Welcome To Our Club!
New York Scholastic Chess Club offers curriculum chess and after-school programs to schools, private lessons for groups and individuals, host tournaments and run chess camps during school breaks. Our programs are tailored to students ranging from absolute beginner to national champions.
In 2017 alone our schools won 1st place at the New York City Championships in multiple sections, individual champions and 14 top 10 finishes. We also had top 2 finishes as a team and individually at Girls Nationals in Chicago and many top 10 finishes at Super Nationals in Nashville.
Founder / Manager Ivan Dirkx's experience playing top-level scholastic chess in New York City means NYSCC has unique insight into the needs of our students.
Ivan D.
FOUNDER/MANAGER
AFTER SCHOOL
PROGRAMS
CHESS
TOURNAMENTS
We're proud to offer after school programs throughout the city!
VIEW PROGRAMS
The Anderson School regularly hosts chess tournaments for students.
UPCOMING CHESS TOURNAMENTS
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MORE INFO
PS 199
PS 334
THE ANDERSON SCHOOL
Private
LESSONS
MEET OUR
INSTRUCTORS
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Ivan Dirkx
Ivan is the founder and owner of New York Scholastic Chess Club.
Ivan has the unique experience of having grown up in New York City playing scholastic chess at a top level. His instructors included Josh Waitzkin and Bruce Pandolfini, some of the most well known chess players and instructors in the world. With that comes the understanding of what is needed to be successful as a student and teacher
Ivan has been teaching chess for twelve years and the head chess teacher at The Anderson School (P.S. 334) for five years.
Over the past 5 years the Anderson chess program has nearly tripled in size and its students are some of the most successful players not only in the city but also in the nation with multiple team championships and individual championships.
IM Silas Esben Lund
Silas is an International Master and 6-time chess author. For more than 15 years, Silas has been teaching chess to multiple students on different levels. He has also helped start up scholastic chess in Copenhagen, and he has international coaching experience from several European and World Youth Championships.
Originally from Denmark, he came to New York recently and lives here with his wife. He has a Bachelor’s degree in German language and culture from Copenhagen, but these days he works professionally with chess and game developing - both educational and classic games. He is very much into strategical thinking and how it can be taught and understood.
IM Girogi Bakhtadaze
Giorgi Bakhtadaze is an International Chess Master who has been teaching chess in New York City for over 20 years with multiple students who have gone on to be national champions. He is a two time world youth champion and 11 time Georgian Youth National Champion. In his personal life, Giorgi is married with 4 kids.
WIM Viktorija NI
Viktorija was born in Latvia and has played competitive chess for 20 years. She played in her first World Youth Championship at the age of nine and has won many championships in Europe and the US. She finished fourth in the U.S. Women's Championships in 2012 and 2015 and has played in two Chess Olympiads for Latvia and two Women's World Team Championships for the US. Viktoria has enjoyed teaching in classrooms, at summer camps and as a private instructor since 2010. She believes that chess has positively shaped her thinking and ability to focus on complex problems and hopes to impart those benefits on her students. Outside of chess, she studied Business Administration in Chicago.
Matheu Jefferson
Matheu Jefferson has been teaching chess since he was a high school student at Bronx Center for Science and Math. While there he helped start a chess team, which won the 12th grade National Championship in 2012. He has been with Anderson the past several years while also getting his Bachelor's Degree in Physics.
Tae Kim
Tae is currently a chess expert studying business management in Baruch College. He started his chess career in middle school and competed in many national events. His most notable accomplishment was getting tied for 2nd in 12th grade nationals held in Orlando, Florida. He hopes to encourage the next generation of kids through chess because it teaches patience, focus and cognitive thinking!
CHARLIE Reeder
Charlie Reeder is currently a senior at Stuyvesant High School, where she is the co-captain of the national chess team. From grades k-8, Charlie attended the Anderson School, which is where she learned how to play chess. Charlie has enjoyed chess since kindergarten and has been competing in scholastic and open tournaments since 2nd grade. Although she graduated from Anderson three years ago, she continues to be involved with its community, dedicating many Friday afternoons to volunteering at the chess program.
Cameron Hull
Cameron Hull is a New York City based chess educator and active tournament player. He has taught and served on the Board of Directors at the Marshall Chess Club in Manhattan. He has taught at many schools throughout the 5 boroughs. He currently teaches at PS166, PS9, PS84, the Anderson School, and PS199. He also teaches privately and coaches/directs at Scholastic Tournaments. Cameron is an active tournament chess player, both at the Marshall and at CCA tournaments along the East Coast. Beyond chess, Cameron has many years experience working with youth at overnight camps, both in Connecticut and New York.
Jonathan Hidalgo
Jonathan has been a strong scholastic chess player since his first year of intermediate school, where he earned a spot in the top 100 ranking for chess players in the US his age every year after. He was on various teams to score in the top 5 in nationals throughout his scholastic career. In the 2012 grade nationals where his team won 1st place. He has been working with the Anderson school for the past several years and will be starting at PS 199 this year.