Hi, I’m Brandon…

I started playing chess when I was 14 years old, back in June of 2015 in my home city of Miami, Florida.

My mother signed me up for a 3-week summer chess program at my high school, right before the start of my fall semester as a 9th grader. At that program, I met my first chess coach, met and played against my scholastic teammates for the first time, and learned the rules and fundamentals of the game. I was instantly hooked with the competitive aspect and the improvement process of solving tactics, studying master games, and learning opening lines. I realized I had a knack for the game.

I played chess nearly every day against my parents over the summer, and I joined my school’s scholastic chess team that Fall, where I played my first chess tournament, earning my first USCF rating of 502.

I would go on to play with my scholastic team until the end of my junior year, where I reached a peak rating of 1507. In my senior year, while looking for part-time jobs, I picked up chess coaching in January 2019, specializing in teaching students from pre-Kindergarten to fifth grade.

Coaching became a newfound purpose to my life, giving me an opportunity to give back to the community through the game that give me so much.

As of now, chess coaching is now my full-time job, having taught hundreds of players of all ages for over 7 years, including multiple state and national champions. I also still play chess competitively to this day, having reached a peak rating of 2123 USCF and achieving the USCF Candidate Master title. My current goal is to become a National Master (2200 USCF)!

Outside of chess, I am a HUGE fan of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and professional mixed martial arts, I like to play billiards, listen to all sorts of music, and enjoy time outdoors with friends and family.