ColinStapczynski

Colin Stapczynski loves his life on the 64 squares. He started teaching chess in 2001 and achieved the USCF expert rating in 2002. After streaming and coaching for many years, Colin joined Chess.com where he was an SEO writer, Staff Writer, Sr. Staff Writer, and Director of Written Content (through the end of 2023).

Here are some of Colin's articles and player profiles:

Top 10 Best Chess Players of All Time

5 Dirty Tricks Grandmasters Use 
7 Endgame Magicians

What If Fischer Had Played Karpov in 1975?

10 Fastest Checkmates

Top 10 Chess Books

Top 5 Historical Chess Set Designs

Bobby Fischer

Anatoly Karpov

Jose Raul Capablanca
Mikhail Botvinnik

Ulf Andersson

Alexei Shirov
Anish Giri
Daniil Dubov

Alireza Firouzja

Colin's coaching profile:
I have been a Chess instructor since 2001 and have worked with hundreds of students in all age ranges (from 7 to 70+). I have the most experience working with those in the 1000-1800 skill range and specialize in creating opening repertoires, positional understanding, and endgame technique. 

Needless to say, my training sessions will be tailor-made to fit your specific needs and address your areas of growth. 

As a young adult, I worked with GM Gregory Kaidanov and GM Alexander Wojtkiewicz. I have also had the pleasure of working with GM Alexander Yermolinsky and IM Cyrus Lakdawala.

I achieved the USCF Expert rating in 2002, and have many chess accomplishments:  

-1997 Pan-American Intercollegiate Chess championship 1st place K-12 section

-1998 US Nationals 6th place JV Section

-1998-2000 Multiple State Championships (KY)

-1999 All America Cup 2nd place Blitz tournament

-2011 US Amateur West 1st place Blitz tournament

-2019 October Chess.com Coach of the Month

Student references are available upon request, don't hesitate to ask! English is my native language, and I have flexible hourly rates for students of any age. Feel free to contact me with any questions