Joel Benjamin broke Bobby Fischer’s record for youngest U.S. master
He has won the National Elementary, Junior High, and High School titles, as well as the U.S. Junior and U.S. Senior Championships.
He played in a record 26 U.S. Championships, winning three titles
A grandmaster since 1986, Joel has played on several national teams, including gold medal winners in the last three World Senior Team Championships
The chess consultant for IBM’s Deep Blue computer, Joel was inducted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame in 2008.
For the last two decades he has been teaching classes and camps and coaching private students.
Joel has authored five chess books - Unorthodox Openings, American Grandmaster, Liquidation on the Chess Board, Better Thinking Better Chess, and World Champion Chess for Juniors.
About FM Roger LaFlair
Roger LaFlair is a FIDE Master (peak rating 2440).
He has been a coach for over 25 years and is an after-school teacher and coach for the Portledge School in Locust Valley, New York.
He has coached the School at the city, state, and national levels.
He has coached many students and has ran camps on Long Island over the years.
About Paul Ascolese
Paul Ascolese is a Chess Teacher and Highschool Chess Coach at Portledge School in Locust Valley Ny.
Paul has been teaching chess for over 35 years and has been involved with many organizations teaching after-school chess programs and summer camps.
In the 1980's he was a member of a chess team that won the New England team championship two straight years and reached a peak Fide rating of 2275.
About Harold Scott
Harold Scott is a Candidate Master (Peak rating 2112) who has over 25 years of chess coaching experience.
He is a FIDE Instructor and has coached Championship teams on the city, state, and national levels.
Harold is also Head Coach and Lead Instructor at Avenues – The World School in New York City.
Harold is also a member of the USCF Competition Integrity committee and on the Board of Directors of the New York State Chess Association. He is a also a columnist for Empire Chess.
Also, he is an avid chess book collector and Senior Tournament Director.