Our Team

Online Coaching Team

NM Coach John

NM Coach John is a National Master and teaches his expert knowledge in a fun and social style! He has taught at Chess4Life for over 10 years, and his knowledge of famous chess games is not rivaled! His lessons are a mix of game analysis and student practice, and he is ready to challenge his advanced students to think outside the box.

Coach Luke

Coach Luke has been playing chess since childhood with his 6 younger siblings. For the past 10 years, he has run multiple children/youth after-school programs in public, private, and classical schools in Washington state. Luke joined Chess4Life after moving to South Dakota in 2023.

Coach Matthew

Coach Matthew has been with Chess4Life for 4 years and regularly playing chess since he was 8 years old. His classroom environment is fun, engaging, and focused, and he is experienced working with beginner students eager to learn the foundations of chess! He uses storytelling to engage his students, and balances focused learning with a silly and social vibe.

Coach Michael | Coach

NM Coach Michael is a USCF National Master and has been playing competitive chess since 2010 and has taught chess for 5+ years. Michael's goal has always been to give back to the chess community and help his students accomplish their goals. Whether you strive to be a Grand Master or just want to enjoy the game, he is a great coach!

IM Coach Victor

IM Coach Victor is an International Master and coach with an impressive portfolio of over 15 years dedicated to guiding students through their chess journeys. With experience helping students in Kindergarten through High School, his coaching methodology seamlessly integrates game analysis with hands-on student practice.

Coach Jesse

Coach Jesse has been passionate about chess since the age of eight, having learned how to play on a Fidelity chess computer. Mentored by Slovakian chess coach, Vladimir Rosenfeld, Jesse went on to teach chess to aspiring chess enthusiasts and masters since the early 90s. With a background in technology, Jesse applies rigorous study to chess with software applications and an expansive reference library, all of which complement Chess4Life’s proprietary lessons.

Issaquah Center Team

Coach Stanley | Issaquah Center Manager

Coach Stanley has been coaching at Chess4Life for over 10 years. He was born and raised in the Greater Seattle Area. He learned how to play chess from his cousin when he was seven years old, and the game has since become a lifelong passion of his. As a graduate of the University of Washington, Stanley has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy but decided to pursue chess coaching full-time after graduating. As a chess coach, Stanley focuses on trying to make chess fun and tries to have them adopt a “win, draw, learn” mindset when it comes to chess improvement. Aside from chess, Stanley enjoys traveling, photography, and playing basketball.

Coach Zak

Coach Zak was born in Issaquah, but has lived in various locations throughout his life including Chicago and Puerto Rico. Ever since he was young, Zak has been competing in many different sports including football, lacrosse, and basketball. However, it wasn't until after high school that he became passionate about chess. As a chess coach, Zak tries his best to instill his passion and competitive nature in his students. Aside from coaching chess, Zak is currently working on earning a degree in accounting from Bellevue College. He spends his free time playing sports, watching movies, and gaming.

Coach Cam

Coach Cam was raised in Sammamish and was introduced to chess by his grandmother at the age of 6. Although he later pursued sports like track and football, his love for chess remained. In high school, his passion for the game deepened as he regularly played with friends in person and online. For Coach Cam, chess holds significant importance in his life, fostering lifelong friendships and contributing to his academic journey, as he aims to complete his computer science degree at Bellevue College. During his leisure time, Cameron enjoys gaming, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Bellevue Center Team

Coach Joshua | Bellevue Center Manager

Coach Joshua has worked with Chess4Life for over 7 years, and has led our Nationals Training Team along with developing curriculum for our Online Premium Classes. He is a very calm and patient presence ready to engage his students in game analysis alongside some great sci-fi jokes! He is a tournament director and regular chess player in regional tournaments.

Coach Kyden

Coach Kyden learned to play chess when he was 7 and immediately fell in love with the game. Chess taught him so many lessons about patience, thoughtful attention, and sportsmanship. As a chess coach, his goal is to instill those life lessons in all of my students while also making sure they can understand and enjoy the beauty of the complex strategies of chess.

Coach Alex

Coach Alex has always loved games and being competitive, whether that be in sports, board games, cards, you name it! Pairing that with his love of teaching (graduated from Eastern Washington University with a degree in Education) he quickly became a great coach in our centers. Alex is passionate about teaching our students life skills through the game of chess.

Licensing Team

Jill Downey | Education and Training Specialist

Jill Downey grew up with a chessboard on the kitchen table as soon as dinner was cleared. A life-long educator, Jill knows the benefit of turning a mistake into meaningful learning. She earned her Master's degree in Early Childhood Education in 2010 and in the same year joined Chess4Life as a chess coach to preschoolers after school. After twenty years as a classroom teacher, Jill now supports our partnering programs and writes curriculum mapped directly to learning objectives. Snow skiing in the winter and kayaking in the summer, Jill and her family enjoy all the outdoor activities available in the great Pacific Northwest.

Corporate Team

Angie Provenzano | Program Administrator / Customer Experience / Billing

Angie Provenzano has over 30 years of customer relationship and business experience. She is driven by providing the best care parents and students can receive and is passionate about creating a place where students can have fun while learning valuable life experiences.

Lauren Pruitt | Graphic Design / Program Administrator

Lauren Pruitt is dedicated to creating engaging visuals that spark joy and excitement about chess for parents and children. She enjoys helping to lead online tournaments, as well as creating vibrant learning and marketing projects.

Paul Faraca | Sr. Director of Operations

Paul Faraca has been helping kids learn and grow for over 20 years through various activities and programs. He believes learning through play is one of the best ways to empower children with essential skills to help them in all aspects of their lives. With a bachelor's degree in Recreation and an MBA, Paul gets the unique opportunity to combine his love of play and business here at Chess4Life.

Claire Flores | Executive Assistant

Claire Flores thrives on the intricacies of detail-oriented work and takes pride in using her organizational skills to provide support so that others are free to focus on educating and empowering students. Outside the office, she expresses her artistic talents through floral design, painting, and carpentry.

Elliott Neff | CEO/Founder

Elliott Neff is a National Master, CEO of Chess4Life, and author of A Pawn's Journey. What began for Elliott as a childhood fascination with chess has blossomed into an opportunity to positively impact tens of thousands of kids per week through Chess4Life programs. Elliott's coaching expertise is reflected in his certification as a USCF Level V Coach, an honor that fewer than a dozen top-level coaches in the US share. Elliott is a father and husband, and loves to spend time with his growing family!