OUR COACHES
Sahir Abbas (Head Coach)
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Private Chess instructor for over 10 years including significant experience teaching large chess classes and supervising Chess Summer Camps.
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Expert- level player, maintained rating above 2000 nationally from 2005- 2010, with current CFC Rating of 1904 (click here to see CFC rating page), Fide rating of 1849.
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2-Time Western Junior Chess Champion (Jamaica) and 2-time runner up medalist
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Represented Jamaica in the Sagicor Junior Championship in Barbados in 2005 and ranked in the Top 10 of juniors (under -20)
I began playing chess at age 5 with my father, it was a great way for us to bond and still is. At around the age of eleven, I was beating my dad, and it wasn't long before I was one of the top juniors and chess players in Jamaica. I competed at the highest levels in my country and though I didn't always win- I learnt valuable lessons about chess and life.
Chess allowed me to develop confidence as it was an area in which I excelled, especially since I wasn't the most athletically gifted child. It taught me how to win and how to lose. It also gifted me great friends. I recommend anyone, especially children learning this wonderful game.
Arjun Kachroo (Chess Coach)
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10 years of experience as a Chess Coach to over 100 students in the GTA (ages 5-61).
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My students accomplishments include placing in the top 10 of the Ontario Chess Challenge (2022 & 2024) and the Canadian Youth Chess Championship (2018).
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Master-level player with provisional CFC rating of 2326 and peak online rapid and blitz ratings above 2500.
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Represented the University of Waterloo on Board 1 in the 2007 Canadian University Chess Championship​​
Hello there. My name is Arjun and I live in Toronto where I’ve been teaching chess to youngsters, and adults, for the past 10 years. In that time I have watched many of my students reach new heights, and one of my earliest pupils has even become an expert rated player over 2100 CFC.
My own passion for the game started when I was a teenager. My grandfather and his family were keen tournament players and I ended up discovering chess as a matter of course. Later I joined tournament play myself, at the time living in India, and when I entered higher education I gained a Canadian rating over 2300. Subsequently, I joined law school and in the years since I have found it far more rewarding (leaving aside monetary rewards for the moment), and fun, to be a coach of this marvelous game of thought, and it is my passion now to share it.
If you’re interested in learning then there are many wonders from the classics of chess and incredulous positions that I’d love to share with you.
Troy Hansen (Chess Coach)
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5 years of experience as a Chess Coach working with kids of different levels.
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Chess expert with decades of competitive experience throughout Canada
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Teaching in Toronto across multiple organizations.
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First place in Aurora 2024 Fall open (tied with grand-master)
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Current CFC rating of 2210 (one master level norm​
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Working towards National Master title.
I have been playing chess since I was quite young. My dad taught me to play when I was around 6 or 7 years old. For the first few years, my dad would always give me his Queen and a Rook before the game started - a huge advantage, yet he would still easily beat me.
In grade 5, with my dad’s encouragement, I joined the chess club at my school and played in my first tournament. I managed to place third in my grade level and advanced to the Regional tournament. Despite still not really knowing what I was doing, I managed to come third again, qualifying for the Ontario provincials.
Now, at 30 years old, I still consider chess to be one of my core passions. I often say that chess is rare in that it is simultaneously a sport (competitive), a science (studying chess theory), and an art (creative play is often described as 'beautiful'). For this reason, I am always excited to pass on my love of the game to others. And as for my dad? Let’s just say he asks me to give him MY Queen when we play now.
