FM Nate Solon

Hi! I'm FM Nate Solon. As a student I was one of the top players for my age in the US. After school I played poker professionally for many years. When I quit poker I returned to chess, but this time as a coach and content creator.

I'm a US and FIDE Master. I won the national grade championship for the US in 8th and 9th grade. I'm also a Massachusetts state champion. I have beaten some of the best blitz in the world, including Andrew Tang and Hikaru Nakamura.

I've been teaching chess for over 20 years. I've worked with students from beginner to expert level.

My experiences as a poker player and data scientist inform my approach to coaching. I'm interested in pragmatic and efficient ways to improve performance. I like to use data to question common assumptions and find unexplored opportunities.

I believe in combining a data-driven approach with empathy. In my experience the biggest stumbling block for most players is not a lack of knowledge, but issues with the thought process, so I try to get a handle on how you think and suggest ways to improve it.

Common techniques include reviewing your games with an eye towards recurring patterns, calculation training, and helping you build and refine your opening repertoire. I follow up after each lesson with a review of what we covered and suggestions for study material.