Michael "fpawn" Aigner earned the US Chess titles of National Master and Life Master while playing at competitive over-the-board chess tournaments in California, Nevada and across the country. His claim to fame is finishing second at the 2006 US Open in Chicago and thereby qualifying for the 2007 US Championship in Oklahoma.

Over the years, Coach Michael shared his knowledge and experience with dozens of young students, mostly through online lessons. He enjoys the challenge of coaching intermediate to advanced juniors typically rated over 1000 USCF. Some of these students are nationally ranked for their age group and a few have won State, National, and even World Championships! View the Honor Roll for a list of successful proteges. Roughly a quarter of private students who studied with Coach Michael for at least one year attained the rank of master themselves before graduating from High School! A lucky few even earned international titles.

In recognition of more than two decades of coaching, the International Chess Federation awarded Coach Michael the title of FIDE Trainer in 2020.

Teaching Philosophy

After years of experience personally and with students, I believe the best way to improve is by practice and learning from the inevitable mistakes. My lessons often take the form of a game between teacher and student, with takebacks allowed and much discussion. While a solid grasp of chess theory is useful, you only become a better player if you can properly apply your knowledge and experience at the right moments during the competitive environment of a tournament.

Click here for my Ten Goals for Chess Lessons.

I do not have a fixed curriculum for teaching chess. Every student has different strengths, weaknesses, personalities and goals. Over more than 20 years, pupils have ranged from 800 to above 2200 USCF. I often begin with several interesting puzzles or positions that I encountered recently. The first big component of my classes is learning from the student's own games. Improvements might be obvious (tactical blunder) or subtle (creating a weakness). Then I can draw from a large amount of accumulated lesson material ranging from specific themes to instructive games by famous Grandmasters. I created several mini courses that run from 2 to 5 classes. My specialty is endgames - which are simplified middlegames and thus a laboratory for developing analysis skills necessary throughout a chess game. Indeed, two of my favorite courses are king + pawn and rook + pawn endgames. On the other hand, I do not emphasize much advanced opening theory, in part because each student prefers different openings. Finally, I have compiled nearly three dozen homework puzzle sets over the years (and still adding more), most on either tactical themes or endgames.

My goal as a chess teacher is to cultivate an understanding and enthusiasm for the royal game. I do not believe in drilling traps and zaps that may lead to rapid short-term improvement at the risk of becoming a one-dimensional "coffee house" player. Instead, I seek to develop a complete chess player who can enjoy chess and continue to improve years down the road, laying the foundation for dedicated students to strive towards the master title. If your goal in chess is rapid improvement on a tight timeline, then I am not the coach for you.

Online Lessons

I teach chess lessons on the Internet Chess Club (ICC) or by sharing a chessboard on my screen. The teacher and student both look at the same board and analyze through moves, both what was actually played and alternative variations. Teacher and student communicate using Skype or Zoom. For added emphasis, the teacher can use arrows and circles, much in the same way a sports coach diagrams a play.

After two decades of experience, I believe online lessons with a video feed are about 90% as worthwhile as a face-to-face class. On one hand, some students (especially young children) may benefit from more face-to-face interaction. On the other hand, the online connection eliminates the transportation logistics.

Office Hour

My students and I meet on many Sunday evenings for an hour of blitz practice on Chess.com. I open a voluntary Zoom room for those interested in some friendly chess banter. Fun and free!

Training Games

Do you think you can beat a master? In addition to formal lessons, I may be available to play training games with brief analysis. I recommend this option for students with a minimum USCF rating of 1800.

Face-to-face Lessons

Students who live in Davis or the greater Sacramento region may be able to meet in-person. Please contact me directly to discuss the necessary logistics.

Unfortunately, I do not travel out of town to coach chess. However, I do enjoy interacting with students at tournaments, mostly in California and Nevada. Depending on the round schedule, I may find time to review some games between or after rounds. Don't be shy!

Schedule and Fees

If you are interested, consult my Teaching Schedule for availability. Most students take weekly classes for an hour per session. Due to long-term health issues, I only accept a limited number of pupils (no more than 2 per day). This limits me to about 12 students at a time. Honestly, I would love to teach more...

Check out my standard Lesson Fees. Payments may be submitted online by Paypal or Zelle or by mailing a check at the end of each month.

Feel free to contact me at michaelNOSPAM@fpawn.com (remove NOSPAM from address).

If you are unsatisfied with my performance, please let me know so that I can try to improve. Within one week of paying, you may request a refund of your last lesson. Note that a refund will necessarily terminate our teaching relationship.

Student Questionnaire

Prospective chess students should email me Answers To These Questions. Thank you!