwainD#3197

My chess history

Like most kids, I started playing chess with my dad, and when I could beat him, he took me to the local club. I started playing my first tournaments at age 10. I had a range of individual and team success at junior level, picking up Wales Junior championships and Herefordshire Megafinal wins at U10, U12, U14 and U16 levels, and playing consistently as a high board for the Wales Junior chess team between U12 and U16 ages, including being part of Wales' first ever winning 4-nations junior team. During my time at Aberystwyth University, I helped the team to winning the Bowl division of BUCA and captained the team to podium finishes in the Dyfed county league and Online Wales League. 

Coaching/Teaching Experience

I was captain of Aberystwyth University chess society for 2 years, during which coaching was a weekly responsibility in order to help new players improve and love the game while making sure the first team was league-ready for each new opponent. During my time at college, I started and ran the chess club with the aid of one of the teachers. I had a passion for coaching friends who wanted to learn and trained two of them from beginners into college semi-finalists in the space of a few months. While I am particularly experienced in coaching beginner and novice players, I have coached players at a range of levels from around 800 to 1600 FIDE. I have helped multiple students grow from barely knowing the basics to being solid players able to compete with success, and I strive to do the same and more for my current and future students.

Coaching Style

With beginners, I've found the best way to get going is to start with a solid foundation of the basics, including centre control, development, king safety and endgame mating patterns. When it comes to openings, I like to work with the student to determine their preferred style of play and make recommendations based on that. For more intermediate players, I like to be flexible and help the student identify their strengths and weaknesses as a player. This is in order to help them become solid and well-rounded, while also knowing their own strengths to lean into and refine them as match-winning weapons.