Jerry, a distinguished high school chess player, has achieved remarkable success in his chess career, reaching a peak USCF rank of 1970. Ranked among the top 100 chess players for his age in 2023, he stands in the top 1.5 percentile in the US Junior Ranking. His notable performances include a top 10 finish in the under 2100 section at the 33rd annual North American Open and a top 5 placement in the under 2000 section at the 43rd annual Lina Grumette Memorial in 2023. He also secured first place in the under 1800 section at the 42nd Memorial Day Classic Chess Tournament in 2022 and achieved the 1 st place at Southern California SuperStates K-8 Team Championship in 2024.
Jerry is a passionate chess advocate and organizer. In 2023, he co-founded The Future King Chess Club and serves as Vice President of the Amy Chess Club. He also established three chess clubs in Los Angeles and Ventura County, providing free weekly lessons at Agoura Hills Recreation Center, Oak Park, and Dos Vientos Chess Clubs.
In addition to teaching locally, Jerry offers free online chess lessons through YDRC and Amy Chess Clubs. He is an editor for ChessConnections.org magazine and a Certified Club Chess Tournament Director by the United States Chess Federation.
Jerry believes that learning chess enhances children's logical thinking, problem-solving skills, concentration, and patience. He is committed to sharing these benefits with the community and inspiring many children to enjoy and learn from chess.
Avery is a highschooler who loves to play chess! She started playing chess at the age of 7 and is an active player almost 8 years later. Avery is in the top 10 girls her age in the US. Some of her successes in the chess world include winning the US Women’s Open in 2024 and third at the 2023 Pan-American. In addition, Avery enjoys teaching chess to children of all ages and abilities. After helping teach at American Chess Academy for almost two years, in 2023 she co-founded the Future King Chess Club with the belief that chess can change the life of every kid. She teaches at her local library every week and is looking forward to the growth of the local chess community.
Vanessa began learning chess at the age of 8 and now has a USCF rating of over 2000, placing her in the top 1.5% of all junior chess players. She ranks in the top 5 for regular chess among U.S. girls aged 15, the top 25 in quick chess for U.S. girls under 21, and the top 80 among all U.S. female players. Additionally, she qualified to represent the U.S. at the 2023 and 2024 World Youth Chess Championships. Her other chess achievements include earning the title of Woman Candidate Master in 2024, securing 3rd place in the 2023 American Open K-12 Championship, and achieving 1st place in the 2023 Southern California Super States K-12 Team Championship.
Residing in Thousand Oaks, Ventura County, Vanessa is passionate about chess and dedicated to promoting the game in local communities. She began teaching online at JuniorCoach during the pandemic and has since expanded her teaching both online and in person. The Future King Chess Club, which she co-founded, now has three branches providing free in-person lessons in Newbury Park, Agoura Hills, and Oak Park. Additionally, she serves as the President of the Westlake High School Chess Club and Vice President of the Amy Chess Club.
Vanessa is also a certified United States Chess Federation tournament director and actively hosts tournaments at community centers across Ventura and Los Angeles counties. In her role as a tournament director, she ensures fair play and organizes events that bring together chess enthusiasts of all ages, creating a dynamic chess community and inspiring new players to improve their skills.